How Many NH 4000 Footers Have You Bagged?

[pedxing]

Wow... if RJ, Smitty and Jayne all endorse finishing with Carrigain - I'm sold! It almost makes me glad I haven't done it (this is mostly because its not near the AT, or I-93).

Thanks for the input!

Pedxing, Susan and I finished on Carrigain not by design, but more by circumstances. In retrospect, however, I have to say that it was one of my most memorable hikes. The wind was blowing so hard that when we climbed the fire tower, we could barely hold on. We were treated with our first snowstorm of the season (October), which made the hike even more memorable.

BTW, I'm still planning to do an overnight before the snow hits in the presidentials, I just need to talk Susan into visiting her brother in California before the end of October.

[SilentCal]

Cathie and myself, will be finishing our 48 on Carrigain during this years Flags on the 48 event. Last year, we knocked off Cannon as our 32nd summit and I started getting the notion that we could finish everything in time for this year's event. We will be on vacation for the whole week before the flags and need to get Whiteface, Passaconaway and the Tripyramids before Saturday. The weather forecast for the early part of the week looks promising and I hope it holds for the weekend. The8re, if you have not done Cannon yet, you can hold on to that one as well if you would like to have family and friends to hook up with you. I think it's a much nicer summit than Wildcat D.

[Mike P.]

RJ, better make that before Columbus Day. The last few years I've been out in the end of October or early November, the Presidentials. Twins, etc. have had snow (six inches on average) above 3,000 feet. Each year is different & in October you should not need snowshoes or crampons & maybe just another layer of clothing. (Depending on what you usually carry.)

From 10/1 - 11/15 & April is the most unpredictable weather up there IMO. While the warning in the WMG about warm valleys & cold mountain tops can happen anytime, they seem more severe now as it may be 50 at the trailhead & on top the windchill can be below zero. One day may be great, the next just like winter. The closest I've been to an actual white out was 10/30/98 on South Twin. I had planned on Monroe & Washington that day but temp was in 30's & wind forecast for Presidentials was 70-90. I Had stayed at the old Crawford Notch Hostels & when Avalon was hidden in the clouds & with that forecast, a small open summit was a better place than the middle of the Presidential Range.

[MARI]

I will do #29 next weekend - Hope to get 30 before the fall is through.

[MtnMagic]

I always explored off the beaten path in the Northern Whites enjoying where few have gone before, bushwhacking many of NH's NE 100. Waterfall hunting eventually lead me to the 4k summits. The views convinced me to return again and again. Heck, I've re-hiked some mountains dozens of times when I could have completed all 48 years ago. I believe there were 65 officially once. (Someone want to help me here).

I've only climbed 41. But have been to some awesome remote places out West for 5 years and in NH for 19 years. I have climbed 100's.
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Plan to climb many more!

[MichaelJ]

When I first started hiking 3-1/2 years ago, I didn't care at all for peakbagging. I was out there just to be in the woods or on a summit. I'd visit North Kinsman but not South. I'd go back to Carter Notch repeatedly, taking in the views from Wildcat A but never going over to D. I'd take trips that didn't even involve summits, just camping in the woods. I saw the list merely as some neat places to go, and some not so.

Then I became friends with folks from the various boards & started hiking with them, and all of a sudden the 48 became kind of a bond - those questing for it and those who'd achieved it formed a kind of community. Suddenly, I wanted *my* 48 as well. It wasn't a competitive feeling (there's no way I could surpass most of them). It was just a desire to really be a part of the hiking community - to be a little more hardcore. A bit of bragging rights, perhaps.

I don't know, does that explain it?

Last weekend: Hale #19.
This weekend: Isolation #20.
The goal: 24 before 2004.

[Jayne]

Michael, Well said. I am in agreement with you. I always hiked different places but in search of no goal just peace and quiet and views. THEN I started meeting a lot of people who were near completion or had finished the 48 and suddenly it seemed like a great way to hike places that maybe I wouldn't ordinarily go. Anyway, it was a great feeling to complete all 48 and bragging rights are part of it. Now I am working on VT and ME. Also going back to peaks that I know I would have enjoyed if it weren't socked in.

[Mike P.]

The New England list just to be 65. (48 NH, 5 VT & 12 ME) Peakbagging was originally an ADK thing & at the time 46 were believed over 4K, now believed at 42 or 43 depending on McNaughton which I think currently is listed as lower. They still do the list the Marshall's & Herb Clark did.

When Peakbagging caught on in NH, there was only 46 as Galehead & Bondcliff were suspected of not being high enough above the cols. Some still believe the list is not accurrate & that South Hancock & Lincoln should not be included. (Site I think was Savage Dave or Eric's)

The other NH & New England list besides the 100 highest or 3K list is Trailwrights. Currently they have 72, you can only do one at a time & for membership you must do 72 hours of trail maintainence.

I had done seven + a Presi Traverse prior to 7/5/95 (plus New England & NY Highpoints without RI) and while my girlfriend/wife was away for a month, I went every weekend, took days off & by the time she was back I had over 1/2 done. At some point in the next few years I want to do the list again all in one year, it's been done by many so its not a big goal, except for me.

I can only speak for myself, but I started peakbagging because that page in the back of the White Mountains Guide just bothered me. I kept thinking, "What's the big deal? These aren't even the 48 hardest climbs in New Hampshire!" But for some reason, I started keeping track. My best friend and I just kinda decided that we would do the whole list and when we got to #48 we would have a big party at the top of the mountain.

I only did 1 my first season, pretty depressing actually. Then I took a year off because I got fat and out of shape. I started again in the summer of 2002 and picked up 15 (including an insane day hike over Zealand and the Bonds). This year, I've done 8 and I have at least three more planned. Being at half way gives me a sort of sense of accomplishment. It's like, "Hey, I'm still at this and not giving up." It gives me a goal to work toward and a reason to stay in shape (remember that year I took off?).

I don't really care for the views from tree covered summits (Tripyramid, Waumbek and Zealand come to mind) so we try to lump them in with other summits where we get a view.

When we finish the 4K list, we're headed to Maine to do Katadin and then to Colorado to do Pike's Peak. I have to say that really finishing the list is secondary to just getting out and enjoying the hike. It just gives a tangible kind of goal.