4000 footers in 2024 (thus far)

This has been the year of digging more fully into New Hampshire’s 4000 footers. It all seems a bit odd given that I moved away from NH about 1 year ago. Such is life, I suppose. The reality is that I have been using the hiking trails to work out my frustrations of missing one of my newest spiritual practices – snowboarding! I went out for my last snowboarding trek the first week of May and entered a seasonal depression thereafter. Thankfully, I realized pretty quickly I could return to my first love – hiking. No, hiking does not have the same sing-song feel and flow of snowboarding (heel – toe – heel – toe – heel – toe), but — it does have the mountains and the connection to backpacking and my giant personal goal which seems oh so far yet oh so close (AT thru hike, hopefully 2027).

This year I have bagged a number of peaks which I thought should be added to this writing experiment, which I keep intending to tend to more effectively; le sigh. The 4000 footers have included: Waumbek, Jackson, Hale, Lincoln, & Lafayette. Smaller but noteworthy peaks included Webster, which is a part of a spectacular lollipop loop with Jackson.

Waumbek is of note because it is by far the easiest 4000 footer I have completed to date and I have bagged some of the other easier ones like Osceola and Tecumseh. I would highly recommend this hike for someone looking to get started on the list but unsure of their willingness. It could provide motivation for some of the more difficult journeys as the view at the top is fairly rewarding.

Jackson is an outstanding hike and while it has a couple of technical sections, I would rank it solidly as a more difficult yet moderate hike with views and experiences (waterfalls, great places to snack and rest, etc.) which are *very* rewarding.

Hale is noteworthy because there is not much there – the lack of rewarding views (though there is one to the northwest as you ascend and return) keeps the crowds at bay. This means that those of us who seek solitude in the woods can look to Hale for respite.

Lincoln & Lafayette are absolutely stunning, including a mile long walk of Franconia Ridge; with 360 degree views every 100 feet is hard to continue the journey. The image I have included here is from that hike. The glory of the mountains are fully featured in this fantastic setting. Those of us with theological inclinations might walk this ridge and feel a deep sense of spiritual connection to the earth and our Creator, however near or far we might imagine her to be at that particular moment.

Onward and upward to another effort to recommit to this blog. Let me set a realistic goal and set a specific intention: I’ll be back here in one month’s time – by August 16th, 2024, come new 4000 footer post or a look back to my winter shredding archives.