THE BOOTT SPUR OPTION Hiking Route Recap, by Mike Cherim
Boott Spur is the 5,500foot Mount Washington sub-peak everyone going up the east side admires when they see it for the first time, provided they have views that day. When viewed from near the Lion Head rock formation, Boott Spur epitomizes everything alpine.
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hen leading on Mount Washington, barring the few guides I know that regularly work the west side (which we do as well on some occasions), most professional guides in the Mt Washington Valley generally lead groups up the east side of the mountain via the Tuckerman Ravine and Lion Head trails. This is a decent way to go, fairly direct, and the winter-specific routing of the Lion Head Trail can be pretty exciting since it’s so steep. If this so-called “winter route” is open, that is. It’s not available until the regular, three-season trail, part of which is a terrain trap, becomes an avalanche hazard and needs to be avoided. The downsides to going this way are apparent on the lower sections of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail: it can be crowded, being it’s the most-used route; it lacks character with its roadlike appearance; and honestly, it’s a bit of a slog. It lacks many of the qualities most other trails in the White Mountains regularly offer, and that is the White Mountains trail experience. But there are other east-side options: one, in particular, is the Boott Spur Trail.
WHAT IS BOOTT SPUR?
Boott Spur, named after Francis Boott, is the 5,500-foot Mount Washington sub-peak everyone going up the east side admires when they see it for the first time, provided they have views that day. When viewed from near the Lion Head rock formation, Boott Spur epitomizes everything alpine. Its steep couloirs, jagged rock, and rugged pitches make an impressive sight to behold. Due to its lack of prominence, however, the peak doesn’t count on most hiking lists as a separate mountain—with exception of a list known as the Trailwrights 72, which recognizes peaks with less than 200 feet (must be 100 feet or more) of prominence—but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy. It can be a destination unto itself.
WHY WE LOVE IT
It’s a little longer summiting Mount Washington that way, at 5.19 miles, and there is certainly more elevation gain at 4,654 feet, since Boott Spur is its own summit, but these facts are quickly overshadowed by the route’s easier-access rewards: stunning and unique vistas; a real New Hampshire trail character; fewer people, allowing for a more intimate mountain experience; an expedited route
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