It’s the mountain I wish I lived closer to, so I could hike it more. The dappled light through the trees, the flora, the sense of wonder. But there are no technical sections, so you can concentrate on the finer things. The grades are easy, although at times, you’re rising by 1,000 feet per mile. Strictly speaking, the views from Waumbek’s summit are nothing to crow about, but on a bluebird day, you’ve got a view of the Northern Presidentials from Starr-King. Mt Waumbek is traditionally accessed from the south, by way of Mt Starr-King. ![]() Last on the list is probably the one I’d recommend universally as a good first mountain. Northbound AT hikers have a few ledges to deal with on the way down, but if you’re day hiking it from the south, it’s four relatively easy miles to the summit. I don’t think there’s anything profoundly technical about Moosilauke if you take it from the southern side. Moosilauke is one of two mountains on this list that I’ve done in snow and on bare ground. The grades aren’t easy, nor are they steep. ![]() The views from the top aren’t perfect, but they’re still mighty fine. I did it from Webster, as well as on its own both times in snowshoes. Jackson is universally regarded as an easy 4,000 footer. The only downside is the summit is viewless, but that’s true of so many others in the Whites, including two others on this list. If that’s the only hike you’re doing in the day, it’s a sweet quickie not a bad day out. It’s a short hike, but with about 2,300 feet of elevation gain, which translates to about 1,000 feet per mile - about the same as Tecumseh. It was a long day, and I had to hike down the logging road to start. Hale went along with Zealand, Guyot, and Bond. It’s not one of the higher of the 48 (a “mere” 2,400 feet of elevation gain) but it’s a nice trail overall, with relatively easy grades. Overall, I found the trail to be quite nice. There was still quite a bit of snow on the trail, but I made very good headway. I did Pierce in conjunction with Webster and Jackson, and on a very wet day in early May. ![]() Would I recommend this one as a first? I might, but there are others… There are a few spots where it gets steep, but they’re not crazy - the last steep part is near the summit, so perhaps it doesn’t count. Route finding is easy, so from that standpoint, it’s a good starter. (I’ve also done it in springtime.) It’s not a hard trail. Starting out in mid-February 2018, Tecumseh was my first. By virtue of that, there will be more than one list. There were hikes that weren’t technically difficult, but were hard due to mileage or something else. It struck me that there were hikes that I’d dreaded, but turned out to be much easier than I thought. Why not now? Maybe this will help more people start their quests. I was asked which are the easier 4,000 footers, and realized it’s been a topic I’ve been pondering, with the thought that I’d eventually put my opinions to paper.
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