My Hikes · The Presidential Range

Everything else on this site is borrowed from photographers, libraries, and government archives. These are mine, from hikes with my sons and on my own.

Times and elevations come from my phone's GPS. Click any photo to see it larger.

Mount Jefferson in October

October 24, 2026 · Mount Jefferson

A clear late-October day on the third-highest mountain in New Hampshire. The alpine meadows had turned gold, and from the summit the view stretched south to Mount Washington.

A stream cascading through a leafless late-autumn forest — 8:39 AM, about 2,170 ft. A cascade near the start.

A golden-brown alpine meadow of sedge with rocky slopes and blue mountains beyond — 11:09 AM, about 4,950 ft. Alpine sedge turned gold for the fall.

A view across a boulder field to the broad, dark summit of Mount Washington under a blue sky — 11:57 AM, the summit of Jefferson. Looking south to Mount Washington.

A view west from a rocky alpine slope over rolling forested hills and valleys — 12:33 PM, about 5,090 ft. Looking west on the way down.

A steep mountainside dropping into a deep ravine, half in shadow — 12:55 PM, about 4,610 ft. Looking across the ravines toward Mount Adams.

The whole range from Mount Hight

September 19, 2026 · Carter Range

Mount Hight sits in the Carter Range, directly across Pinkham Notch from Mount Washington, and its open summit has one of the best views of the Presidentials anywhere. On a clear September day I turned slowly from southwest to northwest and took in the whole range, about six and a half miles away. The alpine shrubs around me were already turning red for the fall.

A sweeping panorama from the rocky summit of Mount Hight: granite ledges and red alpine shrubs in the foreground, a few hikers, and range after range of forested mountains fading toward the horizon under a clear blue sky — Drag, swipe, or scroll sideways to look around. A panorama from the summit. It opens facing Mount Washington, at the right-hand end; scroll left to turn east over mountain after mountain toward Maine. Open the full panorama.

A wide view southwest across alpine shrubs turning red, with a dark forested ridge on the left and the broad bulk of Mount Washington on the right — Looking southwest. Mount Washington on the right, with Pinkham Notch below.

Mount Washington and the high ridge of the Presidential Range spread across the horizon beyond a green and red alpine foreground — Looking due west, straight at Mount Washington. Its eastern ravines face the camera.

A long ridge of peaks across a deep valley, under a clear blue sky — Looking west-northwest along the ridge toward Jefferson, Adams, and Madison.

The pointed peak of Mount Madison at the end of the range, beyond open rock ledges — Looking northwest to Mount Madison, at the northern end of the range.

Huntington Ravine to the summit

July 25, 2026 · Mount Washington

Up the Huntington Ravine Trail, often called the hardest hiking trail in the White Mountains, then across to the summit of Mount Washington and down past Boott Spur. I was on the floor of the ravine at 8:39 in the morning, climbing the headwall by 9:20, at the top of the trail at 9:52, and on the summit at 10:22.

A small wooden rescue cache with a red cross and a plaque dedicated to Albert Dow, in the woods on the ravine floor — 8:39 AM, about 3,900 ft. The rescue cache on the floor of Huntington Ravine, dedicated to Albert Dow.

Smooth, steep granite slabs with a trickle of water and green plants, below a cliff and blue sky — 9:19 AM, about 4,800 ft. Granite slabs on the climb up the headwall.

Huge, fractured gray cliffs rising on one side of Huntington Ravine — 9:25 AM, about 4,950 ft. The cliffs of Huntington Ravine.

A view east down a steep green valley toward distant forested ridges — 9:25 AM. Looking east out of the ravine toward Pinkham Notch.

Ted smiling beside trail signs for the Huntington Ravine Trail, Nelson Crag Trail, Alpine Garden Trail, and Lion Head Trail — 9:52 AM, about 5,470 ft. At the top of the Huntington Ravine Trail.

A rocky alpine plateau with the Auto Road winding across it, and two mountains on the horizon — 10:06 AM, about 5,830 ft. Looking north toward Mounts Adams and Madison, with the Auto Road below.

Ted taking a selfie on the summit with a black steam locomotive and red passenger car behind him — 10:26 AM, the summit. A Cog Railway steam train had just arrived.

A trail sign on a rocky ridge, with the big bowl of Tuckerman Ravine and the summit of Mount Washington behind it — 12:45 PM, about 4,650 ft. Heading down past Boott Spur, looking back at the summit and Tuckerman Ravine.

Madison Spring Hut and the Randolph Mountain Club cabins

July 4, 2026 · Northern Presidentials

A day on the northern peaks, from Madison Spring Hut in the clouds to two of the Randolph Mountain Club's cabins on the north side of Mount Adams, Gray Knob and Crag Camp, and back down to Route 2.

Madison Spring Hut, a small white building, far below on a green slope under low clouds — 10:11 AM. Madison Spring Hut, with clouds on the ridge.

A log lean-to shelter with a metal roof in the woods — 1:22 PM, about 4,320 ft. A log lean-to on the north side of Mount Adams.

The wood-paneled interior of a cabin with a steep wooden ladder-stair, tables, and prayer flags — 2:05 PM, about 4,370 ft. Inside Gray Knob.

A cabin room with large windows looking out on mountains and prayer flags strung across the ceiling — 2:36 PM, about 4,250 ft. The windows of Crag Camp, above King Ravine.

Ted on the deck of a cabin with green mountains and clouds behind him — 2:40 PM. On the deck at Crag Camp.

A small waterfall tumbling over mossy rocks in a green forest — 3:25 PM, about 2,960 ft. A waterfall on the way down.

King Ravine and the Subway

July 12 and August 9, 2025 · Mount Adams and Mount Madison

King Ravine, on the north side of Mount Adams, is a deep glacial cirque filled with giant boulders. A route called the Subway threads through the caves between them. I went in July with one of my sons and climbed on to the high ridge near the summit of Adams, then came back in August with my other son and went on to the summit of Mount Madison.

A young man in a cap standing on mossy rocks beside a waterfall pouring down a narrow cleft — July 12, 2025, about 3,200 ft. My son at a waterfall on the King Ravine Trail.

Ted standing in front of a yellow Forest Service sign reading STOP, warning about the dangerous weather ahead — July 12, 2025, about 3,330 ft. The Forest Service's famous STOP sign, which warns hikers about the weather above treeline.

Ted and his son beside a trail sign reading Subway, through the caves, rejoins King Ravine Trail — July 12, 12:05 PM, about 3,690 ft. With my son at the start of the Subway.

Ted crouching in a narrow gap beneath an enormous tilted boulder — July 12, 2025, about 3,710 ft. Squeezing under a boulder on the way through King Ravine.

Ted sitting inside a cave formed by huge boulders — August 9, 2025, about 3,730 ft. Resting in the boulder caves of King Ravine.

Ted and his son standing together on a rocky summit under a cloudy sky — August 9, 2025, 2:28 PM. With my other son on the summit of Mount Madison, 5,367 ft.

All three of us

July 3, 2025 · Pinkham Notch

A day near Pinkham Notch with both of my sons.

Ted and his two sons smiling together on a boardwalk in a green forest — 12:15 PM, about 2,010 ft. With both of my sons near the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.

Into Tuckerman Ravine

July 27, 2024 · Mount Washington

Up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail past Hermit Lake and into the great bowl of the ravine, then up the headwall above it.

A jumble of large boulders on the floor of Tuckerman Ravine, with green slopes and rock walls above — 12:21 PM, about 4,500 ft. The boulder-filled floor of the bowl.

Ted in front of the steep rock headwall of Tuckerman Ravine, with a long waterfall streaming down it — 12:24 PM, about 4,570 ft. The waterfall on the headwall behind me.

Ted and his son smiling beside a trail sign at the top of Tuckerman Ravine, with mountains behind — 12:47 PM, about 5,120 ft. With my son at the trail junction above the headwall.

Up to Mount Adams

July 4, 2024 · Mount Adams

From the Appalachia trailhead on Route 2, up through the forest to Madison Spring Hut, then on to the summit of Mount Adams, the second-highest peak in the range. I was on top at 2:12 in the afternoon.

A rocky stream crossing in a green forest, with a trail sign on the far bank — 10:33 AM, about 1,860 ft. A stream crossing low on the mountain.

A narrow trail running along the base of a mossy cliff through spruce forest — 11:36 AM, about 3,130 ft. The trail along the base of a cliff.

A young man in a bucket hat and glasses looking out over forested mountain ridges — 11:39 AM, about 3,180 ft. My son at a viewpoint on the way up.

A yellow Forest Service STOP warning sign beside a rocky trail climbing through stunted trees — 12:37 PM, about 4,310 ft. Another STOP sign, where the trees start to shrink.

A tall stone cairn on a lichen-covered rock, with green valleys and distant mountains beyond — 1:16 PM, about 4,710 ft. A cairn above Madison Spring Hut, looking north.

A trail sign on a rocky alpine slope, with the pointed summit of Mount Madison in the distance — 1:35 PM, about 5,150 ft. Climbing Adams, with Mount Madison behind.

The pointed, rocky peak of Mount Madison seen across a ridge from the summit of Mount Adams — 2:13 PM, the summit of Adams. Looking northeast to Mount Madison.

A waterfall falling over mossy rocks, framed by trees — 4:48 PM, about 3,320 ft. A waterfall on the way down.