Ghost Trail: Crawford Notch to Carrigain Notch

 

Starting at the Cohos trailhead...
but walking south down the highway 

Let the Ghost Trail hiking begin! After a couple rainy days of being a lazy tourist in Lincoln, we spotted my car on the Kancamagus Highway at Lily Pond and I was dropped off at the big parking lot off Rt 302 for the Davis Path (and Cohos Trail).  But instead of heading north up the Cohos, this time I headed south down the highway until I got to the Nancy Pond trailhead. The parking area for Nancy Pond Trail is pretty small. If you need to spot a car, the Davis Path lot is a better bet. 

Nancy Pond Trail, quite civilized

The first part of the trail seems to be a fairly popular day hike, with people going as far as the lower cascades and then turning around. This was a Sunday morning, and I saw maybe 4 or 5 groups of dayhikers. The trail heads moderately uphill, never far from Nancy Brook, and never difficult up to the Cascades, which are pretty far up the slope. 

Nancy Cascades, the lower section

Woolly Chanterelle

There are a lot of things up here named after Nancy Barton, including a mountain and a pond. Nancy, the story goes, got engaged to a coworker in Jefferson, gave her dowry to him, and then was abandoned. Nancy followed him to Crawford Notch in the middle of winter, but his campfire was cold. She continued searching in the snow and was found frozen to death beside the brook. Her lover then went insane and died a few years later. His ghost may still haunt the valley. So they say. 

Looking back at Stairs Mountain, 
where I tented along the Cohos a few days ago

The trail immediately gets much steeper and more difficult after Nancy Cascades. Glad I was going uphill. A pair of backpackers were coming down and taking it slow and easy.  Nancy Brook was still nearby, with some additional dramatic cascades that the dayhikers don't see. And there are glimpses through the trees back at the Montalban Ridge and the Cohos Trail where I'd been a few days earlier. Stairs Mountain was really distinctive and I used it repeatedly over the next few days to get my bearings. There was also cell phone reception for two seconds. 

Pretty steep above the cascades

After the steep section, the trail leveled off and the climbing was done for the day. The terrain on the high plateau was poorly drained, so typical of the White Mountains. Water can't get through the granite. Some areas had a lot of roots and others had bog walks. 

Bog walks on actual bogs

There are two lovely ponds up here, the first being Nancy Pond. The place was deserted. Didn't see a soul this entire stretch. It was great. 

Arriving at Nancy Pond

Nancy Pond

There were bogs near the pond with carnivorous Pitcher Plants and other classic bog plants like Black Spruce and Tamarack.  

Pitcher Plant

Nancy Cascades and Nancy Pond are located within the Nancy Pond Research Natural Area. The USDA website says this area has one of the largest tracts of virgin forest in the Northeast. 

Entering the Pemi Wilderness

And then the trail enters the Pemigewasset Wilderness. This area once had the largest logging railroad system in the White Mountains, with a billion board feet of timber removed.  Parts of the trail later on seemed to be following these old roads and railroad beds. No mechanized equipment is allowed in the Wilderness area, so no chain saws, and there are some special rules regarding camping. 

Norcross Pond, heading for the far side

The weather was getting a little dramatic as I came to Norcross Pond, windy and threatening rain. At the far end of the pond is an area where it looks like people camp, but there was a sign that said no camping. Maybe it used to be a legit site, they move the designated camping sites around to keep areas from getting overused. Or maybe people just don't follow the rules. The trail was a bit confused going through the no-camping area, but after checking the map, the trail clearly crossed the pond outlet. At the outlet, the mountains off to the west were suddenly obscured and you know what that means. Rain is about to hit. Which it did. 

Far side of Norcross Pond, at the outlet, 
incoming rain obscuring the mountains

I ducked back into the trees, which stopped most of the rain, and the trail from this point was super easy. It went gradually downhill for a few miles through beautiful forests, often on old roads or railroad beds from back in the day, now seasoned with moose poop. The rain didn't last long, and then the sun was back out. 

Just me and the moose on this trail

Woolly Chanterelle

Before long I came to the junction with Carrigain Notch Trail, where I had read there were tent sites. There was nothing designated per se, but walking into the woods in this area revealed a number of  workable tent sites. One was already taken, so I found another and set up my tent. And then, of course, found a better site while looking to hang my bear bag. No one else came to camp in the area and it was wonderfully peaceful. Overall, a great day. 

Following old roads/railroads made this part easy

Cohos Trail: Mt. Eisenhower to Bretton Woods

Eisenhower Trail is lovely

Well, you just never know. As they say, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I was resigned to a day of heavy rain after two gloriously perfect weather days, but the heavy rains held off. A few scattered showers, but those moody days can be pretty neat. 

The trail up Mt Eisenhower was wonderful. I didn't see a soul on it. Not steep or difficult. I'd pondered taking the longer Cohos option (Dry River Trail up to Mt. Monroe), but I'm glad I took the Eisenhower Trail up. It's one of those trails that gets just enough foot traffic to keep it clear, but not so much that it gets eroded. Most trails that go up a mountain in this area are so terribly eroded that you are typically going boulder to boulder to boulder all the way up. Not so with this trail. Just walk up the trail and breath in the air. 

Mt. Eisenhower on the right from the Mt. Eisenhower Trail

The forest was drippy, but it didn't rain at all until I broke the treeline.  It was warm enough for shorts going up, but as soon as I hit the treeline I was blasted with a cold wind and some light rain, long enough to don some new layers. New rain pants, yay. Amazing how much colder it can be up there. But the spigot turned off pretty quickly and left some moody low clouds skipping about. It was another world. WOW. Just wow. Everything was amazing. 

Mt. Eisenhower ahead, Bretton Woods down below

After slowly wandering up the trail gawking at the views and alpine plants and stuff, the trail broke over the ridge and the mountains off to the north were suddenly in view. More WOW.  And then there were people. I hadn't seen anyone all day, and the day before only saw one set of hikers all day. But there were people all over the Crawford Path, which is also the Appalachian Trail. It was a nice reminder about what makes the Cohos Trail special, following the lesser-used paths. But all the same, I didn't mind chatting with some hikers after a few days alone. 

Stashed my heavy pack near this little pond 
before going up Eisenhower

The Cohos follows the Crawford Path a short ways before turning down the Edmand's Path. At this point you have the option of detouring up the top of Mt. Eisenhower. Which I did after stashing my heavy pack near a little pond up on the ridge. Clouds had rolled in and it was all moody. Super cool. 

Clouds take over Mt. Eisenhower

Groups of  hikers wearing brightly colored hiking attire came down the hill. A pair of young women were up ahead of me and I chatted with them later on at the summit. They were doing the hut-to-hut thing and had forgotten their rain gear. A solo hiker popped up from some other trail and joined the group chat. Everyone had their own hike going on, but we all had the Mt. Eisenhower summit on our agenda. 

Strike a pose! Hut-to-hut hikers at the top of Eisenhower

The descent back down to the pond where my pack was also super cool. The trail is heavily used and the tread not too slick. I passed more groups of brightly colored hikers. Everyone was super nice. Hikers usually are. 

Last season blueberries were still tasty

The alpine zone is so interesting and I regret that I didn't know what I was looking at. I knew I was above treeline and that there were plants there I don't normally see at lower elevations. Many other plants are the same as down below, just stunted and growing low to the ground. Either way, it gives the ridge an other-worldly feel, especially in the fog. 

Descending back down the top of Mt. Eisenhower
(see the little pond?) 

After claiming my pack down by the pond, it was time to find the Edmands Path and head down the mountain. This turned out to be the hardest part of the day. My Connecticut legs were feeling pretty good at this point, my first trip of the season in the mountains. By the time I got to the bottom, my thighs were pretty sore. 

Edmands Path 

I only passed one pair of hikers all the way down the Edmands Path, which was quite a contrast to the Crawford Path. The Edmands Path was obviously a major project back in the day. The amount of rock work done was amazing. It was still tricky to walk on, though, especially when wet. At the higher elevations, it was similar to walking on a talus slope. The rock surface isn't like pavement. The rocks are a tightly packed jumble. Except where they've washed out. 

Heading back into the treeline 
(looking back)

It did start raining lightly about the time I hit the treeline, and continued much of the way down. Just enough to get everything wet and slick. It was a warm rain. Even going downhill, the rain gear was too hot, so I had it draped over my head and gear instead of wearing it properly. 

A break in the rain (Edmand's Path)

The Edmands Path was 837 miles long. It took days to descend in the rain. There were only a few really tricky spots, nothing very dramatic, but there was an endless series of step-downs that required some quick assessment in the rain (left? right?), and some thought about how to make that next step without slipping. I started to feel it in my thighs, the repeated slow and deliberate dropping down to the next level. One-legged slow-motion squats. Slow, so that I wouldn't slip on the wet, slick boulders.  At one point I thought I might be near the bottom. I checked my phone and discovered I wasn't even half way down. Then it started raining again.  

Finally down off the mountain  (Edmand's Path)

But after a few weeks I finally arrived at the bottom of the Edmands Path at Mt. Clinton Road and the scattered showers were history. Things were looking up. Now it was time to check some maps. Remember that the Cohos trail isn't marked while passing through White Mountain National Forest. The guidebook made a big point about taking the second left off of Mt. Clinton Road onto an old railroad bed. I had highlighted that warning as was prepared.  Yup. The first left looked correct. But there was another left soon afterwards, and this was the correct turn. Purchase and read the guidebook! 

Bear Poo on the B&M Trail

It was all super easy walking after this. The first part of the B&M Trail was little used and quite rustic. And I only saw a few people the entire way. I had originally planned to do this section southbound, and was hoping to find a place to tent just before going up Mt. Eisenhower. If you have a traditional ground tent, it will be very hard to find a spot on the Edmands Path clear enough for a tent. It's all hobblebush at the bottom and spruce/fir going up. So this part of the B&M Trail (near Mt Clinton Road) may be the best bet for tenting. 

B&M Trail

Online maps are helpful from Mt. Clinton Road to Rt 302. I did have some mapping issues. I should have downloaded the Avenza map, but didn't realize that was an option at the time. Guthook ended with the Edmand's Path. Gaia froze repeatedly on my phone but was still useful. I mostly ended up using Google MyMaps (I had loaded someone else's Cohos gps track, so at least I could tell if I was on the correct trail). 

"Middle Falls" on the Ammonoosuc River

One theme of this hike my repeated failure to find waterfalls. I missed the Dry River Falls the day before, and had hoped to make up for it by seeing all three of the Ammonoosuc Falls on this day, starting with the Upper Falls. But the road apparently leading to the Upper Falls was signed "NO WALKING ON TRAIL." That's a new one. Did they mean just in the winter? I don't know. I followed the rules and skipped it.  I did get to Middle Falls, although I'm not sure I saw any actual falls. But there were some neat rock formations. 

Ammonoosuc River

For several miles, the  Ammonoosuc River was never far from the trail. And then the trail finally turned to the left and came out onto the golf course on the backside of the landmark Mount Washington Hotel. It was quite dramatic for a hiking trail.

The backside of the Mt. Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods

A scattering of people were golfing or walking their dogs. The online map helped guide me through the facilities. Just before coming out on Rt 302, the driveway crosses the river and looking back there was a spectacular view of the motel and the Presidential Range behind it. Wow again. Mt. Eisenhower emerged from the low clouds right on cue. What a walk! I still needed to finish up the Cohos with a walk down the highway to Cherry Mountain Road, where I'd been a few years back. My legs hurt and I was really tired at that point, but I did it and my husband was thankfully waiting for me. My plan had been for us to walk to the Lower Ammonoosuc Falls, which I had enjoyed back in 2019, but I was just too exhausted to walk any further. I did take note that the parking area there does not allow overnight parking. My original plan was to park there and go southbound, so I lucked out by going nobo. 

Presidential Range - Mt Eisenhower on the right

We had a nice few days relaxing in Lincoln, doing some shopping and eating out (baffled by all the new protocols in the age of Covid, since we don't usually go out to eat, like needing to pull up the menu on our phones). Masks? In Connecticut, most people wore masks when shopping. There wasn't very much drama about it. In New Hampshire, almost no one was wearing masks while shopping. Another odd bit: In the Before Times (2019), Connecticut banned plastic shopping bags and we were all so traumatized by it at the time because it was like the end of the world to have to remember to bring bags into the store with us. Relative to all the Covid changes that were to come, it was laughable. At any rate, we got used to not getting bags at the store. Then we got to New Hampshire and bought a few novelties and were startled by the big production underway to wrap and bag said novelties. It seemed ridiculous. "No, no, no, we'll just put those in our pocket." It was then the  cashier's turn to be startled. "Are you SURE?" We got a good laugh. 

Cohos Trail: Stairs Mountain to Dry River

Sunrise on Stairs Mountain

What an amazing start to the day! Sunrise at Stairs Mountain, just a few steps from my tent. Just amazing. It doesn't get any better than this. 

Mt. Crawford (middle) with Mt. Nancy (right), separated by 
Crawford Notch. Mt. Carrigain is beyond Mt. Nancy, in clouds.

One more perfect weather day to take advantage of. Not too hot or cold, no bugs, and the trail is relatively dry. The forecast called for possibly heavy rain in the evening and all the next day. That's the way it goes. Enjoy the good stuff while it lasts. 

Back on the Davis Path

This section of the Davis Path was delightfully rustic. Note in the above photo the dense spruce-fir forest. The ridge was covered with this and if you have a traditional ground tent like I do, it's impossible to set it up in a spot not cleared out for tents. Hammock tents definitely have the advantage here. 

Hobble Bush

Mostly the trail was easy to follow, although there were a few sections that were a bit overgrown. But in a fun way. There's no real possibility of going the wrong way for long in the dense Spruce-Fir forest. And the trail goes back to 1845! How cool is that?

Moose Poop

The Guthook app with a map of White Mountain National Forest had marked a reliable water source, before heading up Mt. Isolation, and it proved to be good. There isn't much water up on the Montalban Ridge and I was still using what I had carried up from Crawford Notch. I had lost cell phone reception, so while I was at it, I turned on my new Garmin InReach, which I'd recently purchased so that I could let my loved ones know where I was and that I was OK once out of cell phone range. It also has an SOS button. I wasn't sure if the Garmin InReach would work down in the Dry River Valley, surrounded by rock, but it did. It also worked well throughout the White Mountains later in the season. 

Cut with an axe

Blowdowns had been cleared recently using an axe.  A million thanks to whoever this was. 

Amanitas

Beautiful forest

The ridge hike was a pleasant trek. Nothing too steep. I didn't see or hear a soul. I soaked up the good weather while I could, expecting the next day to be a washout. 

Old corduroy road emerging from the moss

A section of old corduroy that had been buried and then exposed again begged the question of how long again the logs had been stacked along the trail. It could have been 10 years ago. Or fifty. Maybe even older. Things probably don't rot very fast up there. 

Heading up Mt. Isolation

Northbound, the Davis Path up to Mt. Isolation isn't much of a climb. The spur to the summit was a bit more than I expected, with a few steep spots. 

Do you see the trail?

I only saw one pair of hikers all day. Guess where I saw them. The top of Mt. Isolation. Of course. I did get a useful tip from them when I asked about which mountains I was seeing in the distance. They recommended downloading the app Peakfinder, which I did. Took quite awhile to download there and I discovered that I had good phone reception if I was facing Mt. Washington, but lost the connection if I turned my back to Mt. Washington. Apparently that is were the cell tower is.  

The Presidential Range from Mt. Isolation

That one moment the clouds lifted from Mt. Washington

The pair of mushrooming dayhikers left after a bit and I had Mt. Isolation to myself. Spectacular. The clouds over Mt. Washington lifted briefly. 

And it's the dry season

The path north of Mt. Isolation was much more tedious with mud, and this was a pretty dry time of the year. People who wear light hikers designed to just get wet and dry off fast will be at an advantage on the Davis Path. I cannot wear them due to problems with my feet, but I would if I could. 

Farewell, Davis Path

After heading up North Isolation (no real views), it was time to say farewell to the Davis Path and head down into the Dry River Valley via the Isolation Trail. The first part of this was quite pleasant as the trail headed down the hill at a gentle grade. About half way down, it came alongside a tributary to the Dry River, and at this point things got more interesting because the stream had devoured the trail in half a dozen spots.  There was typically a very steep embankment down into the river bed, some rock hopping down the river following the cairns, and then the trail bed would resume after the washout. I don't know what you do if the water is high. The last washout just before the junction with the Dry River Trail was confusing and I had some trouble finding the trail again. It was frustrating because the weather had turned and felt like rain. I just wanted to get my tent set up before it started pouring. 

The brook ate the trail
(see the cairn)

I had hoped to visit the Dry River Falls, but it was not to be. It was more important to get across the Dry River before it rained. People have died trying to cross the river. So I took off my boots, waterproofed my load in case I fell in, and forded the river.  Glad the water was low. 

On the other side, I found a spot to get my tent set up as soon as I could. Although there was an area down by the water where it looks like people camp, it wasn't designated as a tenting area, and I don't like being next to a river when storms are predicted.  Instead, I found a spot above the trail at the top of the first steep rise, a few hundred feet in, where the ground was level and not packed down (better drainage). Perfect for the coming rain. 

Dry River

Cohos Trail: Crawford Notch to Stairs Mountain

 

Cohos Trailhead at Crawford Notch

I'm back in New Hampshire to finish off the Cohos Trail and explore the so-called "Ghost Trail" alternative to the Appalachian Trail!  If you hike the NET-Cohos using the Appalachian Trail to Zealand Trail option and pick up the Cohos Trail near Bretton Woods (as I did), you will have missed the southern twenty-five miles of the Cohos. Which is a little sad. This part of the trail crosses the Presidential Range by way of Mt. Isolation and Mt Eisenhower using paths that that see fewer hikers than some of the more popular trails in the area. I wanted to check it out. 

So I hit the road and after a five-hour drive from Connecticut, found the big parking lot in Crawford Notch nearly empty. It was the day after Labor Day, and the crowds seemed to have gone home. Nice. This is a good spot to leave a car overnight (there is no overnight parking on the opposite end of this hike).  There's a big sign for the Cohos Trail at the start, and that is the last reference to the Cohos Trail I saw for the remainder of the hike. There were no Cohos blazes or Cohos markers between Crawford Notch and Cherry Mountain Road. Hikers need to do their homework and have the right maps and pay attention in order to follow the Cohos. A phone app makes this much easier. Avenza is often recommended for the Cohos. You can see the official map right on your phone, with your current location marked on the map. The Cohos guidebook is also highly recommended. 

Bemis Bridge

The hike starts out with the supercool Bemis Bridge over the Saco River. It's quite grand for a rustic hiking trail, but obviously necessary. The Bemis is an asymmetrical cable stayed bridge, meaning the supporting tower and cables are on only one side of the bridge, rising high about hikers like a gateway to the Davis Path. 

The Davis Path (and Cohos Trail)

The Cohos Trail often follows older local trails that have their own names and history, just like the Appalachian Trail does. The Davis Path was constructed in 1845 (1845!) and was one of the original routes up Mt. Washington. The Cohos follows it for over ten miles before turning onto the Isolation Trail. 

A very civilized beginning

The trail seems to get heavy day hiking use up to Mt. Crawford. Even with the nearly empty parking lot, there was a steady trickle of day hikers. Some of the hikers must have walked in from the nearby Notchland Inn. People were talking about a dog. Apparently a woman further up the trail was being followed by this large, friendly dog, leading various sets of hikers to ask if the dog was mine. Nope. Everyone wanted to know: Was the dog lost? How on earth did it get here?  What if if followed a backpacker farther up the trail? This dog was becoming famous. Finally I met this woman and her fabled new friend. She said she was able to read the dog's tag. It's name was Mya and it lived at the Inn. I bet Mya did this every day. In fact, we did see the dog again a few days later while retrieving the car and taking another look at the Bemis Bridge. 

Heading up Mt Crawford

It's a pretty good rise up the Montalban Ridge to the Mt. Crawford spur, but there was nothing very steep or tricky. After the endless 2020 Covid year without travel, it was exhilarating to get to the first overlook and sit down for lunch. Finally! After two years, it was great to be back in the north woods.  Balsam and spruce. Hobblebush. Granite under foot. I just hung out and soaked it all in for a spell. 

View from Mt Crawford towards Stairs Mountain

I stashed my water-laden pack near the junction of the spur up Mt. Crawford and digressed up the bald rock slopes. There were views in every direction. The most interesting was the unique profile of Stairs Mountain, which looks exactly like some giant stairs. That was my first possible tenting location. The profile also turned out to be the most recognizable landmark on later trips, easily seen from the top of Mt. Carrigain. The spur up Mt. Crawford was worthwhile, but might have been challenging on the way down if the rock was wet. 

After Mt Crawford, the Davis Path becomes more rustic

The Davis Path after Mt. Crawford immediately became more of a goat path. Clearly the vast majority of people head up to Mt. Crawford and then go right back down. After the junction, I saw only one other set of hikers the entire day. 

Spur to Stairs Mountain

Before too long I came to the spur leading to some designated tent sites at the top of Stairs Mountain. I'd read somewhere that these were nice sites with a view. So I took the detour and immediately fell in love with the tenting area and nearby cliff. It was still quite early, and I could probably make it to the next known tenting location three miles down the, but this site was just amazing. There were a couple tent sites, but the one I took was just 30 feet from the cliff. 

Stairs Mountain tent site, just a few feet from the overlook

So then I just hung out for a few hours and watched the mountains change color as the sank and then set. Mt. Carrigain was off to the southwest, the first of the "Ghost Trail" peaks, but that would be another hike. 

Front row seat for a Stairs Mountain sunset

I couldn't see a single man-made structure. Not a road, building, or clearing...nothing. And no man-made sounds. No other hikers, no cars, not even a plane. Amazing. After it got dark, I came back out to the cliff and the Milky Way was stretching across the sky. Stairs Mountain was worth stopping for. 

Mt Carrigain in the distance as the sun sets

Mt Resolute in the foreground, looking Southeast

A bit later, the Milky Way stretched across the sky

NH Trail Gap Options

Gap routes that have been used

I first hiked "the Gap" between Mt Sunapee and the Appalachian Trail in 2018, choosing a western route that linked up with the A.T. at Moose Mountain. In 2021, I learned that a few others had hiked the gap by heading east on the SRK Greenway, then north to Mt Cardigan, linking up with the A.T. further north at Moosilauke or Smarts Mountain. Finally, an article written about the "Ghost Trail" several years ago by K.r. Nilson came to light. This proposed route completely bypasses the busy Appalachian Trail, linking up directly with the southern terminus of the Cohos Trail at Crawford Notch.  The Ghost Trail was intriguing, so in 2021 I hiked that, along with the southern end of the Cohos Trail over the Presidential Range. I have blog posts for all sections except what others did between Cardigan and the A.T.

Here's a summary of each route:

1. "Moose Mountain Express" (Western route -quickest route to the A.T.): That's the route I did in 2018, going north (clockwise) on the SRK Greenway from Mt. Sunapee and then following Snowmobile Trail 5N and the Moose Mountain Orange Diamond Trail (check my 2018 blog posts for more info).  This route has only 6.6 miles on pavement and is the most direct route to the Appalachian Trail from the SRK Greenway. The gap terrain is very easy. Note that you're traveling on snowmobile trails not designed for hikers, although most of these trails were easy to walk (a couple rough spots and one section recently closed by a landowner). Mileage: 28.8 miles total with 6.6 miles paved, 12.8 miles of snowmobile trail, 6.4 miles hiking trail, 2.4 miles rail trail, and 0.6 woods road. Click HERE for more info and a gps file. 

All the following routes start out by heading east and then north on the SRK Greenway from Mt Sunapee, up and over Mt Kearsarge and Ragged Mountain, then heading north on the Northern Rail Trail to Danbury, followed by a long road walk to pick up the Skyland Trail heading to the summit of Mt Cardigan. Note that overnight camping is not allowed on the SRK Greenway. From there, people have gone in different directions. 

2. Cardigan to Smarts Mountain: From Mt Cardigan, this route descends north along a woods road (3.2 miles) to Sculptured Rock Road, and then west and north along various gravel roads and Highway 118 for 6.6 miles to Green Woodlands trailhead, where trails can be follow west for about 2 miles to North Dorchester Road. It's another 4.3 miles along the road to the Smarts Mountain trailhead for the Appalachian Trail. This route consists mostly of maintained gravel roads.  

3. Cardigan to Moosilauke: This route descends north from Mt Cardigan along a woods road (3.2 miles) to Sculptured Rock Road. but continues north from Cardigan with more road walking, eventually picking up a trail heading up the south side of Mt Moosilauke, where the Appalachian Trail is intercepted.  

4. "Ghost Trail": Cardigan to Cohos Trail: This route is based on an article by K.r. Nilson that brings hikers to the southern terminus of the Cohos Trail at Crawford Notch, completely bypassing the Appalachian Trail.  Landmarks include Hebron, Plymouth Mountain, Plymouth, Mt Squam, Mt. Israel, Flat Mountain Pond, Mt Whiteface, the Tripyramids, and Mt Cardigan. Then there is Mt Isolation and Mt Eisenhower as the route follows the Cohos Trail over the Presidential Range and through Bretton Woods. Check my 2021 blog posts for more detailed info and photos, and also check my  quick notes for future hikers.