The Belknap 12 - wandering matt

Some lists aren’t as die-hard as others, and the Belknap 12 certainly felt that way to me as I took my sweet time completing them. Eleven years, to be exact. I first started exploring them when I started spending time at Lake Winnipesaukee and needed a “mountain day” while I was on vacation. Over the years I poked my head in on them—and on the Ossipee 10—not with any mission in mind of completing them, but more as a way to get outdoors and see the world from a different vantage point.

On the day I finally finished the Belknap 12, I was actually planning to go for some bigger mountains up the Davis Path, but I was feeling lazy and rain was in the forecast. Whiteface turned out to be the perfect antidote for when the body and the weather aren’t playing nice but you still want to get out.

Unlike some of my other ranking lists, where I recommend one mountain over another based on their appearance and the experience they provide, I’m organizing this list by height only. I can’t say one stood out more than another—they all feel fairly similar, although a few offer some particularly exceptional views of the surrounding lakes. I think the only one I can’t see myself making a special trip to return to is Mack. But on the whole, these are a great set of mountains for those days when you don’t feel like going for the big stuff.

Mountain	Description	Trip Reports, Stories, & Photos
1. Belknap Mountain	Before Instagram, and long before this site, I ran Belknap along with Piper. No pictures. Just a beautiful day on the ledges. (Height 2383′)
2. Gunstock Mountain	I climbed Gunstock and Rowe when I was trying to get back in shape for a second push through the 4000-footers. (Height 2247′)	Kicking Off the Dust
3. Piper Mountain	Funny that two of the three biggest ones on this list are the ones I have no digital record of. Piper’s a good one though! I climbed it from the Belknap direction, but it’s also accessible from the same trailhead where you can climb Whiteface. (Height 2041′)
4. Klem Mountain	Klem has incredible views of Lake Winnipesaukee and also incorporates a hike along Round Pond. If you are trying to decide between Mack and Klem, choose Klem. And if you’re doing both, climb Mack first so you get the views coming down Klem. (Height 2000′)	The Mack-Klem Loop
5. Mack Mountain	You can get some views from Mack, but Klem offers more. If you are choosing one above the other, go for Klem. (Height 1944′)	The Mack-Klem Loop
6. West Quarry	I had kidney surgery the year I climbed West Quarry and Rand, and it had taken me a while to get my body well enough for a run like this. I have some more pictures, but I didn’t post much at the time. Most of the views are from West Quarry. (Height 1894′)	1. Old Self 2. Summit View For more photos, see below.
7. Straightback South	Ran this one with Mount Major. Another great hike that I’d like to get back to. I never took pictures of it, sadly. (Height 1890′)
8. Rand Mountain	Rand’s summit is completely buried in trees. (Height 1883′)	For photos, see below.
9. Mount Major	Mount Major is the most popular of the Belknap Range Summits, and for good reason. On any given summer day, you can find the trailhead overflowing with cars, spilling on the adjoining byway to park. I typically avoid it because it’s so crowded, and of course I don’t have pictures to share because I ran this one the same day I ran Straightback South. But the views are GREAT. (Height 1787′)
10. Mount Rowe	Rowe is a nice easy hike to get some quick views of Lake W. But when you leave Rowe and head up to Gunstock, that’s when the views get better. (Height 1675′)	Kicking Off the Dust
11. Whiteface Mountain	Whiteface had alluded me for too long because the times I tried to climb it were before satellite imagery online was what it is now. Every time I drove down the Belknap Mountain Road, I lost cell service and had no idea where to go. It always gave me the creeps too! But I finally found it and when I did, shared the trail with several people. Even though I wasn’t running, I was up and down in less than an hour. (Height 1671′)	What Took So Long?
12. Anna Mountain	This was a really pretty hike, but confusing. It was a cool winter day, but the trail rewarded me with a beautiful frozen pond and some lovely views from Shannon Mountain, in addition to Anna Mountain. (Height 1660′)	For photos, see below.