Owl's Head and Thirteen Falls Loop (Lincoln Woods or East Side Trail) Clockwise

Having kids has changed some of my hobbies or really, how much time I have to enjoy them. While running and being active has stayed a big priority, big hikes and backpacking trips are few and far between. Instead, you can find me spending weekends in our camper at the closest State Park. Days spent scuba diving are now mornings spent building sandcastles at low tide at Town Beach. While I wouldn't trade this life for anything, I do miss some of the grander kid-free adventures I enjoyed prior to my title of "mom". While all the years have their challenge, being out of the baby stage has given me a bit more freedom and at 3 and 5 and leaving them is a little easier. I have been leaning into some of those bigger adventure days that make me feel like "me" and like the person I was before having kids. 

Lincoln Woods Trailhead Map

Sign entering the Pemigewasset Wilderness

As summer faded away and the leaves started to change, the memories of "hiking season" came back full force. Gone are the black flies and mosquito swarms, thick humidity and blistering sunny days. Instead, we are welcoming cooler nights, drier trails, and a chance to enjoy the last of the season before the leaves are gone. When September set in, I started running in the trails and planning some longer hikes. I even started planning a backpacking trip up in the Whites. 

The plans were in motion and it was mid-September when I headed north on at 5am on a Friday for my fourth backpacking trip. Truth be told, it had been seven years since I last pulled out my backpacking gear, and I had to spend some time making sure sleeping pads still held air, head lamps still works, and the jetboil still functioned. As I made my lists and packed my bag, I realized the last time I used this pack was in this exact same area, trying to "bag" this exact same peak. 

Intro to Backcountry Skiing - Tuckerman Ravine to Sherburne Ski Trail with Inclusive Ski Touring

Birthdays feel special to me. So often we celebrate the milestones: 16, 21, 30, 40, 50 and on, but we kind of let the rest of the birthdays go on as ordinary days in between the bigger milestones. I choose to savor and celebrate all the birthdays in between. Throughout my 20s and into my 30s, I embraced my love of winter and snowy birthday month, usually celebrating in the snow. I spent many birthdays on a ski slope, my 30th birthday dog sledding in Canada, 31st birthday snowmobiling in the Adirondacks, so on, and so forth. My birthday ski celebrations were put on pause for a few years thanks to my winter pregnancies, but 2025 and my 37th birthday was the time I crossed something big off my bucket list, while using my birthday to coerce Adam into joining me. Instead of just heading west or north for a ski trip, we were headed to the backcountry to hike up a portion of Mount Washington and ski down the back country on New England's famous Sherburne Ski Trail.

Mt Chocorua and Middle Sister Loop Hike - White Mountains, NH

As a working parent, business owner, mother to two toddlers and a 1 year old doberman, my schedule is constantly overflowing and I'm rarely alone. I jumped on an opportunity to visit four properties in Maine for work, with one of them being just  over the New Hampshire border and a 20 minute drive from one of New Hampshire's popular peaks. 

It was a quiet Sunday morning, the first weekend of November and I had an extra hour as we moved the clocks back for Daylight Savings. I kissed my sleeping babies goodbye and wished my husband luck as I put my bags in my Atlas by 5am and made the 4.5 hour drive north to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I was going to tackle all of my site visits Monday and planned an epic Sunday to myself. I found a hike close to my first site visit, found a hotel in North Conway on hotel tonight, and headed north with a 10am planned start at the trailhead. 

A quiet car ride with an audiobook is just what many parents need after a long week of working and parenting. As I neared the parking area, I could see the mountain in front of me and was giddy for a long day in the mountains, no kids, no dogs, no headphones, just my pack of snacks and water along with my thoughts. 

Conway Scenic Railroad, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is beautiful any time of the year but there is something about the Granite State when the leaves begin to turn in the fall. While the foliage is beautiful in Connecticut in mid to late October, we love to head to New Hampshire to get an early start on the foliage. After coming to the Whites to hike in the humid buggy summer air, there is something special about the early crisp in the air, the changing colors, and all the fun that can be had in the White Mountains. 

If you want a quiet way to take it all in, the Conway Scenic Railroad is a perfect way to do it and great for any age and recreation level. You can choose from a quick 1 hour ride or a 5-8 hour journey which takes you into Crawford Notch. Our train loving toddler and his little sister were excited to ride the train so we opted for the 1 hour ride, a perfect amount of time for littles. 

Cathedral Ledge from Echo Lake State Park (White Mountains, New Hampshire)

I've been visiting the White Mountains for years. From visiting as a 20 something with friends and quiet backpacking trips, to weekends in the camper with family and kids in tow. Every time I come, I fall in love with this portion of the Granite State a little more. I've been in the winter to ski or hike with a group of girls, in the spring to hike and brewery hop, in the summer to splash in the waterfalls, and the fall to enjoy the foliage. It absolutely never get's old and there is so much to do in every corner of the White Mountain National Forest. 

This trip to the Whites was centered around North Conway where we stayed in an AirBnb with another family. Four adults and four kids, four months to 3.5 years old and time spent at Story Land or the Scenic Railway. Four days is a sweet spot for our family and it was a picture perfect weekend (as picture perfect as it can be with a gaggle of toddlers). Adam and I took turns getting away, him to golf and me to trail run on a new-to-me trail. 

Visiting Story Land - a New Hampshire Amusement Park

I have fuzzy, 30+ year old memories of visiting Story Land as a kid. Summer days at Mother Goose's House and rides on the yellow flying dutch shoes. These nostalgic childhood memories are what makes it all even sweeter, taking my kids to the same park I visited as a kid and seeing the same charming rides mixed in with updates to the park.  

If you have young kids in the northeast, Story Land is a must. I know Disney World gets a lot of attention and many families save up vacation time and cash to take their kids to the "Most Magical Place on Earth". As someone who has visited Disney as a child and again as an adult, let me tell you, Disney lost a whole lot of magic over the years. The crowds, the level of planning needed to get around long lines, and the expense is wild. The Point Guys broke down their Disney World trip (3 nights lodging, 2 days at the park) on a "nice but budget conscious" trip - over $3,662 for three nights and two days at the park, not including flights. 

Winter Hike up Mount Willard, New Hampshire - 52 With A View

It was day two of our Girl's Hiking Trip and our first full day in the Whites. The day before, Kristen and I had gotten up to the lodge before 3:00 pm and donned our snow gear to head into the woods for a short hike up to the waterfalls. We did a bit more post holing than we anticipated the following morning and decided to talk to the staff for future trail selection. After some deliberation headed up to hike Mount Pierce a beautiful hike with absolutely zero views as a summit was sucked in my gray clouds Doom and Gloom.

Winter Hike - Mount Pierce (via Crawford Path) White Mountains, New Hampshire

Unpopular opinion...Winter is an amazing time to head to northern New Hampshire and hike.

I know, I know, we love the sunshine and shorts weather, sitting on top of a summit with a snack and a view while the cool breeze goosebumps your sweaty skin, but here's the thing. We tend to glamorize the glory and we forget about all the less-than-ideal conditions. We forget about the early bird start times to guarantee parking, the swarms of mosquitos and flies, the scorching humidity, and the crowded trails. Winter hikers are a different breed from summer hikers. While I truly think the outdoors are for all, the bluebird sky and mild temperatures bring about a different crowd of hikers that don't always have the same respect for nature. It was a different scene to see clean trails, sans toilet paper and food wrappers as winter conditions truly calls a more seasoned hiker into the woods.

Winter at the Cog — The Mount Washington Cog Railway

Our neighbors recently returned from a trip to New Hampshire where they headed up the Cog Railway to roast marshmallows in a winter wonderland. We heard this and immediately thought of our train o b s e s s e d toddler (obsessed may not even be the right word). We quickly grabbed tickets and planned a festive weekend away up north to Mount Washington and Santa's Village.

Flume Gorge - Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

There's a little saying that I have to repeat to myself as we head to some of the busier attractions that tend to be a bit more beginner (and in my case kid) friendly. When the crowds start to assemble and I have to use a bit more patience and a few more forced smiles I remind myself of this: 

"Popular places are popular for a reason". I also remind myself there are ways to get around the busiest times and that usually involves weekdays and early mornings, something my flexible schedule and early risers typically allow. 

Loon Mountain (summer skyride) - Lincoln, New Hampshire

Visiting ski mountains in the summer has quickly become a new favorite when we travel around the Northeast. It's my new lazy summer activity - taking the gondola up mountains, walking around the tops, and taking them right back down. It's kind of like the reward of hiking to a summit to enjoy the views, minus the whole hiking up a mountain bit. Truthfully, it's a great family-friendly alternative to long summit hikes to take in a view. If you have a small babe, and are out and about with family/friends that do not enjoy your level of hiking, take a gondola or a lift, or even a tram to the summit and enjoy the views. 

It's a super "inclusive" activity and a lot of the lifts even allow dogs. Drawbacks? It can be a bit pricey, around $100 for a family of four. 

Lonesome Lake - White Mountains, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is so damn dreamy. It's always suprising me with the vistas you have to earn, the European style huts placed in the middle of the woods, and lakes and ponds on top of the mountains. Lonesome Lake was one of those hikes that offers a big bang for your buck - a lot of lovely for minimal to moderate effort. I used to head to New Hampshire and tackle the bigger hikes, Franconia Ridge, backpacking the semi pemi loop and so on. But for now? An older dog and a baby in tow means our priorities have changed and now we spend a lot of time looking for those low effort high reward, family-friendly hikes. Lonesome Lake is just that. 

You will not be lonely at Lonesome Lake because of it's easy to get to status. It's a quick 4-mile loop to a beautiful lake you can swim in. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly, swimming, a short distance (but a bit of a climb)...you will have some company but it's worth the crowds.

This not That (Littleton and Route 116) - Fall in New Hampshire

One of my favorite topics on Katie Wanders is a "this not that" sort of series.  It basically takes some of your popular spots and trips and gives you a much better less-crowded alternative. This post is featuring two of these things because when you hit a spot in one of its peak seasons, you need to learn to adjust. 

Mt. Major Hike - Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire

If you need to know anything about me, it's that I am a planner.  I love to plan trips, weekends, hikes, my day, you name it.  Going into the weekend, I had a list of 48ers I wanted to tackle but instead, we altered plans.  The only glitch was Adam also had a list of things he wanted to do.  The new unplanned plan for the weekend was Adam had a day to pick what to do, and I would pick the second day.  The only issue with my shot at compromise was my day was the second one which involved some very sore legs after Adam's day and a 4.5-hour drive back home.  

1) All hiking aside, this was my first time staying at a bed and breakfast and I really wanted to try the breakfast (10/10, excellent decision).  

2) Staying for scheduled breakfast meant missing an early start at any of the trailheads - necessary for a parking spot during a fall hiking weekend in the Whites.  

3) On top of our later start, our legs were sore from hiking the Franconia Ridge so another big hike was also off the table.  

4) Judging by an attempted drive through Lincoln, I knew the smaller/shorter hikes would be mobbed 

And so, we totally changed our plans and decided to pack up after breakfast and start heading south. 

I typed in "Best Hikes in New Hampshire" and started reading through the list of hikes outside of the Whites.  I quickly came across a name I had never heard, "Mt. Major".  This hike took you up to a peak overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and at a 3.5-mile hike gaining about 1,100 feet of elevation, this wouldn't kill our sore legs.  This hike also offered lovely views at the cost of just a short detour from our ride home - it all looked promising.  And so, we pulled up to the trailhead to see about 200 cars lining the road and sighed as we realized you can't really escape the crowds of New Hampshire during leaf-peeping season.  

Franconia Ridge Loop, New Hampshire (Fall 2020)

When we were planning out hikes for the weekend, I had a list in my head of some good options.  There is the 48 4,000 footer list (of which I had only conquered 14), there was the 52 with a view list, and a bunch of other hikes that looked like great options for this ragtag group. 

What I didn't plan was to repeat any of the hikes I had done before - definitely not one of the really hard ones.  Of course, this is exactly what I ended up doing.  Adam mentioned a few times that he had always wanted to hike the ridge, Franconia Ridge that is.  I told him I really REALLY didn't want to repeat a hike, that I would do it if he really wanted to, but it was like last resort bottom of my list.  I told him "I'm sure you could find a friend to come up and do it with you" and listed about 4 more excuses.  I could tell he really, really wanted to do this hike I would be a trooper and drag myself up, across, and down this ridge for a second time.  And so, this is how I ended up hiking Franconia Ridge for the second time, again with very little hiking conditioning. 

Kinsman Lodge (the best bed and breakfast) - Franconia, New Hampshire

Every year, as summer fades to Autumn and the end of September rolls around, I jump in my car and head north. I usually head to Vermont to mountain bike and hike around the Kingdom but with COVID-19 and the travel restrictions in Vermont, we decided to change things up a bit and head to the Granite State instead.  We booked a last-minute AirBnB with a credit we had, a little discouraged at first to see the limited dog-friendly options near the Whites.  I had Adam expand the search to a two-night stay and suddenly, the most perfect place showed up in our browser.  

Semi Pemi Loop - Backpacking in the Whites

Dear Reader, 

If you noticed, yes, I am sort of blogging in reverse.  I was wrapping up my trip to Europe before switching over to last weekend in New Hampshire for peak foliage, and now backtracking my way back to September.  While I did this hike towards the end of summer (early September) with enough gear and preparation, you can easily hike this loop in the fall.  And this loop - it is famous and challenging and pushed me in ways I was not expecting.  It's not for the faint of heart but you will be rewarded with the most amazing views, spectacular vistas, ridgeline hiking, a hut in the woods and a good amount of 4,000' summits.  

I did this loop.... 38 miles in two days climbing 7,500', with a fair amount of struggle on day 2.  I did this loop untrained and unprepared and missing the one peak Ryan needed.  Education isn't free folks.  Sometimes you pay in dollars, sometimes you pay in blood, sweat, and tears.  

But before I get into the specifics of this hike, all miles and emotions, let's chat about these famous loops in the Whites.  You see, you need a little bit of background on these crazy loops and lists of peaks that hikers go out to conquer.  These loops are often designed to bag as many peaks as you can, making notoriously long and hard hikes that often done in overnight trips.  

East Branch Pemigewasset River

Here are the most famous 

Fall Camping Tips - Camping in New Hampshire

It is pretty standard for me to make some last-minute decision to drive up north on a Friday night.   

This past weekend, I had a friend's daughter's first birthday party in the middle of the day Saturday which clashed with a weekend I was planning to see the foliage and drive Kancamagus Highway.  I wanted to be there for this special little girl's first birthday, but at the same time peak foliage waits for no one.  I had to find a way to do both.  

Kancamagus Highway, NH - New England's Best Fall Foliage Drive

If there is a New England fall foliage drive to slay them all, this is it.  

New England is famous for its fall foliage and this drive is probably the most famous within the border of these 6 states.  It's often rated New England's Best Scenic Drive and has made its way onto the Travel Channel.  It's one of New Hampshire's National Scenic Byways, running east to west through the White Mountains, climbing to 3,000' at the summit of Mount Kancamagus.  It's 34.5 miles of "basic bitch", foliage obsessed, bean boots and crunchy leaves New England nostalgic heaven. 

Fall Hike up Mount Tecumseh via Waterville Valley - New Hampshire's Smallest 48

I am so out of order.  So out of the adventure order. 

I try to blog in the sequence that I travel but sometimes life gets oh so good and I play a lot more than I can blog.  Don't get me wrong, it is a good problem to have when you are enjoying life so much in the present moment you forget to write about it in the past tense.  

So because of all my adventures, I have this sweet lovely yet daunting backlog of posts to share with you.  This one, this post could not wait.  The fall foliage is peak right now in northern New England and this has to be my favorite hike to date.  This may be the best weekend I have had in a long time.  So excuse me as I jump around, but I needed to share this amazing morning in New Hampshire with you.