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By Josh Roberts, SmarterTravel.com
There's a popular misconception in American hiking
circles that the only "real" mountains in the U.S. are found
out west. I've been guilty of it myself, looking to the Sierras and the
Rockies for adventure and ignoring—here in my column, anyway—the
joys and challenges of the Northeast. That's an oversight I'll put
behind me this month.
Peter Potterfield, who writes about New Hampshire's
White Mountains in his excellent book, Classic Hikes of the World,
says that these peaks have "been the comeuppance of many an
arrogant hiker from outside New England." He's right. They've
humbled quite a few native New Englanders, too.
Though the state's highest peak, Mount Washington, might
look like a foothill compared to some of the tallest summits in the
West, it's also home to the most ferocious weather on the planet, with
recorded wind speeds over 200 miles an hour. The surrounding peaks are
similarly rugged and, more importantly, boast some of the best
wilderness views in the country. In short, they're tall enough to be
challenging and scenic enough to be worth the effort.
The White Mountains are just a few hours north of
Boston, my hometown, and they're like a comfortable old friend to
me—home to the trails where I cut my teeth as a hiker and where I
return again and again to train for more far-flung adventures. They've
always been a place for day hikes and the occasional long weekend, so
it's taken a while for me to see them for what they really are: the best
hiking on the East Coast.
Though Potterfield focuses on the White Mountain
Traverse—a six-day, 53-mile hike that takes in some of the most
impressive parts of the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail—my favorite hike
is a shorter "highlights" version that can be done by a strong
hiker in just a day or two.
This route, called the Bridle Path Loop, takes in both
the Lincoln and Lafayette peaks, and starts at a trailhead just yards
from the Franconia Notch Parkway/Interstate 93—a major highway that's
a straight shot from Boston's Logan Airport, about three hours away.
Don't be discouraged by the trail's proximity to the highway; it quickly
leaves the road behind.
The nine-mile Bridle Path Loop features all the best
elements of hiking in the Northeast: an extended traverse along the
exposed top of the Franconia Ridge, a series of waterfalls that roar in
the spring and trickle gently in the fall, breathtaking views of the
Presidentials and Pemigewasset Wilderness all the way to Mount
Washington, and access to the European-style Appalachian Mountain Club
hut system.
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