There are actually several groups of peaks in the US that are named the White Mountains, but the area we're speaking of here is located in New England and is primarily covered by the White Mountain National Forest. The WMNF covers 800,000 acres in New Hampshire and western Maine and is the outdoor playground for millions of the Northeast's outdoor enthusiasts.

     The WMNF was established in 1911 after passage of the Weeks Act, which essentially made it possible for the federal government to purchase private lands in an effort to protect waterways that were becoming clogged with debris from the extensive logging that had gone on for years. When experiencing the beauty of the forest now it's hard be believe how wide spread the effects of logging once were.

Tens of thousands of acres of wilderness were logged with a technique called, "clear cutting," which removed all standing timber and left massive amounts of waste material behind to cause some of the biggest forest fires the state has ever seen. From a wasteland to a wonderful forest in approximately 75 years is an incredible testimony to the ability of the forest to recover from major damage!

     Today the area includes five Designated Wilderness Areas, hundreds of miles of hiking trails including a portion of the Appalachian Trail, an abundance of "back country" facilities including 8 mountain huts and countless roadside campgrounds and "tourist" attractions.

     One of the areas most popular attractions is Mount Washington and the Presidential Range. Mount Washington, at 6288 feet is the highest peak in the Northeast and has what is often described as "the worst weather on earth." It is a documented fact that the highest land wind speed ever recorded occurred there on April 11-12, 1934, 231 miles per hour! That should certainly be enough to encourage you to exercise caution if you choose to participate in any above treeline adventures! As a matter of fact if you're not familiar with all that's involved in hiking safely in such terrain I strongly suggest that you check out New Hampshire Fish & Game's tips for safe hiking. Keep in mind that if you end up needing to be rescued and they decide that you were acting recklessly or that you were unprepared you will pay the costs of that rescue!