Acadia Mountain lies on the less visited western side of Mount Desert Island and was the perfect morning hike before hitting the road to beat the...
Acadia Mtn: A Beautiful Little Jaunt to End Our Acadia Vacation
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Northeast
Mansell Mtn: A Quiet Acadia Gem on an Overcast Day
After a stressful few months at work, Cawlin and I decided to go to Acadia National Park for a long weekend getaway with the dogs. Looking at the...
Mt. Cardigan: Frozen Paradise
After few months of decreased hiking due to a new job, moving into a new apartment, and Lucy having an injury, I finally got back to the Whites this...
Mt. Davis: Triumph at The Top of Pennsylvania
Sitting here at the top of the highest point in Pennsylvania I feel like I’m on top of the world. It was just a short, easy walk up a rolling hill...
The Osceolas: Beating the Winter Blues
It's been months since I last hiked a 4,000 footer. I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but it's been a really difficult year for me and I've been...
Beautiful Beginner Hikes in the White Mountains
Some of my favorite hikes in the Whites are gorgeous, short, and perfect for beginners! From Waterville Valley to Crawford Notch and everything in between, these hikes never fail to leave me feeling refreshed and grateful to be in the mountains.
Easiest New Hampshire 4,000 Footers to Start Your Journey to the NH 48
The New Hampshire 4,000 footers are a list of the forty-eight highest peaks in the White Mountains. The Appalachain Mountain Club manages this list...
When NOT to Bring Your Dog on a Winter Hike
Knowing when not to bring your dog is one of the most important principles when it comes to hiking with your pup. If there’s one thing you take from...
The Bonds: A Refreshing Solo Outing on My Favorite Mountains in the Whites
The Bonds have always been my favorite mountains in the Whites. They’re mysterious and remote, only accessible to the hikers willing to brave the...
The Kinsmans: An Exciting Afternoon Featuring a Fearless Black Bear
After hiking the Whites so frequently in the past few years, a lot of the hikes blend together in my mind and get lost in the shuffle. There are a...
Chocorua, Paugus, and Square Ledge: Backpacking to Kick Off the Summer
Although summer doesn't officially start for a few more weeks, in my eyes Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning so what better way to start it...
A Winter Attempt at Carter Dome: Another Humbling Experience in the Whites
Compared to mountains out west and in other parts of the world, the White Mountains are small, but man they really hold their own. I’ve never hiked...
The Kinsmans: A Beautiful Winter Outing Despite the Overcast Weather
It's been over a month since my last NH 48 outing and I've been going a bit crazy. I feel some combination of cabin fever and outright jealousy when...
Zealand Mtn: Returning to My First 4K in a Snowy Winter Wonderland
Day two of our backpacking trip to Zealand hut was supposed to be our big hiking day, but unfortunately mother nature had different ideas. The...
Mt. Hale: A Surprisingly Tough Hike to Start Our New Year’s Backpacking Trip
There are a few mountains that are considered the easiest of the NH48 footers. Tecumseh, Jackson, Pierce, Waumbek, Osceola, and Hale to name just a...
Mt. Pierce: Another Beautiful Winter Day in the Presidentials
One thing that I’ve come to realize in the past few weeks is how different every hike in the Whites feels for me. From the weather conditions to the...
Mt. Isolation: A Winter Whack Living Up to its Name
Mt. Isolation is one of those peaks that many hikers drag their feet on when trying to finish their New Hampshire 4,000 footers. It's as remote as...
Mt. Washington: A Surprisingly Easy Hike with the Best Winter Weather Ever!
Yesterday was simply the most gorgeous day in the Presidentials I've ever seen. Mt. Washington is known for having some of the worst weather in the...
Mt. Jackson: Lucy’s First Winter 4,000 Footer and a Beautiful Start to the Season
Winter is finally here and Lucy and I are so excited for a season full of hiking and other snowy adventures! 11:19 pm Saturday, December 21st marked...
When to Say When: A Chilly Hike with an Important Lesson on Mt. Waumbek
Stepping out of the car the cold air hit my face like a ton of bricks. "I'm from New Hampshire, I don't get cold," I told myself as we geared up to...
Mt. Kearsarge: A Snowy Day in the Forest
Last Monday was Veterans day, so Lucy and I hiked to celebrate all of our members of the military and their families. It was a cloudy day with snow...
Mt. Martha and Owl’s Head: A Little Hike Making Great Strides with Lucy
A few months ago I realized that I've been so focused on completing my New England 4,000 footers that I kind of lost sight of why I started hiking...
Mt. Willey: A Ruthless Hike Up the Willey Range Ladders with Lucy
Although, I have ascended the Willey Range trail before I don't remember it being a thankless climb seeming to go on forever. For some reason my...
Black Mountain: A Hidden Gem in the Shadow of Mt. Moosilauke
With friends in NH for the weekend, I was looking for a short hike with some nice views and not too many crowds. The 52 With a View hiking list has...
A Risky Bushwhack to Meet the Old Woman of the Notch
I'd like to preface this blog post with a quick disclaimer. Bushwhacking to The Watcher is, in my opinion, a very risky task. I thought that my...
Mt. Willard: A Short Hike with a Sweet View
There are many hiking lists in NH some more difficult than others, but the 52 With a View list has had some of the best short hikes so far. Mt....
North Brother: Conquering the One That Got Away
Last time I was here in Baxter State Park I hiked Katahdin's Knife Edge and Hamlin Peak in less than optimal weather. The plan was to also hike...
The Crockers and Redington: Foliage, Bushwhacking, and a Touch of Winter
Peak Foliage only happens for about a week in any given New England town, but it's truly magical. The leaves turn from their usual green to gorgeous...
Morgan-Percival Loop: A Tight Squeeze Earning its Place on the Terrifying 25 List
When you think of the type of trails you would expect on the Terrifying 25 list steep scrambles and challenging headwall climbs come to mind, not...
Mt. Garfield for Flags on the 48
Flags on the 48 is an amazing event held annually to honor all of the lives lost in the tragic events of 9/11/2001. Every year groups of hikers...
The Wildcats and Carter Dome: My First Non-Winter Hike in the Carter Range
Boy have things changed since last time I hiked Carter Dome and the Wildcats for my NH48 finish! The three of these peaks hold a special place in my...
Saddleback and The Horn: A Short but Tricky Hike with Great Views
I’ve always said the White mountains of New Hampshire is my home. I love hiking there and the majority of the best places to hike are within an hour...
The Bigelows: Reminding Me Why I Don’t Hike for the Views
Let's be honest, a lot of people hike for the view at the top of the mountain. We see hikes like Franconia Ridge and the Presidentials mobbed on a...
North and Middle Sugarloaf Mountains: A Great Little Hike with Some Big Views!
It seems as though there's a Sugarloaf Mountain in just about every New England state. Maine has the popular Mt. Sugarloaf ski resort that I hiked...
Mt. Liberty: My Little Sister’s 1st 4,000 Footer!
I've been hoping to get my younger sister, Sophie, into hiking since I started, so when she agreed to hike with me yesterday I was ecstatic. The...
Mt. Katahdin, Hamlin Peak: Take Two on the “Greatest Mountain”
After Saturday's Katahdin debacle ended without us conquering Hamlin peak, Todd, Clark, and I were determined to tag the summit before the weekend...
Mt. Katahdin, Baxter Peak: A Treacherous Day on the Knife Edge
Saturday's hike up Mt. Katahdin did not go as planned to say the least. From the weather to our route, many factors made the hike very different...
Washington & Monroe: Summit Hatred Turned Redemption on the Rock Pile
I. Hate. Mount. Washington. This may be an unpopular opinion, but if you've ever hiked with me you'll know that I rant about the rock pile just...
King Ravine: The Steep Way to Adams and Madison
When I finished the NH 48 4,000 footers I was super excited to try out King Ravine Trail because I had heard so many great things about it. It's on...
Huntington Ravine: Climbing the Most Dangerous Trail in the White Mountains
Huntington Ravine Trail is the most difficult, dangerous trail in the White Mountains. It's the pinnacle of the Terrifying 25 list and has quite the...
Mt. Moosilauke: A Gorgeous Little Weekday Hike with Big Views
Weekday hiking is truly a different experience than hiking on weekends in the Whites. I'm not often afforded this luxury with school and work...
Caps Ridge: Another Trail to Add to My Ever Growing List of Favorites
Caps Ridge today was one of my favorite hikes so far and definitely made my top five favorite trails list! I went in nervous that it would be really...
Pierce and Eisenhower: Celebrating Independence Day on America’s Oldest Trail
Yesterday’s hike was really special to me for a few reasons. First, I got to hike with some dear friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Second,...
A Reinvigorating Hike on the Tripyramid Slides
One thing I’ve learned in the past year of hiking is that trails are more fun when they’re difficult. Many of the 4,000 footers start with an easier...
Sugarloaf, Spaulding, and Abraham: Crazy Weather for a Maine Traverse
Saturday I went out with a few friends to conquer three of the fourteen Maine 4,000 footers. It was a very weird day weather wise and a long hike,...
Mt. Mansfield: The Biggest Chin I’ve Ever Seen
On Sunday I drove up to tackle Mt. Mansifield, another VT 4,000 footer, with my cousin. They say from the east Mt. Mansfield looks like a face with...
Welch-Dickey: The Perfect Lazy Morning Hike
I had heard a lot about the Welch-Dickey loop in Waterville Valley before this hike, namely the gorgeous views for relatively little effort. On...
Camel’s Hump: Tackling My Second VT 4K of the Day
Saturday morning started out with a long drive up for Mt. Killington, and since I got the opportunity to stay in St. Albans that night I decided...
Mt. Killington: My First VT Hiking Experience
When I finished my NH48 4,000 footers, I was a bit disappointed that I no longer had a focused goal for my hiking endeavors. One of the great...
Mt. Pemigewasset: A Quick Hike Close to Home
Yesterday was one of those days where you’re laying comfortably in bed looking out the window and you say to yourself, “it’s such a shame I’m not...
Mt. Pierce: A Snowy Spring Outing to Celebrate Easter
Surprise! It’s definitely still winter in the Presidentials! Winter in the Whites is funny in that it could be a balmy 55 degrees when you leave...
Tom & Field: Lucy’s Reintroduction to the NH 48
Today Lucy and I spent some quality time together in the mountains. Now that I’m done with the NH48, I’m a little more focused on Lucy’s list. I’m...
A Short Weekday Jaunt Up Mt. Morgan and Mt. Percival
Keeping up with graduate school has been really difficult for me recently and even though I had an escape last weekend, Monday was a pretty rough...
Reflecting on My NH 48 Finish
When I started my quest for the NH 4,000 footers, I never expected to fall in love with hiking the way I have. It all began when I broke my neck in...
The Wildcats: My Big NH 48 Finish!
After eight months with finishing the 48 constantly on my mind I'm finally done! Yesterday was a gorgeous day for hiking, and the day went about as...
Mt. Moriah: A Beautiful Winter Jaunt
Today was the perfect day to tackle Mt. Moriah, for #46 out of the NH48 4,000 footers. I've been working on the 48 since June now, and the finish...
Middle and South Carter: Take Two, a Success!
Friday I hiked South Carter again with Middle Carter added in this time after Wednesday's failed attempt! My friend Todd who I met on Owl's Head...
South Carter: Learning to Bail When You’re Running Out of Daylight
Knowing when to bail is one of the hardest things for me about hiking. You go out there with a plan, a goal that you're trying to reach, and when...
Carter Dome and Mt. Height: Winter Wonderland in the Whites
Yesterday was my first winter weathered 4000 footer. Man was it difficult! My original plan was to hike Middle and South Carter and Carter Dome on...
The Tripyramid Slides: A Crazy Steep First Look into Winter
Today was a really difficult but super fun hike in the Sandwich Wilderness! The north and south slides of the Tripyramid Mountains are known for...
Mt. Cabot: A Leaf Peeper’s Paradise
"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." - Oscar WildeMt. Cabot is the northernmost 4,000 footer in NH all the way up in Berlin. I've been...
Isolation: An Unexpectedly Difficult but Breathtaking Hike
Looking back on all of the 4,000 footers I’ve done, a few stand out as being incredibly challenging. The Presidential Traverse was hands down the...
Waumbek: A One Year Post-Broken Neck Celebration Hike
On September 15, 2017 I was in a freak accident that fractured my C7 transverse process. In more common terms, on this day exactly one year ago I...
The Hancocks for Flags On the 48
Yesterday was Flags on the 48, an annual tribute to 9/11. Every year on the Saturday closest to September 11th, 48 teams of volunteer hikers climb...
Owl’s Head and the Bonds: My First Solo Backpacking and Bushwhacking Trip
Owl's Head is probably the 4,000 footer with the worst reputation mostly because of its remote location, challenging slide, and underwhelming wooded...
Mt. Carrigain: A Solo Sunrise Hike to Conquer My Fear of the Dark
I've been scared of the dark for as long as I can remember. I know it sounds silly, but being alone outside after dark freaks me out a little bit....
The Kinsmans: The Epitome of “It’s About the Journey, Not the Destination”
It's day two of my five-day hiking vacation, and with less than optimal weather my plan for which mountain (or mountains) to tackle changed a lot....
Jackson: A Quick Afternoon Hike with My Girl Lucy
With graduate school starting next week, I really want to make the most out of my last few days of freedom before my life turns back into...
Whiteface and Passaconaway: Blueberry Ledge Isn’t as Innocent as it Sounds
It's not often that I get an impromptu day off of work, so this one called for a rare weekday solo hike. A loop to grab Whiteface and Passaconaway...
The Presidential Traverse: A One-Day Death March that Definitely Earns its Name
21.1 miles, 9 summits, and 8,400 feet all in one day. Most people say it's crazy and they're 100% correct. Yesterday, three friends and I did the...
Mt. Moosilauke: Car Camping and Summit Yoga
Yesterday morning made for a beautiful hike up the Moose! No, we didn't see any actual moose, but it was still a great day! I hiked with the family...
The Osceolas: My First Solo Hike and Trail Run
This morning I hiked Mt. Osceola and Osceola, East Peak and it was probably the best day hike I've done so far! I was a bit nervous since it was my...
The Pemi Loop: The Ultimate Peakbagging Expedition!
40.2 miles, 12,000 feet gained, and thirteen mountains in 55 hours. Probably the most mentally and physically challenging weekend of my life. It...
Willey, Field, and Tom: Birdfeeding and Peakbagging
One way to make hiking the NH 48 a little easier is peakbagging, or summiting more than one peak in a single hike. This is really helpful when doing...
Mt. Hale: The Perfect Rainy Day Hike
Mt. Hale, standing at 4055 ft, is regarded as one of the easier 4000 footers in NH. It is a short, out-and-back, 4.6 mile hike via the Hale Brook...
Cannon Mountain: Good to Be Home
Cannon is really special to me because I grew up skiing here every weekend for about ten years. The one family activity that we did on a regular...
Mt. Tecumseh: A Quick Hike for Another 4K
Yesterday's hike marked the second 4,000 footer for Lucy and me. Mount Tecumseh is the lowest 4,000 footer standing at 3,997 feet. Is Tecumseh still...
Zealand Mountain: Conquering Our First NH 4,000 Footer!
Saturday marked the start of our NH 4000 footer journey! Click here for our NH 48 guide with trip reports, tips, and tricks for completing the list!...
WELCOME
Hi! I'm Lexi and this is my pup Lucy. This is our hiking blog where I write all about our adventures! Our goal is to empower you with the tools and advice you need to spend more time in nature. Lucy and I have tested lots of gear, hiked many trails around the world, and learned more about ourselves than we could have ever imagined. Join us as we our continue exploring the backcountry and beyond! 
