Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire traverses the White Mountains, which are well known for their stunning scenery, rugged beauty and demanding terrain. This State has sections that includes Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range, which are named after a number of U.S. presidents.  The range includes peaks like Mount Washington, the highest in the Northeastern U.S. at 6,288 feet.  The highest wind speed on early was recorded here at 231 miles per hour on April 12, 1934 at the Mount Washington Observatory.  Other interesting sections in New Hampshire include Mount Moosilauke which is the first major peak you face when heading northbound on the A.T., and Wildcat and the Carter Mountain – a series of tough climbs and descents.

Mackie and I hiked this short section just north of Pinkham Notch with some help from the Wildcat Mountain gondola. We rode it to Wildcat Peak D at 4,063 feet and checked out the views from a wooded platform at the summit. There are five peaks lettered A-E along Wildcat, and the mountain serves as a ski area in the winter time. A number of ski trails descend from the summit, but we followed the Appalachian Trail back to the base of the mountain on N.H. 16 near Pinkham Notch. It’s a short three mile hike on the A.T.