Hiking Tips

There are two ways to learn about hiking. You can forge head-first onto the trails, make mistakes, and hopefully learn from them. Or you can take the shortcut trail to the summit of efficient hiking by learning from someone else’s missteps. While there’s nothing wrong with the first approach, it will likely lead you to acquiring some unnecessary gear, not to mention blisters. Trust us, we’ve been there and done that. Hopefully the posts here, a collection formed from lessons learned the hard way, will help set you on the right path.

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NH Appalachian Trail Hike: Mt. Guyot to Mizpah Spring Hut

by Daren Worcester 6

Bookended by the widely popular hiking destinations of Franconia Ridge and South Twin Mountain on one end, and the Presidential Range on the other, it’s easy to dismiss the New Hampshire Appalachian Trail from Mt. Guyot to Mizpah Spring Hut as the necessary in-between. To an extent this wouldn’t entirely be a mistake (the summit of Mt. Zealand isn’t likely to take anyone’s breath away); however, those who tackle this stretch are treated to ample photo opportunities from Zealand Falls, Zeacliff, Zealand Notch and the Webster Cliffs.

Hike Mt. Jefferson Via the Castle Trail in the NH Presidential Range

by Daren Worcester 5

Mt. Washington may get the glory, but the Mt. Jefferson Castle Trail has more than its fair share of guts. With 4,200 feet of elevation gain over 4.8 miles, and a tip-top height of 5,716 feet, the Castle Trail packs a wallop as challenging as anything the New Hampshire Presidential Range has to offer. But is it a technical hike?

NH Appalachian Trail Hike: Mt. Garfield to Mt. Guyot

by Daren Worcester 3

The New Hampshire Appalachian Trail from Mt. Garfield to Mt. Guyot features views of the Pemigewasset Wilderness you’ll lose your train of thought in, along with calorie-busting terrain to make amends for that last trip to Five Guys & Fries. In other words, par for the course. We begin this AT adventure at the intersection of the Garfield Trail and the Garfield Ridge Trail.

NH Appalachian Trail Hike: Franconia Notch to Mt. Garfield

by Daren Worcester 0

For many, the Presidential Range is the Appalachian Trail section most synonymous with New Hampshire, which makes the Franconia Ridge Trail hike from Mt. Liberty to Mt. Lafayette a second fiddle with a marvelous tune. With two mountains over 5,000 feet, the option to summit 4,459-foot Mt. Liberty, and 4,500-foot Mt. Garfield likely also on the docket, this stretch will have hikers crashing and burning by day’s end.

Hike Goose Eye Mountain Via the Wright Trail in Maine’s Mahoosuc Range

by Daren Worcester 3

As one of the AMC’s red lines, the Wright Trail is by no means a secret. Given that I completed it on a cloudless Saturday morning in June after a week of rain and only saw four other people, it certainly passes for a hidden gem. Listed in the White Mountain Guide as a loop trail, the North Branch now appears to be closed. Don’t let this scare you away, though. The long parallel with Goose Eye Brook and eye-popping scenery of Goose Eye Mountain and the Mahoosuc Range make it a great getaway.

NH Appalachian Trail Hike: Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch

by Daren Worcester 6

After shaking a case of trail trail déjà vu, it was back onto the New Hampshire Appalachian Trail for another wild adventure. Unfortunately the trek once again didn’t go as planned. Yet another lesson learned in the perils of section hiking an AT state in sections.