One of the Best: Mt.Hunger and White Rocks

The state of Vermont contains many beautiful mountains, but it's safe to say it contains no where near as many as other states, like New York, New Hampshire, or even Maine. To me, the scenery of the state makes up for this, along with the quality of trails. The Green Mountains run almost perfectly in a north-south direction, perfectly in between the Adirondacks and the White Mountains, meaning there's views all around! One of my favorite hikes in the state includes Mt.Hunger (3,540') and White Rocks (3,194'), which both loom over the nearby town of Waterbury, and offer spectacular views in all directions.

The view toward Mt.Hunger from the summit of White Rocks.

My dad and I arrived at the trailhead for the Middlesex Trail very early, and quickly found ourselves beginning the hike. The trail follows a few logging roads for the first mile, where the trail then abruptly leaves the road. The path immediately crosses a brook, and gently climbs the lower slopes of the mountain. The colors on the trees were beautiful, which means fall is in full swing here in Vermont.

Looking up the road.

Along the trail, through the forest.

We were soon lead to the junction, with the Middlesex Trail continuing toward Mt.Hunger, and the Bob Kemp Trail heading toward White Rocks. Last time we did this loop we went over White Rocks first, so this time we flipped it, and decided to do Mt.Hunger first. The trail starts off steady, and passes through many beautiful, open forests. Eventually, it gets steeper, which involves having to climb a small wooden staircase.

The sign marking the junction.

The first of many steep areas.

After the climb, the trail flattens out through a fern field, with views up toward the ledges to the left. The path went down a few feet, then arrived at a metal staircase which leads steeply up a slick, sheer ledge. Two years ago, on our last hike here, there was only a rope which helped you on your ascent/descent. This rusty staircase is sturdy, and it looks like it was plucked right from East Mountain!

The trail beneath the cliffs and ledges.

The staircase, with Lucy exploring the ledges ahead.

Climbing up the steps brings you right to the first of many ledges. Due to how early it was, there were plenty of clouds around us, blocking any possible views. Besides that, the trail continued to go in and out of the trees, passing over many ledges and climb many steep pitches. Once we passed over the last pitch, it was easy going over ledges to the summit, marked by a trail sign. Despite the fact that the summit was boxed in by clouds, the summit filled up with people quickly.

Lucy on a ledge!

Following the trail to the summit.

On the summit, with clouds all around.

We waited for a while on the summit, and eventually the skies began to clear up, with views stretching out toward the mountains of Groton State Forest, with Mt.Moosilauke visible in the distance. The mountains of the Northeast Kingdom could also be seen, including a fantastic view toward the Pilot-Pliny Range. Finally, looking over to Stowe could be seen the Sterling Range, Mt.Mansfield, and Mt.Bolton, including the Waterbury Reservoir.

Lucy admiring the views toward Groton State Forest.

Looking toward the town of Bolton and the Waterbury Reservoir.

The view south, with White Rocks visible.

Now time to answer the obvious question. Why is the mountain called Mt.Hunger? Where does such a strange name come from for a mountain? The story comes from a group of hunters who stalked the mountain's slopes looking for quail, but would usually come off empty handed or with a single quail for the group. Of course, this lead to hunger, giving the mountain it's strange name.

The view northeast, mostly taken over by clouds.

We followed the White Rocks Trail which leads down from the summit to the junction with the Waterbury Trail, where we continued toward White Rocks. The trail through the col is very flooded in many spots, with numerous bog bridges along the way. The trail passes a possible camping spot, then begins a very short climb, where the trail immediately steps onto ledges, with a grand view looking toward Mt.Hunger. At this point, the skies were completely clear, and we knew we had some amazing views ahead.

Some of the bog bridges in between the two peaks.

The trail immediately before the ledges.

Mt.Hunger from the lower ledges.

Now at the junction, we read the sign which states that the summit of White Rocks is .15 miles. This may be an extremely short side trail, but every step is worth it. The path runs atop a flat ledge with views facing the east all the way up. When you look up, you notice just how close the summit is. It's actually right there, it just takes a steep ascent to get there. After some walking, we were treated to a perfect view toward Camel's Hump, which stands tall over all the nearby hills.

The junction to White Rocks.

The summit of White Rocks looms above the trail.

Lucy on yet another ledge!

Camel's Hump through the trees.

The trail brought us to the base of a steep ledge, which had a crevasse winding right up, which you had to utilize in order to get to the next flat ledge. From here it took one more very steep ascent in between the rocks to get us to the summit. It's a small summit area, but few people climb all the way to the very top, so it's not a problem. From here can be seen almost every peak of significance in the state. Now that the skies were clearer, we could see all the way down the spine of the Green Mountains, from Killington Peak to Belvidere Mountain. Mt.Whiteface could be seen in the Adirondacks as well.

Camel's Hump and Ethan Allen Mountain from White Rocks.

Mt.Hunger and many peaks in the Northeast Kingdom,
as seen from White Rocks.

Mt.Mansfield and Stowe from the summit. The Sterling Range sits just
to the right of Mt.Mansfield and Smugglers Notch.

I definitely prefer White Rocks to Mt.Hunger, as there are many more ledges to explore, which give you another perspective to all the nearby mountains. The summit area of this mountain is up there in uniqueness. There are sprawling, flat ledges, with the summit popping out in the middle, being accessible only after a steep climb. The southern side of the peak is split, with a large notch forming, almost making it appear that the summit was separating. And the views speak for themselves.

Camel's Hump and the Adirondacks from one of the ledges.

Looking down the spine of the Green Mountains,
with Camel's Hump, Mt.Ellen, Mt.Abraham, Mt.Wilson, and Breadloaf Mountain.

Killington Peak and Pico Peak can be seen in the distance.

The peaks of Groton State Forest can be seen up front,
with Mt.Moosilauke and the Franconia/Kinsman Ranges visible beyond.

We followed the Bob Kemp Trail back down to the junction, and then made our way back to the parking lot. While this is one of my favorite hikes of all time, it is certainly a busy one. As a warning, if you are to attempt this mountain, don't arrive too late, as you may find yourself parking nearly a mile down the road. It's a shame that these places get overrun, but what can you do? Everyone should have a chance to enjoy the outdoors, as long as you know what you're doing. I'd definitely recommend this hike to everyone who is willing to put up with the steepness of the trail. This mountain is a perfect example of Vermont hiking, and everyone should check it out!

Hiking the Montalbans: Mt.Crawford and Mt.Resolution

The Presidential Range of New Hampshire overshadows many mountains in the Whites, both figuratively and literally. Many people think of other peaks within the vicinity of the range as being boring, and mostly viewless. For example, it's safe to say the Carter-Moriah Range doesn't offer the best opportunities when it comes to views. The high peaks of the range are not the only places to achieve views, as the Montalban Ridge is well overlooked, besides Mt.Isolation. At the end of the ridge is a cluster of four peaks, all of which on 52 With A View. It was time I finish that area, and climb Mt.Resolution.

Mt.Crawford from the lower ledges.

Davis Path, one of the oldest trails in the Presidential Range, served as our route of ascent, as it follows the ridgeline just below each summit. The path is very easy to follow, and starts gradually, until it becomes quite strenuous as it continues to pass over a large rocky area and many steep rocky steps. The path eventually flattened out and arrived at the first ledge, which offer a great view towards many iconic peaks in the White Mountains.

Frankenstein Cliff from the bridge over the Saco River.

The rocky, never ending trail.

The view toward Mt.Hope and the Sandwich Range.

From there, the path continued up the mountainside, in and out of the trees along open ledges. It's worth mentioning that there is a short side trail which leads to a large gravelly ledge with a great view looking into Crawford Notch, and the Presidentials on a clear day. Sadly, the only summits in the range that were visible were Mt.Webster and Mt.Jackson, but we knew the skies had to clear up at some point.

Looking back towards the Sandwich Range. Peaks visible include:
Mt.Tremont, Bartlett Haystack, and Bear Mountain

The path soon found the trail junction, with a spur trail leading up to the beautiful summit of Mt.Crawford. We followed the path, which brought us to the expansive ledges of the sharp peak. There were incredible views from this spot out to many peaks in the Whites, most notably Stairs Mountain and Mt.Resolution, our next destination. There are views in every direction, just not from one spot.

The junction with Mt.Crawford trail.

Approaching the summit with a clear and distinct view toward Stairs Mountain.

Crawford Notch (Mt.Willey and Mt.Webster) as seen from the summit.

The massive summit of Mt.Resolution as seen from the true summit.

Mt.Carrigain as seen from another ledge.

After descending from the summit, we began to make our way out to Mt.Resolution, the only peak I had left to do in the area. We stayed in the woods for a while until emerging onto some ledges that had minor views toward the surrounding peaks. There were very good views back toward the summit of Mt.Crawford. The path then reentered the trees for a while. I can't express how beautiful this area truly is!

The path atop the ledges.

Crawford Notch from the ledges.

Is this a hiking trail or a sidewalk?

The forests were nice and open, and unlike the way up, the trail was flat and not rocky at all. Eventually we were brought to the junction with the Mt.Parker Trail, which when followed to it's end, leads to the bald summit of Mt.Parker, a mountain I've climbed previously. We were only going to follow it about half way, to the summit of Mt.Resolution. The path got steeper, and more overgrown, but was still easy to follow.

The path to the junction.

It took no time for the trail to find it's way to the first ledge, where we enjoyed great views over Mt.Crawford and Crawford Dome. The trees slightly obscured the view back towards Stairs Mountain. We entered the trees yet again, and the path stayed there for a while. The path started gaining elevation again, until we emerged onto the open summit, which had great views in almost every direction. Some of the Presidentials even cleared up!

This is the trail!

The Crawfords can be seen below, with Mt.Carrigain towering above all other peaks.

Stairs Mountain from the summit of Mt.Resolution.

The Sandwich Range, with Mt.Tremont and Greens Cliff visible.
Mt.Passaconaway can be seen to the far left.

Crawford Notch, and the Twin Range in the backgrounds, lost in the clouds.

Being on the summit showed us just how extensive the ledges were on Mt.Resolution. This peak is definitely worth coming back to, as there were more views to be had further down the trail. We enjoyed a clearer view of the Sandwich Range from here, and an excellent view toward Mt.Carrigain. There were paths running all throughout the ledges of the summit, and I'd like to find out some day where they lead. On our way down, Mt.Washington even cleared up.

Mt.Willey and Mt.Field cleared up to the left.
Mt.Webster and Mt.Jackson are also visible now.

Mt.Washington and Boott Spur through the trees.

After following the trail all the way back to the junction with Mt.Crawford, we continued over all the ledges, which offered even better views than before, as most of the peaks were clear now, especially Mt.Chocorua and Mt.Willey. The Bonds and Twins never cleared up, but everything else did, and that's all that matters. We soon found our way back down the trail.

The now clear peaks of the Sandwich Range.

Mt.Chocorua with Bear Mountain blocking most of it.

This area of the White Mountains is truly beautiful, and one of the most scenic locations in the region, outside of the 4,000-footers. Any of the four peaks are worth climbing, Mt.Crawford, Mt.Resolution, Stairs Mountain, and Mt.Parker. This is a great area, so next time you can fit in an extra hike when in the White Mountains, keep this place in mind. Just be sure to do it on a good day, because you don't want to miss out on the incredible views.