• Sabbath Walks Blog
  • Worship
  • Ministries
REV. DR. ADAM TIERNEY-ELIOT
  • Sabbath Walks Blog
  • Worship
  • Ministries

Sabbath Walks 

Hiking the NH 48 Wrap Up #3

10/30/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hiking up Adams about to turn right for an extended boulder crawl. You can just see the road up Mount Washington straight ahead.
Things have truly been hectic at church.  However, I am enjoying looking back at old hikes as I plan new ones for the future.  Truthfully, the way things are going it may be a while before I head up north again.  Of course, the mountains will be there...and I will bring snowshoes!

As with the previous hikes, some of these hikes have longer posts, which I have linked in the descriptions...
Picture
Mount Cabot #26
Longer Post

We combined this hike with a trip along the ridge to The Bulge and The Horn.  The Horn resides on the 52 With-A-View (52WAV) list, but there was no view to be had.  By that time the clouds had rolled in and the rest of the hike veered between misty and rainy.  We did have this one good view heading up.  The longer post tells the tale.

PictureLooking down the cog rail on Mount Washington
Monroe and Washington  #27 & #28
Longer Post

This trip combined one of my favorite mountains--Monroe--with one of my least favorite...Washington.  This has nothing to do with the relative ease of the climb.  Honestly, while Washington is indeed the tallest.  It isn't much taller than its neighbors.  All the Presidents are big piles of slag. The longer post tells a bit about why I would climb Monroe again...and just look at Washington from there.  This trip helped me refine what I like and don't like about hiking.

Picture
​Carter Dome #29
Longer Post

This hike was tough!  There isn't much more to say that isn't in the longer post.  That said, I would do it again.  I might decide to climb up the Rainbow Trail, however as it became one of my favorites. The longer post has the details.


Picture
​Middle Carter and South Carter #30 & #31
Longer Post

We climbed this one on a day where it was fall at the bottom and winter at the top!  What a great trip.  If you are planning a hike on a three day weekend in the fall in NH, this may be the right one for you.  All the tourists are heading to the Presidential and Franconia ranges. Do both yourself and the folks at Search and Rescue a favor and climb the Carters.  They are plenty.

PictureGroup selfie on the top of Adams. That is Madison behind my head.
​Madison and Adams #32 & #33

This was the hardest hike we did in the Whites.  I have tried to write about it before but just haven't been able to grasp its weight.  Adams is the second tallest mountain on the 48 list and Madison is the fifth tallest.  For comparison, Washington is first, Jefferson is third, and Monroe is fourth.  All of these are pretty much the same height if you are climbing them.  They all hurt, too.

What I do remember is a massive amount of exertion. I had been climbing every day that week--mostly 52WAV mountains--so I was in good shape, but also a bit tired.  That said it was beautiful and I enjoyed the time spent in nature with my brother Dan and my wife Allison.  I would do this again, but only climb one peak per trip.

A few things happened on this hike that are worth mentioning.  First, we were given stern warning at the base of the trail.  This is an unreasonably difficult hike for its level of popularity.  The rangers know this and want to make sure that the people going up know what they are doing.  After that we encountered an entire dog-and-pony show of an influencer, her friends, and some poor guy who actually had to take the pictures.  I think they thought we should know who they were...but we were too old.  They were a bit much, so we got ahead of them as quickly as possible at one of their many stops.

Finally, on the way down the mountain we passed a number of people who should have listened more closely to the rangers.  They were struggling mightily. It was a good reminder that sometimes we think more highly of our abilities than we should.  Humility is a must in the White Mountains.


PictureLooking toward the cliff of Mount Cannon from Lafayette.
Lincoln and Lafayette #34 & #35

Mount Monadnock--on the 52 WAV list--may be the second most climbed mountain in the world (after Mt. Fuji) but I have to say that these two peaks have to be up there as well.  They bookend a fabulous section of Franconia Ridge that features breathtaking views all around.  As with Mount Washington, though, I found it too crowded for my taste.  This may be why I did not write a longer post for this hike.  I am glad I did it.  However, there are mountains I would rather climb.

The climb up Lincoln was typical New England.  There we very few switchbacks, just a steep incline that got steeper with time.  The hike goes over Little Haystack--"little" is a misnomer--then up to Lincoln.  The views were indeed spectacular and there were certainly plenty of folks to share them with.  Then came the walk across the ridge to Lafayette, hitting a couple smaller peaks on the way.  The way down was less direct than the way up, presenting a number of different views forward and back before finally dipping into the trees.  I think if I could have found a day just as pleasant with fewer people I would have been more into it.  However, I don't think such a day exists.



PictureOn Mount Webster looking back toward Mount Jackson
Jackson #36
Longer Post
So right after putting down what is many people's favorite hike, I want to share my favorite with you.  At least this was my favorite hike on the NH 48 list!  I did run into some horrific weather and almost slid right off the peak.  I would do it again, though. After Jackson I went over to Mount Webster (another 52WAV).  I would love to replicate this whole day sometime.  The longer post here covers it, I think.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Adam Tierney-Eliot

    I am a full-time pastor in a small, progressive church in Massachusetts.  This blog is about the non-church things I do to find spiritual sustenance.

      Monthly Newsletter

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022

    Categories

    All
    10 Memorable Hikes
    48 Wrap Up
    52 WAV
    5 Memorable Posts
    Actual Sabbath Walks
    Advent 2023
    Church Life
    "Easyish" Hikes
    Gaming
    Gardening
    Great Glen Way
    Hiking
    How It Began
    MA Hikes
    ME Hikes
    Mid State Trail
    Music And Art
    NH 48
    Quinobequin/Charles River
    Spirituality/Ecology
    Stuff Recommendations
    Videos
    What And Why

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Sabbath Walks Blog
  • Worship
  • Ministries