The NH48 From Worst to Best: Ranking All 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-Foot Summits

There is nothing I love more on this planet than a stongly-held opinion based on completely objective criteria. So, when I set out in 2021 to hike all of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks, I was stoked to come across this article by Rebecca Sperry ranking all 48.

However—there was an issue. Rebecca Sperry and I did not share the same opinions. Gasp.

The more I worked through the NH48, the more I found my personal spreadsheet rankings drastically diverging from Rebecca’s list. While I have nothing but the utmost respect for her experiences, I counted down the days until I, too, finished the NH48 and could write my version of a ranking list.

Ranking New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-Footers

Keep in mind that this is a ranking based on five years of hiking these trails; my memories are heavily influenced by the weather I had that day, how I felt on each peak, and who I was hiking with at the time. This ranking is about as subjective as it can get. Still, in my unbiased opinion, I’m objectively correct. Let’s jump into it.

#48: Mount Zealand

Starting strong with Mount Zealand, which is one of the NH48 that exists along the Appalachian Trail. Too bad I hated it so much! 

Not only does this totally wooded summit lack any significant views, but I found the rocky trail leading up to it frustrating and exhausting at the end of a long day. I hiked Mount Zealand as part of an extended Pemi Loop hike, which also happened to coincide with Hurricane Lee. So, I found the mile or so detour off of my route and up to the summit of Zealand to be tedious, wet, tiring, and cold. Enduring all of that to be greeted by a view-less summit felt like adding insult to injury. Last place.

#47: South Carter

We continue with summits that are a part of the Appalachian Trail. The takeaway for you AT hikers here is that the trail takes you over some of the very worst of the NH48, so you shouldn’t write off the NH48 as a terrible peakbagging list just based on the Appalachian Trail experience!

South Carter was the last of the NH48 I summited on my disastrous first trip to the White Mountains. While there were a few views through the trees between Carter Dome and South Carter, the summit itself had nothing of note and a frustrating number of blowdowns slowed our pace in a moment when all we wanted to do was get to a shelter and out of our freezing, wet clothes.

#46: Middle Carter

Middle Carter feels very similar to South Carter, except you do actually get some nice viewpoints about a quarter mile before and after the summit. Still, if it’s a particularly snowy November, the sun is starting to set, and you’re still way too far away from the Imp Shelter, you’re probably not going to stop and enjoy these views.

#45: Carter Dome

Carter Dome was the first of the NH48 I ever summited. It is also the mountain I’ve been the least prepared for. Coming into the White Mountains with a “they’re just 4,000 feet tall how hard can they be?” mentality without any New Hampshire hiking experience to back that up really put me in a tough spot heading up Nineteen Mile Brook Trail in the winter with no spikes, an inappropriately rated sleeping bag, terrible layers, and an unrealistic idea of how fast I’d be moving.

The summit is, once again, just a cairn inside a ring of trees, though you do get some better views close to the summit. 

#44: North Tripyramid

North Tripyramid, conversely, was one of the last in my NH48 journey. Due to stubbornness and scheduling constraints, Middle and North Tripyramid were hiked in an absolutely comically heavy downpour. I had heard that the way up included a few river crossings but, thanks to the rain, I didn’t even really notice. Every inch of my clothes were wet within two minutes of leaving the trailhead.

I also experienced a bit of a Schrödinger’s View: maybe there was a good view at the top, maybe there wasn’t, but the low hanging clouds obscured everything so entirely that I could barely see five feet in front of my face either way.

#43: Middle Tripyramid

Everything said for North Tripyramid applies here as well, but at least bagging Middle Tripyramid meant our rainy afternoon could come to an end and I could go tear it up at George’s Diner in Meredith, New Hampshire.

#42: Mount Hancock

Sometimes (often) the White Mountains will hit you with the most brutal stretch of trail and then give you absolutely zero payoff. I hiked Mount Hancock in the dead of winter, and the trail was blanketed with snow. Luckily, someone had already been up ahead of me, so I didn’t have to break the fresh trail. Unluckily, they’d glissaded down from the summit of Mount Hancock, and the troughed out snow had slightly melted and then refroze, leaving behind an icy luge track.

The three quarters of a mile or so leading up to Mount Hancock are steep, and this was not helped by the terrible trail conditions. My microspikes were working overtime. At the top, I was rewarded by views of the trees and nothing more. Yay.

#41: Mount Garfield

Mount Garfield is yet another of the NH48 coinciding with the Appalachian Trail, and another peak I summited during my extended Pemi Loop. This peak is the first on this list to have a truly enjoyable summit, but not even spectacular views of the Franconia Ridge could make up for the frustration of climbing up the “trail” (in quotations because it’s just a waterfall) in the middle of an active hurricane. 

Some parts of the weather I experienced on the Pemi Loop made things feel more powerful and more enjoyable, but this just felt like a slog at the end of a long day and a random way for the trail to get my feet wet just before the sun went down. The best part of the climb up Mount Garfield was the acknowledgement that it was much easier than having to downclimb that section.

#40: Wildcat A

Oh, look! Another peak on the Appalachian Trail finishing in the bottom 10! I will say, finishing the NH48 did not light a fire in my belly about hiking the AT.

On the other hand, the other Wildcat (Wildcat D, also part of the Appalachian Trail) ranked a lot higher in my books. Once you got to the summit of Wildcat D, saw the pretty views, and had fun with the technical trail, hiking down and up to the summit of Wildcat A felt like a frustrating chore. The summit itself had no view the day I hiked it and the trail didn’t have any exciting element to make the experience enjoyable. Besides, the whole time we were traversing over to Wildcat A, my friends and I were preemptively dreading having to do the steep, steep descent back down Wildcat D.

#39: Mount Tecumseh

Expectations will bite you in the butt every time. Look up almost any list of “Easiest of the NH48” and I bet you’ll see Mount Tecumseh hovering near the top.

I have literally no idea what made this trail so hard for me, and my only logical explanation is that I expected it to be so much a walk in the park that my brain completely fried when my muscles still had to work a little bit to get up this peak. Tecumseh was a fairly short and straightforward hike, but it was a consistently steep grade the entire way. 

You do get a decent view at the top (i.e., it’s more than just trees), but it’s nothing to write home about and there aren’t many great views on the way up. The trail parallels a ski area, so we were watching skiers come down the mountains as we hiked up. They looked like they were having more fun than us, and the crowds did detract somewhat from the feeling of being alone in the backcountry. Thanks to the ski area sharing a parking space with the trailhead for Tecumseh, we had to park annoyingly far away and add some unwanted distance to our day.

Plus, my boyfriend lost his Nalgene with all his stickers at some point during the descent, so the vibes in the car on the drive home were bad.

Are you still with me? Good. We’ve just made it through the ten peaks I actively did not enjoy during my NH48 journey. Now, I can stop being so negative as we move to our next category: Pretty forgettable peaks that didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. (Maybe I’ll still be a little negative).

#38: South Hancock

South Hancock was just as snowy and socked in at the summit as Mount Hancock, but with the added bonus of us getting to glissade down from the summit and ruin the trail up for everyone coming after us. I would’ve felt guilty, but it was a perfectly smooth, quarter mile glissade down a steep, windy trail in the woods. It’s hard to feel guilty when you’re having so much fun.

#37: East Osceola

The summit itself of East Osceola may be among the most lackluster of the entire NH48. However, the chimney scramble between Osceola and East Osceola is very fun (albeit short)and somewhat makes up for the viewless summit. East Osceola makes it onto many a “Worst of the NH48” list, so I also couldn’t have gone into it with lower expectations.

Already knowing that the journey over to East Osceola from Osceola would be lacking any views helped me focus more on the fun of the scramble.

#36: Passaconaway

This peak is forgettable, and I mean that as a compliment. The views on the ridgeline between Passaconaway and Whiteface are fine, the summit is pretty, and the terrain itself is fairly straightforward, albeit rocky. If you’ve done any hiking in the White Mountains, I’m sure you agree that”forgettable” is far from the worst thing a trail can throw at you.

The descent down from Passaconaway is a bit steep in places, and I hiked after a rainstorm, leading to some annoying foot placements on slippery roots and branches.

#35: Cannon

Cannon is a short, steep hike with a beautiful payoff at the summit. The trail and summit both overlap with a ski area, so you’ll be hearing and seeing a chair lift through the trees and you’ll be greeted at the top with a fire tower and the end of the chair lift. It adds a bit of novelty to this peak, but it does somewhat detract from the feeling of being alone out in nature.

The Hi-Cannon trail is the most direct path up, and it’s only 2 or so miles to the summit, but you still gain around 2,500 ft. The downfall with these super short trails in the Whites is that they tend to be incredibly steep the entire way.

#34: Field

Mounts Field, Willey, and Tom tend to be hiked as a collection of three, and I did not deviate from this. All three peaks are fairly similar, but Field takes the last spot of the trio due to the summit’s underwhelming views and the forgettable ridgeline between Tom and Field.

However, this ridgeline is quite easy, and feels like the epitome of peaceful walking through the woods in New England.

#33: Willey

Willey ranks just ahead of Mt. Field because of the pretty great views you get along the ridgeline between the two. I remember feeling like Willey was a longer hike from the summit of Mt. Field than I would have expected, but I also could have just been tired at this point and ready to go home.

Through the trees, you get several wonderful, peak-a-boo views of some incredible rock faces before you turn around and hike all the way back to the Mt. Tom spur junction before beginning your descent. I liked it!

#32: Tom

Tom objectively doesn’t belong at the top of the list for the Tom/Field/Willey traverse. It doesn’t have many good views at all on your way to the summit and the summit itself is just this little spur that takes you up to a patchily wooded summit area. However, when I stood at the junction to the spur trail, I remember actively thinking how much I was enjoying the area.

The woods always change a bit just before treeline ends in the Whites and, as a result, many of the summits have this “summity” feeling where the trees thin, become much shorter, and you can just feel how close you are. That exactly how this junction feels, and the summit itself has a whole host of these stunted trees. It’s charming!

Interestingly enough, when I went back to compare my finalized list with Rebecca’s, she had also written “Tom doesn’t have the best views from its summit, but there’s something about this peak and the trail right before the Tom Spur that spoke to me.” I can’t promise you’ll love the schlep up Mt. Tom, but this does put us as 2/2 for people enjoying Tom without really being able to articulate why.

#31: Galehead

We return now to yet another peak summited on this ill-fated hurricane Pemi Loop experience. Galehead was mostly socked in and I only got very fleeting views of the surrounding mountains as I stood there and watched the low-lying clouds whip through. The ascent from Galehead Hut is very simple, and made simpler by the fact that you can drop your pack at the Hut for a quick jaunt up.

However, it’s worth noting that the descent from South Twin Mountain to Galehead Hut kind of sucks, especially when wet. The Pemi Loop is objectively one of the prettiest trips you can plan out in the White Mountains, but the views on the way up and at the summit of Galehead Mountain will not be the standouts from the experience. The hot chocolate at Galehead Hut, however, may be.

#30: Moriah

While the hike up to the summit and, honestly, the views at the top aren’t much to write home about, I ended up cowboy camping near the top. Seeing the not-super impressive summit at both sunset and sunrise gave me a new perspective on this peak, and I think back on it fondly! However, without the colorful sunset, this mountain would probably be a bit lower on my list.

#29: Waumbek

The best thing I have to say about Waumbek (and it’s no small thing to say!) is that it is easy. The second best thing I have to say is that it’s remote. Many of the paths up to the NH48’s summits are well-traveled and crowded—wonderful for feeling safe and secure, but not great for seeking solitude. 

#28: North Kinsman

North Kinsman takes the prize of being the only summit I ever had to turn back from during my 48. I first attempted it in the spring of 2024 via the Fishin Jimmy Trail, but the extreme snowmelt led to an absolutely impassable moment on the trail. I only wish we’d known it would be impassable before we forded a freezing, icy river in our boots.

The second attempt was easier and nature cooperated more with us, but rain still rolled in and we had no views at the partially-wooded summit. Still, I’m a sucker for seeing fog move through trees, so I enjoyed the hike up and felt good to finally tick this one off the list. The Mount Kinsman Trail was better maintained and, in my opinion, more pleasant than our ill-fated Fishin Jimmy attempt.

#27: North Twin

North Twin was, again, part of my extended Pemi Loop which, again, meant the weather sucked. While there is clearly an overlook at the peak, dense clouds had rolled in and I had no view. Still, it was a very pleasant hike over to the summit! The trail was a 2.5-mile round trip detour off from South Twin, and I barely even noticed the descent or ascent.

While I didn’t get a great view, I did have a genuinely enjoyable time just appreciating the maintenance and ease of the hiking.

#26: Hale

If Waumbek is the second easiest of the NH48, Hale is the easiest. It’s just four miles round trip, which does mean it’s two miles straight up and two miles straight down, but the trail is so well-maintained that it’s really not a problem. The view at the top is lacking, though there is one of those impressive, large cairns to mark the summit proper.

Hale ended up being one of the final peaks of my NH48 because, since it was so short, I kept expecting to just tack it on to the end of some other trip to the Whites. Two weeks before finishing the NH48, I realized I just needed to go out and do it, because it never fit easily into any of my other plans. I grabbed a Diet Coke from a nearby gas station, popped in a good playlist, and was back at the car in three hours. It was a fun, cruisey, enjoyable hike! 

#25: Osceola

The summit views on Osceola are incredible. Absolutely stunning. There’s a massive rock shelf with a crazy sight line out over the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and it’s one of the best places to sit and enjoy a summit burrito in all of the White Mountains. However, the hike up to the summit I found weirdly unenjoyable. My feet hurt, all the rocks made me move slower than I wanted to, and by the time I made it back to the car I had already vowed to never return.

Now that we’ve covered the bottom 25, I feel confident in saying that I actively enjoyed every peak moving forward. Sure, sometimes the views still aren’t great, but there was some experience on each one that made it memorable and left me feeling quite positively about it.

#24: South Kinsman

The only real difference between North and South Kinsman is that the summit is a bit less wooded and the clouds had shifted enough for us to actually enjoy the view. The hike between the two peaks is pretty easy and gradual and, even with the wet conditions, nothing was too slippery. The descent does have some wooden ladders—some of which seems a few years past needing replacement—but it’s an overall enjoyable hike with some pretty great views at the summit.

#23: Madison

Madison is the northernmost peak along the Presidential chain, and the ascent is beautiful, steep, and rocky. Getting to stop for a snack at the hut is a bit of a treat, but the little boulder field leading up to the actual summit feels like a slog. Especially when staring down the rest of the Presidentials, my legs weren’t happy about the scrambling.

Still, it’s one of the best summit views of the 48, so it’s impossible to not enjoy.

#22: Wildcat D

Speaking of a scramble, Wildcat D’s ascent is famous for being the steepest mile on the entire Appalachian Trail. For all the hype, it’s actually not the steepest path up to one of the NH48! Instead, it’s a steep (but manageable) hike up through a forest followed by a very brief scramble up a little rock chimney. Quite fun!

The summit itself is accessible via chairlift, so there may be a good number of people milling about at the top. The day I hiked it, I inadvertently crashed a wedding party at the top. The view is pretty good, and you’re always able to take the ski slopes back down if you don’t feel like repeating the scramble back the other direction.

#21: Carrigain

The best views of Carrigain aren’t even at the summit, which has a beautiful fire tower for you to climb up and relax on. The hike up is pretty steep and relentless, so you’ll probably be tired at the top, but the best views actually come at this bald ridge about half a mile before the summit. 

Once at the summit, you get great, panoramic views of the Pemigewasset Wilderness and Mount Washington and, honestly, you’ll probably want to stop here and take a breather as well. Even late in my NH48 journey, hiking up Carrigain kind of kicked my butt. We enjoyed a long lunch on the ridge and an even longer nap on the fire tower while commiserating about the bugs, our sweaty backs, and our sore legs. 

Plus, the road leading to the trailhead was washed away a few years ago in a flood, so you do get to enjoy an extra five miles of dirt road walk to your hike. This was a fun surprise that we discovered as we pulled up to the turnoff to the now-closed road.

#20: West Bond

West Bond is a prominent peak situated just past Bondcliff and Bond on the Pemi Loop. It’s a much easier detour than it looks from far away, and you get to stand at the top and look back at the summits of Bond and Bondcliff. Still, the summit is a bit more wooded than Bondcliff or Bond, so the views are just slightly worse. 

#19: Cabot

I summited Cabot about seven hours after getting home from the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, which really should reinforce my commitment to the 48. I was running on no sleep, had completely lost my voice, and still loved this peak. The summit has a beautiful ledge with great views, the weather we got was perfect, and the hike itself is among the easier of the NH48.

#18: South Twin

I got to experience a rare (for me) cloud inversion roll in while standing on the summit of South Twin. When I first reached the summit, I could see for miles in every direction, before bad weather and heavy wind swept in these low-laying clouds that blanketed the peaks around me. South Twin was among my favorite peaks of the Pemi Loop in a more understated way; I hadn’t heard much about it before the hike, but it was a summit I would’ve been happy to sit at for hours (if it hadn’t been for the gale force winds).

#17: Owl’s Head

I was dreading this hike for so long and put it off for as long as I was physically able to. I’d head so many things about the 17 mile slog of a hike and the completely wooded, viewless summit. What people don’t mention is that 15 of the 17 miles are flat and cruisey through a beautiful forest with interesting river crossings, and that the last mile up gives you this stunning view!

Hiking this in the fall when the water levels were a bit lower and the forest was turning cool colors was the right decision. Plus, hiking this a week after finishing the Long Trail meant my body was used to weird, steep terrain, so the last mile didn’t feel like a slog at all. Instead, we got to enjoy beautiful views the entire scramble up. I will give this to the haters, though: the summit had absolutely zero views.

#16: Whiteface

The Blueberry Ledges up to the summit of Whiteface feel pretty unique among the standard routes up the NH48. While the day was overcast, the rock was luckily dry, otherwise I don’t think I would have had as much fun as I did. The first half of this trail is almost stunningly maintained, while the final push to the summit is a series of fun, steep, slanted rock ledges that require some thought in how you hoist yourself up them.

While I wouldn’t necessarily want to go back down them, I had an awesome time on the way up.

#15: Monroe

Monroe marks the last of the Southern Presidentials before summiting Mount Washington. Because of this, you get a great view of the mountain on the saddle between and, at the summit, an even better view looking out over the other Southern Presidentials.

You should also summit Little Monroe, which is a small bump near the summit that has arguably even better views than Monroe itself. Plus, on your traverse between Monroe and Washington, you get to stop at Lake of the Clouds and enjoy a fun snack and drink. I find myself consistently ranking peaks in the NH48 higher if they have hut access, because I’m a sucker for a little treat.

#14: Jackson

Jackson, while technically not on the official Presidential Traverse, is such a short detour off from it that it’s absolutely worth tagging the summit. In the fall, when all the leaves in the valley below have patchworked themselves with every color imaginable, the summit view is unbelievable. Adding to its appeal is the ease of the trail! I think Jackson is the easiest peak in the entire Presidential Traverse, and it’s also not too challenging of a trail if you start from the base, either.

While I may be biased because we share a name, I think Jackson is one of the best bang for your buck summits you can find in the entire NH48.

#13: Flume

Flume marked the final peak in my Pemi Loop hike. By this time, the hurricane had passed and the weather was actually lovely, but the mountains were definitely starting to blend together. Getting to hike Franconia Ridge with perfect weather was a huge highlight of the trip, but then having to do a few more ups and downs on already tired legs to snag Flume was mentally tough.

Those who hike in the Whites will know that the descents are often the most strenuous part of the entire experience; Luckily, the descent from Flume to the parking lot was gradual, easy, well-maintained, and lovely. That, combined with the great views and satisfaction of completing the Pemi Loop, places Flume near the top ten of my list.

#12: Pierce

I hiked Pierce (and the rest of the Southern Presidentials) on a crisp, autumn day in the middle of peak foliage colors. This mountain has a beautiful viewpoint near the summit at any time, but combining this with the quilting of reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and browns below bumped it up a notch. The hike to the top is lovely, with plenty of places to stop, rest, and enjoy a beautiful view.

#11: Bond

Bond is technically a separate peak from Bondcliff, so I know there must have been some descent before the ascent, but my brain only remembers shooting up from Bondcliff to the summit of Bond. You get these stunning views of both Bondcliff and West Bond. The summit is ringed by these really short trees that let you still get panoramic views, but you do get a little protection from the wind.

Similar to Mt. Tom, I can’t quite articulate why I liked the summit of Bond so much. I think it just felt like I was standing in a little fairy ring with all the White Mountains stretched out below me.

#10: Washington

Mount Washington has the distinction of being the tallest point in New Hampshire as well as having the worst weather in America. I ranked this peak so highly partly due to the novelty of it all and the excitement I felt as a new backpacker making my way up a state’s high point and getting to participate in all the lore surrounding such a famous mountain.

However, the summit itself is a bit disappointing. Due to the road access to the peak and the observatory placed there, it can feel like the Disneyland of the White Mountains. Once the self-satisfaction of being one of the few at the summit to walk there wears off, the crowds, litter, and noise can feel like a bit much. Something about waiting in a 15 minute long line to take a picture at the summit proper took some of the wind out of my sails, but getting to moon the cog railway raised my spirits yet again.

Easy access to a summit can be a double-edged sword. I love to complain about the lack of a wilderness experience, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the fries from the restaurant at the top.

#9: Adams

Mount Adams is another one of the peaks on the Presidential Traverse, and it features a pretty short but steep, rocky ascent up to the summit. It was one of the first peaks I ever hiked of the NH48 and, after coming from the slog to the summit of Mt. Madison, I was stoked at how easy the rocks were to navigate.

Compared to the summit of Mount Washington, Adams has a fairly small summit area. It’s really more of a collection of large boulders than a flat area, so it’s not the best spot to plan a lunch break or a snack. Still, it’s a stunning, 360-degree view from the top, and one of my favorite views in the Whites.

#8: Jefferson

Jefferson lies in the Northern Presidential Range and, similar to Adams and Madison, has a short, rocky stretch before you reach the summit itself. I put Jefferson slightly above Adams, since I think the view back towards Madison and Adams is strikingly beautiful. Similarly, the view forward to Mount Washington is quite pretty.

The entire ridgeline over Jefferson is one of the more memorable stretches of trail in the Whites; every single step of the trail has incredible views in every single direction. The summit proper of Jefferson is a very short spur trail away from the standard Presidential Traverse and, as long as you budget enough time and water, this is one of the better Traverses in North America (in my objectively correct opinion).

#7: Liberty

Liberty is a peak just off of the main Franconia Ridge and, with panoramic views at the summit, you get a very clear view at the iconic ridgeline. If you’re summiting via Franconia Ridge, the path there is straightforward and easy, and you’re rewarded with tons of rock slabs everywhere that are perfect picnic spots. I found Liberty to be one of the most “hangout-able” summits of the NH48; it’s a comfortable place to just sit and take in the views.

The summit proper is a sharp point of rock, so you’re also treated to an interesting mini scramble to the very tippy top, if you so choose.

#6: Lafayette

Franconia Ridge is one of those rare hikes that gets a ton of hype and actually lives up to it. While we had dealt with terrible weather for the entirety of our Pemi Loop, things seemed to calm down overnight and we were treated to a beautiful, clear, rain-free day on the ridge. Once you get up on the ridgeline, the views stretch in every direction and none of the ups or downs are too intense.

Probably due to the weather of the weekend, there were fewer people on Franconia than expected, which made the experience much better. Still, as we got close to the summit of Lafayette, we did see several groups of day hikers hanging out on the trail.

#5: Lincoln

There are a few rocky ups and downs between Lafayette and Lincoln, but the majority of Franconia Ridge is pretty easy to navigate and not too strenuous once you’ve made it to the ridge itself. Lincoln beats out Lafayette for me for the simple reason that there were fewer people at this summit and the view of Lafayette is arguably prettier than the view from Lafayette.

#4: Eisenhower

Eisenhower is my favorite of the peaks in the Presidential Range, kind of just because I think the summit is funny. Sure, you get fantastic views of the Southern Presidentials on both sides of the summit, but the massive cairn on the wide, flat summit made me laugh in the moment and makes me giggle now.

There aren’t too many wide and flat summits in the NH48 that have a good view all around, so Eisenhower stands out in that regard. It’s a short but steep hike from here up to the summit of Mount Washington, and you get pretty great views of the mountain the entire way.

#3: Isolation

Isolation was not the peak I expected to end my NH48 journey on, but I’m really glad that’s how it ended up working out. Initially, I’d planned for Carrigain to be the final peak, but the weather forecast caused a last minute change in plans, and I found myself tagging Carrigain early and leaving Isolation for the finish.

The Glen Boulder Trail is one of the prettiest paths up to a summit, and you’re treated to views of the Presidential Range and, of course, Glen Boulder itself. I ended up lounging at the rock shelf below the summit and waiting for sunset with some of my closest friends. We brought champagne to celebrate the end of this many-year journey, and it was such a beautiful spot to reflect.

The Rocky Branch Trail back out was nothing to write home about; It was kind of wet and muddy with no views, but it was at least a gradual descent back to the trailhead. Plus, it was the first trail I got to hike with my ⊹ ࣪ ˖fiancé⊹ ࣪ ˖, as I had the most perfect proposal waiting for me at the summit.

#2: Bondcliff

Bondcliff marked the start to our extended Pemi Loop hike, and we still had pretty great weather by the time we got to the summit. The view on this mountain is unlike any of the other NH48; the cliff ringed by peaks continues to be my favorite view from the entire experience.

To get to the summit, you first hike three or so miles on a rail to trail, so it’s flat and speedy. Then, once you start climbing, there are some really fun scrambly sections that get a lot of elevation gain done while also keeping you engaged. There are many of the NH48 that I will go back and hike again, but Bondcliff is near the very top of that list. 

#1: Moosilauke

Oh, Moosilauke, you will always be perfect to me. Compared to many of the other peaks in the NH48, the path up and down is reasonable, while still giving enough of a challenge to feel rewarding. Dense fog had rolled over the alpine expanse approaching the summit overnight and, just as I entered that stretch, the rising sun started to burn it away.

I was treated to beautiful tendrils of clouds rolling off an already beautiful summit, and I loved sitting at the top and looking out over the expanse of the White Mountains. Moosilauke is the westernmost of the NH48, so you really get to see the sharp contrast of the terrain leading into the Whites and how it unfurls as you continue moving East.

I think this peak is the perfect combination of rewarding and beautiful while lacking some of the classic suffering of many of the 48.

I spent five years chipping away at the NH48 before finally bagging them all. It’s such a joy to look back at my excel spreadsheet of my rankings; I’ve changed so much as a hiker and a person throughout this process, and I’m excited to go back and hike some of my earliest peaks to see if I still truly find them as difficult as I found them when I first started hiking.

More than anything, though, I’m excited to one day do a hurricane-less Pemi Loop. That sounds like it would make the experience much more enjoyable.