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  1. #1
    Registered User About_Time's Avatar
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    Default NH and New England 4000 Footers

    How many (if any) of the 4000 footers in New England and New Hampshire can not be reasonably be done as day hikes?
    2011 Through Hike - May 2nd Springer to Daleville, VA <> August 11 Katahdin back to Daleville, VA on December 22nd.

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  2. #2
    Registered User Driver8's Avatar
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    Depending on your conditioning, all are doable in a day. Washington and Kathadin, plus Adams and Madison are probably the hardest, followedby Monroe and Lafayette/Lincoln. Check out the AMC's White Mountain Guide and its maps, as well as the very fine book, The Four Thousand Footers of the White Mountains by Steven Smith and Mike Dickerman. Chock full of good information.
    The more miles, the merrier!

    NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191

  3. #3

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    If you include New York as part of New England (and in this case you should), there are 46, 4000 footers in the ADK's. I'd guess about 50% of New England 4000 footers aren't real practical as day hikes. If you only count Vermont and NH, then very few would be on the list that are not "reasonable" as day hikes.
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  4. #4

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    Isolation is also a pretty long day too but still do able

    Since when is NY part of New england?

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by jakedatc View Post
    Isolation is also a pretty long day too but still do able

    Since when is NY part of New england?
    Owl's Head is a long day hike as well.

    NY is part of New England much as Rhode Island is part of New York as far as most non-northeasterners are concerned (hint: they aren't very concerned).
    As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11

  6. #6
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    West Bond is 21.6 miles RT from NH 112; Bond is 20.6; Bondcliff is 18.2.

    Owl's Head is 18 miles RT from NH 112.

    Mt Isolation is 14.6 miles RT from NH 16, with a possibly tricky brook crossing or two.

    Galehead is 10.2 miles RT from US 3.

    I think the rest are at most 8 miles or so RT and up to 4000' gain; seems rather doable as day hikes. Lincoln/Lafayette is a very popular 8-mile loop.

  7. #7
    Registered User About_Time's Avatar
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    Thanks to all for the responses.....
    2011 Through Hike - May 2nd Springer to Daleville, VA <> August 11 Katahdin back to Daleville, VA on December 22nd.

    http://www.trailjournals.com/abouttime

  8. #8

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    I have done all the NH 4ks as day hikes and all the maine and VT 4ks as day hikes. There are some long days and some requires some interesting drives on sketchy back roads.

    Some of the longer hikes are in NH, The Bonds are either a long day hike or an overnight. As a dayhike its 18 +/- miles but a portion of its on a railbed. Isolation is 18 miler, that hike is potentially quicker in the winter than the summer if the bushwhacks are broken out. The Owl is another long distance one with the majority of trails beign odl railroad beds. They are long days but if you are hiking every weekend, you get in shape.

    The toughest one (distance wise) in Maine to day hike is Spaulding and Reddington. If you dare drive the Caribou Valley Road to the AT crossing its easy but many folks will park at the first bridge and then its a long road walk in and out to the AT crossing for either summit.

    I did all the winter 4ks in NH except for the bonds and Carrigan as day hikes, Bothe are routinely done as day hikes if the trails are packed down.

    If you are considering dayhiking the NE 4ks, buy Delorme map quides, a car based GPS is not good enough for navigation. A lot of the hikes in VT require a lot of navigation on back roads that are easy to get lost on.

  9. #9
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    All of the NH 4K's are doable as day hikes, depending on your fitness level as stated above.

    Carrigain is 14 miles in the winter and will be in the summer until Sawyer River Rd. is fixed and reopened, possibly later this summer.

  10. #10
    Registered User Driver8's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MamaBear View Post
    Carrigain is 14 miles in the winter and will be in the summer until Sawyer River Rd. is fixed and reopened, possibly later this summer.
    Thanks for the advice on Carrigain - was wondering about that. Irene damage on the road, maybe? Maybe I'll backpack in the Pemi this summer and do the Bonds one day and Carrigain the next. That would be a nice trip.
    The more miles, the merrier!

    NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tinker View Post
    Owl's Head is a long day hike as well.

    NY is part of New England much as Rhode Island is part of New York as far as most non-northeasterners are concerned (hint: they aren't very concerned).
    well by definition NE is
    consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

    just sayin'

  12. #12

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    i could definitely see Isolation being easier in the winter. a lot of the trail was a stream when i did it a few years ago as an overnight. small rock hopping down the trail is not quick and some spots had some fairly deep penalties for a misstep.

  13. #13
    Registered User MamaBear's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Driver8 View Post
    Thanks for the advice on Carrigain - was wondering about that. Irene damage on the road, maybe? Maybe I'll backpack in the Pemi this summer and do the Bonds one day and Carrigain the next. That would be a nice trip.
    Yes, Irene damage. The road has been closed since, although I hiked Carrigain in February and the road looked fine and there were snowmobiles traveling on it. Not sure what was under the layers of snow, though.


    Quote Originally Posted by jakedatc View Post
    i could definitely see Isolation being easier in the winter. a lot of the trail was a stream when i did it a few years ago as an overnight. small rock hopping down the trail is not quick and some spots had some fairly deep penalties for a misstep.
    A lot of the trails are easier as far as the actual terrain in the winter with a good snow pack! All those rocks and roots disappear, and many of the streams are nicely snowbridged. But, add in the winter weather factors of wind, ice and cold temps and you'll still have a challenge, just different than in the summer.

  14. #14

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    This is true. depending on the trail you could probably probably do a combo ski/snowshoe/spikes.

    definitely different either way.

  15. #15
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    For those that search this stuff, here are the times and distances for my last 15 hills over the last 9 days. Note that I am 54 and not a rail.

    Carragain: 10 miles - 5.5 hours
    Osceola and East Osceola: 7 miles - 4.5 hours
    North and Middle Tripyramid: 11.2 miles - 6 hours
    Tecumseh and Hale: 5 miles and 4.4 miles - 3 hours and 2.75 hours (did these on same day)
    Tom, Field, and Willey: 8.5 miles - 5.25 hours
    Waumbek: 7.2 miles - 3.5 hours
    Cabot: 10 miles - 4.75 hours
    Isolation: 14.4 miles - 6.5 hours
    Whiteface and Passaconaway: 12 miles - 6.25 hours

    If anyone has any questions about any of the 48, I am willing to share what I know. I have learned a bit about these hills that I wish I knew before I climbed them.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  16. #16
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    All doable as day hikes in NH and VT, but there are some long days. Disagree about Washington being toughest, but that's all up to how you feel. The Adirondacks are not in New England, but Rhode Island is. The Adirondack 46can all be done as day hikes (some very long) - I did all of them without spending a night.

  17. #17
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    One resource every peak bagger (pretty much anywhere in the world...) should know about is "summitpost.org"... first place I go to when wanting to climb a peak not in my library of actual guide books. for example, here's summitpost's page on Carter Dome, including a route description and in this case, a single trip report:

    http://www.summitpost.org/carter-dome/152590

    Look down the left edge and you can see links to NH mountains, the New England High-100, etc. Very handy and fairly complete resource, just in case you haven't already used summitpost...

  18. #18

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    Interesting how this zombie thread popped up again.

    If someone wants local knowledge and opinions (plenty thereof) VFTT.org is the best resource. Be careful VFTT.com is also a zombie site that the original site owner of VFTT abandoned when he handed over the site to the current volunteers who run the .org site Please use the search function as there are 20 plus years of posts. If you want to post to a thread you must be a member but searching is open to all.

    http://hikethewhites.com/ is also an older site that has not been updated for several years but has extensive information on the whites

    http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/ Is another "oldie but goodie" site with lots of 4000 footer info.

    Hard to beat these three resources for everything about the 4K in Maine NH VT.

  19. #19
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    Blame this zombie. I find a person you can bounce things off to be more valuable than a summary by a website. I did a search on this site for people looking for information on the 4000' hills of NH. I found this thread and offered to be that person. I obviously am not an expert having hiked them once. I am in a position to answer some possible questions that summary sites omit.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by BirdBrain View Post
    For those that search this stuff, here are the times and distances for my last 15 hills over the last 9 days. Note that I am 54 and not a rail.

    Carragain: 10 miles - 5.5 hours
    Osceola and East Osceola: 7 miles - 4.5 hours
    North and Middle Tripyramid: 11.2 miles - 6 hours
    Tecumseh and Hale: 5 miles and 4.4 miles - 3 hours and 2.75 hours (did these on same day)
    Tom, Field, and Willey: 8.5 miles - 5.25 hours
    Waumbek: 7.2 miles - 3.5 hours
    Cabot: 10 miles - 4.75 hours
    Isolation: 14.4 miles - 6.5 hours
    Whiteface and Passaconaway: 12 miles - 6.25 hours

    If anyone has any questions about any of the 48, I am willing to share what I know. I have learned a bit about these hills that I wish I knew before I climbed them.
    You are surely faster than I am. I can't sustain a 2+ mph pace over that sort of elevation change without winding up injured. Anyway, congratulations again on the 48 and the 67!
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

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