[jackchinook]

So I spent several years on the board without posting a TR...maybe since I'm a tight-lipped angler. Anyways, I'm now spending a few years in Vermont and doing my best to sample the mountains of the northeast. We hopped over the border into the Granite State (Live Free or Die!) and did a magnificent hike on the Appalachian Trail along Franconia Ridge. Growing up in the PNW and spending several summers in WY, CO, and AK has generated some 'mountain snobbery' in me yet I found myself quite impressed by the Whites and the Pemigewasset Wilderness area. Very cool place. A sample:

Please enjoy the gratuitous scenery and landscape shots....not so much verbiage; more eye-candy. The rest is here: http://jackchinook.smugmug.com/gallery/3015662/1/163750993

[Layback]

Franconia Ridge is the bomb! Prety much the closest thing to a true knife edge that you will ever find in New England! I can't beleive all of the snow is gone already. It wasn't 3 weeks ago that I was at a similar elevation in upstate NY. Beautiful pics!

[wildernessed]

Franconia Ridge is sweet I did a loop through there up Falling Waters Trail across the ridge to Mt. Lafayette. Ate at the Hut down the ridge.

[wildernessed]

[joker]

Nice spot. You ought to check out Guyot shelter and the Bond Cliffs if you haven't been there yet. It has a nice "deep in the wilderness" sort of feeling, to the extent you get such a feeling in the east. One nice loop is to connect that up with Franconia Ridge by way of the a trail that heads up from near where the Wilderness Trail heads away from the highway, then over to Garfield and South Twin, over to Guyot, the Bonds, and back down to the river and out to the highway. We've done it in something like a 4 day trip, but have also met someone who runs it as a day trip.

[jessbee]

Awesome photos. You got some great weather for those views!!! I escaped from the Northeast about a year ago and landed in Oregon. I've done a ton of hiking in NH. You should check out the Northern Presidential range in the Whites while you're out there. If you liked the Pemi, backpack across the Bonds. In Vermont, the Long Trail is where it's at. The mountains may not be as dramatic back east but they have their own charm. And if you avoid the peakbagger's peaks then you can discover some real gems and super quiet trails.

[jackchinook]

Layback, Wildernessed, Joker and Jessbee, Thanks for the compliments and recommendations. I've added your suggestions to 'the list'. Again, I appreciate the suggestions since my normal trip planning gut sense doesn't work as well here...no real highlakes! Katahdin's probably up around number one at this point, but the Presidential Range traverse is on the list as well....we'll see how far I feel like driving!

[Layback]

The Burrows Trail on Camel's Hump and Sunset Ridge on Mt. Mansfield are two of my favorites in VT (especially as winter ascents). Have fun!