Yesterday I got the chance to climb Middle Sister, one of New Hampshire’s 52 With a View mountains, on what turned out to be a cold and blustery day. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the need to bring a face mask and goggles on a climb, and I was very glad I had them when I arrived above treeline. It was blowing!
This was a hard climb. I hadn’t been able to get on any big trails for a few weeks, and with the recent cold snap, I wasn’t feeling very motivated when I woke up. But I know how much my body needs activity like this, and I’m trying to bake a mountain into each week as part of an ongoing, healthy exercise habit. I’m so noticeably better after a climb—on all counts—that I just have to keep doing it for the rest of my life. That’s all there is to it.
Champney Falls Trail
When I arrived at the trailhead, it looked like I wasn’t alone in this madness. Three other cars had pulled in, including one with a couple who were getting out at the same time as me. Two dogs were with them that didn’t seem to enjoy my presence, and I was glad when they all decided to turn around a little ways up the trail. As I passed them, one dog approached—I think it was a pit bull mix—and growled so fiercely at my privates that I got nervous I’d soon be singing falsetto. No thanks. I don’t need that kind of stress while trudging up a mountain carrying a heavy pack and wearing snowshoes on my feet.
But after my run-in with them, I didn’t see anybody else, which was a little jarring. At the split in the trail where you can either choose to go to Champney Falls or ascend toward Chocorua and Middle Sister, I needed to start breaking trail. It was clear that nobody had been up to the mountain ridge since the latest snowfall. The result? It was slow going. Beautiful, but slow. Plodding along, Middle Sister looked agonizingly far away given the effort required, and I worried a little about getting caught in the dark, even though I had a headlamp in my pack. It had been a long time since I’d been totally alone in such conditions, and I didn’t want to get stuck out there too late.
The snow was deep.
No Worries, Only Surprises
Fortunately, all of the climbing I’ve been doing this year has gotten me in pretty good shape, and I was able to summit in three hours. And what a summit it is! At the top are the remains of an old fire tower lookout and an amazing view of Mount Chocorua. I’ve climbed Chocorua before and really enjoyed it, but I think I enjoyed looking at it from Middle Sister even more. On a cold, overcast day, it looks like an old spirit—hardened by time, unwilling to extol its wisdom on man. When you’re out in nature long enough, certain monoliths begin to feel like they have their own personality or power, distinct from the surrounding rock and earth. Chocorua was clearly saying yesterday, I’ve seen it all, and I’ll see it all again.
Heading down was much easier than the ascent. The snow is plentiful and soft right now, so the only concern was stepping too quickly onto something and twisting an ankle. After passing the trail split I’d seen two hours earlier, I met the only other serious climber of the day—a friendly gentleman with more than a sufficient amount of gear to ensure he wouldn’t freeze. He told me he was heading up Chocorua to watch the sunset, and if he was successful, I bet he had a great view. But in such conditions, Chocorua would have made me nervous, so I told him about Middle Sister and that if he changed his mind, it would be worth it.
Snow drifts on the way back down from Middle Sister 
Looking at Mount Chocorua from Middle Sister 
Old stone remains of an old fire tower 
Mighty Mount Chocorua 
When I first arrived at the summit, I thought the blue pole to the right looked like a light saber 
It does, admit it 
Stone steps to the old tower 
Sign buried up to its neck 
Chicken-feet leaves 
Pretty cold out there. Both my hair and my water bottles froze up!
A New Favorite?
The Champney Falls area, with both Chocorua and Middle Sister accessible via this route, might be becoming one of my favorite places to hike. You get stunning views at the top, can visit two great waterfalls along the way if you choose, and the trail maintains a pretty reasonable grade most of the time—nothing too crazy steep. Well, not until you get to the top of Chocorua, anyway.
But the best parts of this climb—and I suppose of all climbs—were the surprises. I had no idea there was an old fire tower at the top of Middle Sister, and I had no idea about the view of Chocorua from there. I also didn’t know what to expect snow-wise, and what I found was magical: streams with snow-covered stones that looked like gumdrops, trail signs buried up to their necks, spruces frozen in place with ice outlining their branches like chicken feet dancing in the wind. It was a hard hike, and slow—but isn’t slowing down and seeing something beautiful the whole point? Once I got over my nervousness about how long it would take, I got that point again.
Ascent Details: Champney Falls Trail to Middle Sister (Out-and-Back)
- Trailhead: Champney Falls Trail, Kancamagus Highway (NH Route 112)
- Route: Champney Falls Trail → Middle Sister Cutoff → Middle Sister summit
- Falls: Skipped (remained on main trail to cutoff)
- Return: Same route
Distance (round trip): ~6.8 miles
Elevation gain: ~2,110 feet
Summit elevation: 3,338 ft
Time: 4.75-5 hours