Start/End: Grafton Notch, Rt. 26

Peaks: Old Speck (4,170')

Elevation Gain: 3,060 ft

RT Mileage: 7.67 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 3 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1+

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

A weather window finally presented itself on the second and final Saturday of my spring break after a series of rainstorms. I decided to take the opportunity to bag a Maine 4,000-footer in Old Speck, hoping that trail conditions would be more manageable in the northeastern Whites where temperatures had been colder and less rain had fallen over the week compared to the New Hampshire side. I was right. Read more...

Start/End: Roaring Brook Campground

Peaks: Baxter (5,267')

Elevation Gain: 3,850 ft

RT Mileage: 10.6 mi

Duration: 8 hours, 54 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2

There's no better birthday present than a good hike. So for my birthday this year, I decided to complete Mt. Katahdin's Baxter Peak. I initially wanted to do the classic Hunt Trail, but heard from some others that the slightly easier Saddle Trail was very scenic in the fall, so ended up doing that instead. Read more...