52WAV – David Kotz

Middle Sister

Another peak on a hazy day.

Despite the stagnant weather – which has left us to suffer without rain for two weeks, in hot, hazy, and humid conditions suffused with smoke from distant Canadian wildfires – I was itching to get out for one more hike. Today I scampered up a small peak with an unassuming name but a fantastic view: Middle Sister. This granite-topped peak formerly hosted a stone firetower, offering nearly 360º views of the southern high peaks’ region of what is now White Mountain National Forest. One of three bumps on a ridge connected to their more famous neighbor, Mount Chocorua, the Three Sisters have views nearly as good but with far fewer people. Indeed, it’s possible I was the only visitor to Middle Sister and First Sister today. Read on!

Photo of Mount Chocorua from First Sister peak — Mount Chocorua seen from First Sister peak – White Mountains NH.

Bald Peak

Another smoky summit.

A friend and I were eager to get out hiking, today. The forecast showed a risk of thunderstorms in early afternoon, so we opted for a short hike: to Bald Peak. As one of the peaks on the “52 with a view” list, it promised some nice views from the shoulder of the Kinsman Range toward the west. Unfortunately, the lingering smoke from Canadian wildfires left us with a hazy view at best. Still, it was a worthwhile hike to a nice viewpoint.

David and Ken on Bald Peak, with a hazy view.
Mount Moosilauke is high in the haze and clouds in the left distance.

Percy Peaks

My third hike in three days – again, with limited views.

They say the third time’s the charm. Two days ago I hiked to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, nestled among the rolling hills and bogs of Nash Stream Forest in northern New Hampshire. Though I had waited out the rainstorm before hiking, the low clouds clung to the nearby peaks and the summit offered limited views. Yesterday, sunny weather with cloudless skies offered better luck for our hike to Mount Magalloway, whose fire tower provides wide views into Canada, Vermont, Maine, and the northern-most tip of New Hampshire… only to be foiled by dense wildfire smoke drifting in from faraway Manitoba.

Views from North Percy Peak on a cloudy, rainy day.

Today we struck out to climb the Percy Peaks, a pair of notable nubbins just downstream from Sugarloaf in the Nash Stream Forest. (I had a view of these paired peaks two days ago.)

Mount Magalloway

Irony: this fire tower’s views were obscured by smoke from wildfires.

The afternoon sun burned hot overhead as we bumped along miles of remote dirt roads, in the far northern corner of New Hampshire. We were aiming for one of the most remote peaks on the “52 with a view” list – Mount Magalloway. This steep-sided peak has a commanding view of the rolling hills of northern New Hampshire, a sparsely populated region that has long been an important source of timber and pulp. A coalition of timber-management companies built this fire tower in 1935, where a fire warden would keep a keen eye out for the emergence of any fires – which could clearly be devastating to their business.

Jon and the views from the fire tower on Mount Magalloway.

Sugarloaf Mountain

Another 52WAV without a view.

As I sat in my car waiting for the rain to let up, while parked far up a remote dirt road in northern New Hampshire, I read again the description of the trail I was about to follow. It was quite steep, apparently, but this small peak promised strong views in almost every direction. Read on and check out the photo gallery!

View from the summit of Sugarloaf mountain, Groveton NH.

Mount Shaw

Another 52WAV peak – this time, with a view!

After two weeks of unusually hot and humid weather, a proper summer’s day finally arrived here in New Hampshire! The forecast was for clear skies and cool-to-moderate temperatures – and my morning calendar was blank – so I headed for Mount Shaw, the highest point in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. I’d had my eye on this peak for a while, and today was a perfect day for it. I encountered nobody on my 90-minute climb to the summit – no humans, that is… but read on for my encounter with the mountain’s ursine inhabitant!

View of the White Mountains from Mount Shaw.

Sandwich and Jennings

Two peaks with famous views, on a day without views.

As I drove past Mount Cube on NH Route 25A, early this morning, I noted that the cloud deck was low. Very low. Indeed, all the way down to the road! The view of Mount Moosilauke, to which drivers are treated as they round the bend at the height of land on this sector of Route 25A, was simply a wall of white. And the subsequent view of Mount Cube – although it is much closer – was a fuzzy mix of green hillside and puffy white clouds, some of which touched the road in front of me. I was headed for a hike, deeper in the White Mountains, in hopes of summiting two of the peaks on the “52 With a View” list. These steamy morning conditions did not portend well for good views today. Read on to see what happened!

Black Mountain

Sharing a favorite hike with a friend.

After the passage of Tropical Storm Debby (which fortunately only brought us a few hours of heavy rain), the weather turned sunny and dry. Perfect for a hike! I selected Black Mountain, one of my favorite go-to hikes, to share with a friend who is still discovering the many hiking opportunities of the Upper Valley and New Hampshire. Although the sky was partly cloudy, Black Mountain’s relatively low elevation allowed us outstanding views across the Upper Valley (to the west) and into the White Mountains (to the east). And I re-discovered the “tipping rock” I’d seen on my first visit here in October 2010 (10/10/10). Check out the gallery!

The ‘teetering rock’, on Black Mountain, with Mount Moosilauke in the background.

Hike stats:
Distance: 3.75mi (6.0 km), including a side trip to the historic Lime Kiln.
Time: 2h56 (including a long rest on the summit)
Elevation gain: 1,599′ (487m)

Trailhead at lower left, summit at right. Out and back;
on the way out, we made a side-trip to the Lime Kiln on the dirt road

Mount Monadnock

Back again, after 41.5 years.

The first (and last) time I climbed Mount Monadnock, in southern New Hampshire, was over four decades ago… as a senior in high school. Despite living in New Hampshire for nearly all the years since then, I have never returned. Why? my impression is that it is always crowded. It was true in May 1982, and it was true now in November 2023. (Some say it is the second most-climbed mountain in the world, behind Mount Fuji in Japan.) Read on for the story of my visit this weekend, and for the gallery of photos!