Fourth of July on the Hancocks: A Hail of a Celebration

There were no fire works at the summits of North and South Hancock on July 4, but there was thunder, lightening, rain, and hail. Five Wilderness Heals hikers completed the 10-mile loop over the 4,420-foot and 4,319-foot mountains in record time, despite the extreme weather, swollen river crossings, and horribly flooded trails. Above: Vicky, Emily, Anna, Jenn, Lucia, and a friendly visitor take a break at the summit of North Hancock, shortly before the storm rolled in.

Prior to the completion of the Kancamagus Highway, North and South Hancock were two of the most remote, inaccessible peaks in the White Mountains.

Emily, Jenn, Anna, and Lucia have lunch before attempting the steep climb to the summit of North Hancock.

North Hancock is flanked to the northeast by Mount Carrigain, to the south by Mount Huntington, and to the west by Mount Hitchcock.

More Rain, More Fog--Just a Typical Day in the Whites

Thanks to the unseasonably rainy New England summer, there wasn't much to see at the summit of the 4,315-foot Mount Osceola. But that didn't deter a group of Wilderness Heals hikers from climbing to the top. Thankfully, the clouds broke long enough for everyone to see just a little bit of a view.

Karen, Debbie, Nechama, Barbara, and Theresa take a short break on the way to the summit.


Barbara, Keri, and Nechama break for lunch.

Debbie and Karen smile in spite of the rain.

Mount Osceola is named for a Seminole chief. When it's not raining, views from the summit cover a large portion of the White Mountains, extending from Mount Washington in the northeast to the town of Waterville Valley in the south.

Debbie and Theresa are thankful for their rain gear!

Beth laces up her boots.

Wilderness Heals Interview on Mix 98.5

Last month, local radio station MIX 98.5 interviewed Amy Howard and Anna Wells about Wilderness Heals. Amy is the Hike's event coordinator, and Anna is a second-year team leader coordinator and an 11-year hiking veteran. Click on the link above to listen to the interview.

Bearing It All on Kearsarge North

Sunday's hike up the 3,268-foot Kearsarge North can be summed up in one word: bear! Shortly after arriving at the trailhead, hikers spotted a large black bear crossing the street.

Kathleen prepares to hit the trail.

Although it rained during the entire 6.2-mile hike, Karin never stopped smiling.

Lisa, Sue, Jenn, Vicky, and Nora take a short rest in the rain.

Kathleen and Karin make their way up the trail.

Raindrops glisten on the plants.

A glass-enclosed fire tower at the summit provided a warm place to eat lunch and change into dry clothes. Above: Karin, Jenn, and Vicky.

Vicky naps during a break on the descent.

Three Mountains, Nine Miles, Ten Hours

It was slow-going for the eight women who took part in Saturday's Lincoln-Lafayette training hike, but they made it back to the trailhead before dark! Many Wilderness Heals hikers cite this classic 9-mile loop over the 5,089-foot Mount Lincoln and the 5,260-foot Mount Lafayette as their favorite hike. It features multiple stream crossings, waterfalls, rare alpine vegetation, three peaks, gorgeous views, a ridgewalk, and a stop at Greenleaf Hut. Above: Debbie, Nika, Eileen, Wendy, Karen, Jenn, Vicky, and Mary take a short rest atop Little Haystack before continuing on to Mount Lincoln.

The group stopped at Shining Rock for lunch. Above: Jenn, Eileen, Mary, Debbie, Wendy, Karen, and Nika.

Shining Rock is accessed by a short spur off of the Falling Waters Trail. It gets its name from the water that constantly trickles down its steep cliffs. The cliffs can be seen glistening from the highway far below.

The first peak that the group summited was the 4,780-foot Little Haystack. The mountain is not included in the New Hampshire 4,000-footers list because of its lack of vertical prominence.

Jenn and Vicky get ready to tackle Mount Lincoln.

Mount Washington can be seen from the summit of Mount Lincoln.

Karen (far right) consults a map while Debbie and Mary rest.

Nika and Eileen take a break atop Mount Lincoln.

The group begins its ascent up Mount Lafayette.

The ridge is seen from the Old Bridal Path.

After more than ten hours, Debbie, Vicky, Nika, Karen, Wendy, Jenn, Mary, and Eileen arrive back at the trailhead.

Major Training on Mount Major

On Sunday, June 7, eleven Wilderness Heals hikers climbed the 1,786-foot Mount Major. The mountain's rocky summit offers extensive views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the Belknap Range.

The trail to the summit was a moderately steep, 1.5-mile climb through lush woods.


Amy and Amanda summit their first mountain ever.

It was Tatiana's first hike, too.

Jenn takes in the view while resting against the remains of an old stone hut.

Katie basks in the sunshine.

Mount Tecumseh Training Hike

On Saturday, June 6, nine Wilderness Heals hikers climbed the 4,003-foot Mount Tecumseh, the lowest of New Hampshire's 4,000-footers. The summit has moderate views and is mainly wooded, due to its fairly low elevation

The mountain is named after the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and is part of the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains. The east side of Tecumseh drains into the Mad River, and the west side drains into several brooks. All are tributaries of the Pemigewasset River, which drains into the Merrimack River and thence into the Gulf of Maine in Massachusetts.

There is only one major trail that accesses the summit, the aptly named Mt Tecumseh trail, which traverses the mountain from the ski area base to Tripoli Road.