As we sped through the northeastern part of the country we made time for two back-to-back hikes: Camel’s Hump in Vermont and Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. We chose these because we were promised expansive views and figured these would be the biggest bang for our buck. We were not disappointed!
Camel’s Hump, Vermont
Camel’s Hump is in Vermont’s Green Mountains and is the third highest peak in the state, topping out at 4,083 feet. It has an easily recognizable profile (I bet you can guess what it looks like 😉) and is featured on the state’s quarter.
We approached the top from the Burrow’s Trail. It’s a five mile out and back trail that gains 2,286 feet in those two and a half miles up. The trail was super rocky with steep boulder steps in some areas; a few times we were using our hands to help us navigate the harder fourth class sections. The wide variety of mosses and lichen growing on all of the visible surfaces was impressive; so many shades of green!
Our views from the top were spectacular! As promised we had a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. Overall, the short distance made the elevation gain completely manageable. The persistent rocky terrain would end up being just a warm up for the next day and a good introduction to hiking in this zone!
After we finished the hike we said goodbye to Vermont and made our way to New Hampshire. We camped at the Cog Railroad Station (through Harvest Hosts) at the base of Mt Washington, where we would start our hike the next day. We celebrated a great hike with breakfast for dinner!
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
The day after hiking Camel’s Hump we tackled the fabled Mt. Washington. This peak is the tallest mountain in the northeastern US, coming in at 6,288 ft. It’s located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire and is probably best known for its wild weather. Our research told us to be prepared for quickly changing weather and potential winter conditions on top, even in summer. It is touted to be “the most dangerous small mountain in the world.” The highest wind speed in the US was recorded on its peak at 231 mph! There is a weather observatory on top, that provides daily weather details and forecasts, that was especially helpful to us as we planned our gear.
We only had one day to make the trek and fortunately the weather cooperated! We started in cloudy conditions and knew that it would be raining and windy by the afternoon so we were on the trail by 7am to be sure we were in a safe hiking window. We wore our normal layers but had our winter gear and a few extra provisions packed in addition to our normal emergency gear, just in case. We hiked up via the Ammonoosuc Trail which follows the Ammonoosuc River for the first few miles. The trail was rocky and had several river crossings that we were able to make by jumping rocks. We were rewarded with pretty waterfall views and the sounds of the rushing water to distract from the quad burn.
At three miles in we made a pit stop at a very cool hut that is situated at an intersection of several trails, including the Appalachian Trail. Prior to reaching it however, we hiked up 1,500 feet in that third mile stretch. I had misread the trail description (and didn’t consult the topo map in my pocket) and believed that the hardest section was after the hut. So, as we were slogging up boulder after boulder, I kept telling Zoe that it was only going to get steeper and that we were just on the warm-up section! She wasn’t complaining and it ended up being a complete lie, but great psychological motivation 😂. By the time we got to the top we had ascended 3800 feet in just over four miles!
Just as we reached the summit the clouds enveloped us completely and quickly! The wind picked up and the temperature dropped enough that we pulled out our winter gear. In addition to hiking, you can reach the top via cog train or by car, so the top is crowded and developed. We took a break in the visitor center and fueled up with hot chocolate and snacks. We spotted several Appalachian through-hikers amongst the throngs of visitors and Avery busied herself by reading about all of the people who have died on the Mountain!
We decided to make a loop of the hike and descended the mountain via the Gulfside and Jewel Trails. The first half or so led us through boulder fields. We hiked through the swirling clouds as we continued down. I couldn’t get enough of watching the clouds fly past us, into the deep ravine off to our right and back out again. It made for the best show (see video clip below)!
The entire hike was persistently rocky and required steady attention on our footwork. By the time we finished we all had sore soles! And, as forecasted, the rain started just as we made it back to the van. We were very happy we weren’t navigating those rocks in wet conditions! We were also happy we had our winter gear and ended up using it all at some point-Andrew couldn’t remember ever making so many clothing changes in such a short hike.
We had heard that trails out east were very rocky and steep compared to what we were used to in the Sierra Nevada Range and these two trails certainly lived up to that reputation (hello, switchbacks? we miss you!). We’re not really complaining though; the views were well worth it and we had some great family time. I’m convinced the main reason the girls put up with and even enjoy all this hiking is because Andrew and I are such great listeners (i.e. too tired to talk!) during their hours of hiking chatter!
Cool!