The New England 67

The Appalachian Mountain Club has an official list of mountains over 4000 feet. While many mountains in the north are over 4000 feet, “prominence” over their neighboring peaks whittles the list down to 67. I collected the New Hampshire 48 over a period of three years in all seasons. Upon completing them ,it only made sense to continue into Maine and Vermont! The New Hampshire hikes had prepared me well for the hikes. The mountains in Vermont and Maine also featured rugged trails, but more remote locations.You should expect to travel some gnarly mountain roads to reach the trailheads for several hikes.

Carrabassett River, Maine

I was quite lucky to get an invite to join an AMC hiking event arranged by some AMC hike leaders that I had met in New Hampshire. They created the itinerary and scheduled all the hikes. I’d do it again through AMC in a heartbeat.

We stayed at The Hostel of Maine. It’s and ideal base camp to use to collect many of the 4000 footers that are located nearby.

The Hostel of Maine (H.O.M.E)

The weather ranged from warm and sunny to drenching downpours to chilly foggy mornings. When in Maine, it’s best to be packed and prepared for any weather event, even on the same day!

Thunderstorms approaching on a sunny day!

Vermont’s 4000 footers are situated on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail. There are only 5, but they are excellent hikes, and can be challenging as well. Many of these I hiked in winter. Make no mistake, Vermont winters are cold!

It’s important to plan these trips in advance. A vehicle with a higher ground clearance is better, as some roads are unimproved, wit potholes or are not paved and instead may be gravel or oiled packed gravel/ sand.

I was able to complete many of the 67 because of their proximity to one another. At the end I would have to travel farther north and face Katahdin in Baxter. That’s worth a post in itself!

Look for some posts in the search bar that feature a few of the NE67 in coming months. For those interested, 4000Footers.com offers an excellent list with hike descriptions.