Galehead and South Twin

Two more 4000-footers, on July 4th!

The July 4th holiday provided me an opportunity to get back to the White Mountains, to revisit some peaks I had visited on my first days as a college student in 1982. The weather forecast looked good, and although a brief sprinkle spritzed my car as I approached the trailhead, spirits were high as I met up with two friends and their two dogs. Our goal was to climb two of New Hampshire’s 48 four-thousand-foot peaks: South Twin, and Galehead. We succeeded and had some fantastic views along the way. Read on!

The Gale River, along the Gale River Trail to Galehead hut.
Continue reading “Galehead and South Twin”

Cardigan

A visit to an old friend on a blustery day.

I’ve climbed Mount Cardigan at least a dozen times over nearly four decades… and yet my records show I have not been back since 2016. Its bald granite dome (the result of a wildfire years ago) grants visitors grand views in all directions, so it is a very popular destination for hikers young and old.

A view of Mount Cardigan from its South Peak.

Today was a cool and windy day, as I wound my way up the familiar West Ridge Trail. I arrived early to beat the holiday-weekend crowds and the forecasted rain, and enjoyed a quiet hike through the damp woods to the windy summit.

David on the summit of Mount Cardigan on a very windy day!

And windy it was! After a brief stay in the shadow of the summit firetower, I returned via the South Ridge Trail, which provided some fine views of the peak.

Check out the photo gallery, including a video from the summit.

Hike stats:
distance: 5.3km
gain: 337m
time: 1h37m