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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
NEW HAMPSHIRE | WHITE MOUNTAINS
Tuckerman Ravine CHRIS SHANE/APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB
Up, Up and Away Spectacular hikes by day, cozy mountaintop cabins by night
By Sarah Sekula
H
UT-TO-HUT HIKING IN NEW Hampshire’s White
Mountains is a rite of passage for many. It’s one of the oldest high-mountain shelter systems in the United States. People have been trekking from shelter to shelter here since 1915. Getting to know the White Mountain National Forest is possible thanks to eight huts — each providing beds and bathrooms along with breakfast and dinner during your stay — along 56
miles of the Appalachian Trail. “Hiking in the alpine zones of the White Mountains is a unique experience on the East Coast,” says James Wrigley, director of White Mountain Huts and Lodges at Appalachian Mountain Club and an experienced hiker who has trekked these trails consistently for the past decade. “Popping up out of the trees for the first time, it can feel like you’re walking on the moon. The dynamic weather and constant views make the experience exciting and CONTINUED
