Eli Burakian - Climbing New Hampshires 48 4,000 Footers: From Casual Hikes to Challenging Ascents

Eli Burakian is a photographer and author based out of Brownsville, Vermont. He is author, photographer, or contributor to fifteen books, including his self-published landscape coffee table book, MoosilaukePortrait of a Mountain. He is an avid hiker and ultrarunner and has through-hiked numerous long- and middle-distance trails. He has attempted to break the Long Trail unsupported speed record (FKT; fastest known time) multiple times and is working on a book and podcast series about mountain and trail speed records.

Eli works full-time at Dartmouth College, his alma mater, as the college photographer. More of his work can be seen on his website: eliburakian.com.

Id like to thank my wife, Julia, and my children, Levon and Ani, for supporting me through the time-consuming process of planning, hiking, mapping, photographing, and writing. Without their support, there is no way I could have completed this project.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to all the authors and website creators whose helpful resources have been invaluable in the process of writing this book. Although Ive hiked all of these mountains many times, there are many who have much more knowledge and experience than me.

Thank you to the friends and family who have joined me for these adventures and to everyone who supports the preservation of wild places. I have endless gratitude to those thousands of souls who have put in the hard work in making and maintaining the trails throughout the region.

Without a doubt, this book would not have been possible without the aid and support of Mike Dickerman and Steven Smith, who, in addition to writing the ultimate resource on the New Hampshire 4,000-footers, The 4000-Footers of the White MountainsA Guide and History, have always been open and willing to answer my questions. I highly encourage anybody visiting the region to stop by Mikes Bondcliff Books retail location in Littleton, New Hampshire, and my favorite store in the whole world, Steves Mountain Wanderer Books and Maps in Lincoln, New Hampshire.

The Hike

As the most southwestern of the New Hampshire 4,000-footers, Mount Moosilaukes location and broad summit provide a unique view. You can see far down the Connecticut River Valley and over to the high peaks of Vermont along the central spine of the Green Mountains. The name Moosilauke, which means bald summit, is an Abenaki word that describes the peak aptly.

The traditional route following the Gorge Brook Trail to the summit, then the old Carriage Road to Snapper Trail back down makes for one of the easier hikes in this book. With a short spur to South Peak, youll be rewarded with a second impressive view where you will be unlikely to run into other hikers.

Dartmouth College owns thousands of acres that encompass the east side of Mount Moosilauke. The Ravine Lodge is owned by the college and is staffed by current and former students. Over a thousand incoming first-year students are introduced to Mount Moosilauke and the Ravine Lodge every year before they begin classes as part of the Dartmouth Outing Clubs First Year Trips Program, and many will work and live on the mountain at some point before or after they graduate.

From the parking turnaround at the end of the access road, head straight along a gravel path; in a few hundred feet, make two left turns, following signs down toward the river. (Note: Parking is along the road below the service entrance, and you may have to walk a distance back up the road on busy weekends, when cars can be parked up to 0.5 mile from the turnaround.) You can also take the path down to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge and follow the road below it to the trail down to the river. Either way, a 0.2-mile hike takes you down to the bridge over the river.

After crossing the bridge over the Baker (or Asquamchumaukee) River, turn left, following signs for the Gorge Brook Trail. In 0.1 mile (0.3 mile from the parking turnaround), turn right (north), following signs for the Gorge Brook Trail. The rocky trail climbs through mixed forest along a wide, eroded route and makes a slight dip before crossing over Gorge Brook at 0.6 mile.

The Gorge Brook Trail, which used to follow the river here until a major washout in 2011 during Tropical Storm Irene, joins the Snapper trail and heads slightly away from the main brook, reaching the new junction at 0.8 mile. Turn right (north) onto the Gorge Brook relocation (called the Wales Carter Connection) as the Snapper Trail continues straight. A winding, fairly easy path heads back up toward the river, rejoining the old route and crossing a bridge at 1.3 miles. The Gorge Brook Trail continues along a sometimes-muddy section by the east bank of the brook, reaching the Ross McKenny Forest plaque at 1.6 miles.