In late 2018 I first experienced the White Mountains like many do, with a hike starting at Lincoln Woods. I moved to New England several months before and was finding my footing; searching for outdoor recreation opportunities to fill the hole in my heart left after I finished my college career as a guide in the Boundary Waters.
I was hiking with an old friend from my time as a guide; he lived in Montreal and I lived in Nashua at the time, so meeting in the middle was a natural pick. I chose Bondcliff mostly by accident, Googling things like “best first hikes in NH” and “best views in the White Mountains”. The highway-like grade of the Lincoln Woods Trail lulled me into a false sense of security, only to get greeted by those ridiculously steep grades and rock scrambles the Whites are famous for.
I was out of shape at the time, and I hadn’t yet learned how to manage the adversity of technical trails. (I had trouble getting down flights of stairs for a week afterwards!) Despite all of this, I was confronted with perhaps one of the most dramatic views in the Whites, and I was hooked immediately.
We hiked this path again the next summer, as part of a Zealand-Bonds Traverse. My friends maintain a hardcore pace, and we ended up trekking about 18 miles in one day across technical terrain. By then I had been introduced to the idea of the 48, but the task of hiking that many peaks seemed insurmountable.
The next summer was clouded over by the worst stages of the pandemic - everything I loved to do indoors and with others was off-limits. I had relied upon the trails of Mine Falls Park in Nashua, but getting further away from it all became so much more appealing when I was stuck in my apartment every day. I completed my first Franconia Ridge Traverse - and learned the hard way never to forget hiking poles ever again. The 48 loves to teach lessons the hard way!
By then I knew I wanted to finish the 48, spurred on by a renewed interest in outdoor recreation during the worst stages of the lockdowns. I became a lot more interested in more “advanced” hikes like Baldface Circle, as well as resolving not to bag peaks just for the sake of them. I would not skip out on plans with friends just because they weren’t on the list. The 48 was a blueprint, but I was doing this because I enjoyed hiking first, with the list a good way to keep me coming back.
I started taking on challenges like the Flume Slide, gaining confidence on technical scrambles and getting rewarded with dramatic views. I learned fun lessons like not attempting too much elevation gain in a day, or my hike would veer deeper into the less fun (type 2!) kind of adversity I wanted to avoid. I had unforgettable autumn moments descending from Baldface and Passaconaway - showing that even “wooded” places could be just as beautiful as dramatic summits with 360° views. I also was humbled as much as I succeeded. I battled a bad case of heat exhaustion after having to cut short a North Carter - South Carter - Carter Dome loop - highlighting the importance of hiking in safe conditions and not pushing harder than I could handle. Carter Dome would turn out to be a peak I had to battle on its own, as we had to cut it off later when hiking the Wildcat peaks. My dad and I attempted a north-south Presidential Traverse but had to cut short at Mount Monroe to keep the trip fun and protect my dad - who hiked the toughest peaks of the traverse at 65! All of this is about being safe first, having fun second, and pushing ourselves third. I was always in good spirits even on the tougher days. There is absolutely no shame in calling a hike short to stay safe.
The peaks on the list began to tick away, and I developed a personal relationship with the area. Some of my favorite hikes are less popular online - heading down Hale via Firewarden’s while a golden sunset blanketed the trees is one of my favorite memories from the list. Owl’s Head was a gorgeous walk in the woods next to a rushing river - and it was cool the whole way! I began to give out trail tips to other hikers, and make new friends on the ridges. This was developing into more than just a list, and into more of a jumping off point for the life I wanted to live.
I had also picked up a love for skiing and chose Cannon as my home mountain. I got better and better at skiing, more and more assured in my turns, and I had another great thing to share with my friends. Unfortunately, I broke my shoulder in an accident and had to give up skiing for the rest of the 2023 season. While I recovered, I learned that it was best not to put all of my eggs in one activity so to speak, and to try to be more well-rounded.
After I recovered, I was way out of shape and struggled to make it up “easier” trails (the Lonesome Lake trail was too tough!) but I knew I had to go easy on myself. I decided that pushing from 31 to finish my 48 in 2023 was a good goal to both get back in shape and challenge myself, so I set off. The peaks began to tick down, and we had great excuses for overnight trips (my dad and I finished our Presidential Traverse by hiking the southern peaks last summer!)
In the back of my head, I knew Cannon would have to be my final hike. I wanted to both put a bow on my recovery, and finish this project five years in the making where I had so many good times up to that point. I set off, up Hi-Cannon, over the famous ladder, and over the peak. It was windy, cold, and I had forgotten my gloves. I had the whole tram station to myself, and lots of time to think about what I accomplished.
I am grateful I didn’t rush my 48 trying to finish it like I had wanted to in 2021. I think it would have turned more into “work” for me, and I would have neglected experiences I needed, especially as the pandemic situation improved. It also made finishing it in five years that much more unforgettable! This won’t be the end of my hikes by a long shot - I am very much looking forward to giving winter hikes a try, as well as some non-4000 footers like Percy. On to new adventures - looking forward to revisiting some of my favorite hikes from along the way!