One of my climbing buddies is really into photography. Like, really into it. On overnight adventures, or even day adventures, he’ll lug big expensive equipment up the mountains we climb, hoping to capture a little bit more magic than I can pull in through my smartphone. As I watch him add the extra weight to his pack, I start to feel bad for him, knowing that I should, in theory, have an easier time of it. Oh, the prices we pay for our art.
But I really appreciate it. One of the great things about climbing with a photography enthusiast is that it makes you prioritize different locations in the backcountry. Typically, when looking for something special, I tend to focus on getting to the highest point. But photography-centered expeditions have taught me that the most ideal destinations are oftentimes not the summit—they’re just below them. Or in a valley setting positioned directly across from them. Or on a subpeak, where you are afforded a view with more depth.
This view from First Sister allowed for a more parallel view of the Sandwich Range than one could expect from Mount Chocorua
So this past weekend, when we headed out for a backcountry camping adventure in the Chocorua region of New Hampshire, I got it in my head to scout for a place that would grant us the best pictures of Mount Chocorua itself. Originally, the plan was to climb Mount Chocorua, but I had climbed both Chocorua and nearby Middle Sister before, and remembered thinking that while Chocorua was cool, I enjoyed seeing it from Middle Sister even more. There had to be a place somewhere in between, I thought, where we could take the best photos.
Doing a little reconnaissance with another friend, we found several good locations to set up a photo shoot of the surrounding landscape, but we ultimately decided on a smaller peak—First Sister, situated between Chocorua and Middle Sister. First Sister, Middle Sister and Third Sister make up what’s known as “The Sisters” in New Hampshire’s Sandwich Range, and provide some of the most wonderful views I’ve seen in the state. So any one of them is worth your while. But from First Sister we had an open view of the mountains to the north as well as a clear sightline to the jagged peak of Chocorua—to us, it was perfect.
And I think we were right. We hit it out of the park when it came to getting good photos. And these are just what I got from my phone…
But the point of this post is not the photos. The point is that the summit isn’t everything. The summit is a nice-to-have and of course provides intrinsic rewards to climbers: there’s nothing quite like a mountain summit to let you know that you’re still someone who can kick butt and that life is going to be A-OK. But there are other rewards we often miss on our pursuit of the highest point on the mountain. Meditative ones. Contemplative ones. Ones of gratitude, and pace, allowing you to fully absorb the beauty of the place and the relationships you have to share the experience with.
I’ve never struggled too much with slowing down in nature, but climbing with a photography buddy, I’m learning how to slow down even more. To survey the landscape differently and imagine where the best shots might exist. To not just happen upon a great photo because I was walking along and noticed a remarkable angle or viewpoint along the way, but to seek one out. To explore a spot because my gut told me that it might reveal something to the eye. Some rhythm of the earth I missed before.
Photo hunting is another way to explore trodden territory that makes the landscape new again. When we plant ourselves in a new location that others overlooked, or plain old missed, and watch the setting light, or listen to the birds sing, or catch the glint off a lake in the valley that we wouldn’t have known was there had we not stopped to look around, we expand ourselves. However big or small the crack might be, there is an opening in our awareness, showing us that there is more out there than we will ever know. And that we should never stop looking.
If you look closely, you’ll see a bunch of hikers standing at the summit of Mount Chocorua.
Hike Details: A Loop of First Sister, Middle Sister, Third Sister and Carter Ledge
Trailhead: Piper Trailhead, Albany/Conway, NH (off NH Route 16, behind Davies Campground)
Route: Piper Trail → Camp Penacook → Middle Sister Trail → First, Middle & Third Sister → Carter Ledge Trail loop
Distance: ~8.4 miles
Elevation Gain: ~2,700 ft
Difficulty: Challenging at times. Rather steep on the section between Third Sister and Carter Ledge. Especially on the descent.
Parking: Fee required (White Mountain National Forest pass or cash). $5/day
Note: The Sisters offer some of the finest views in the Sandwich Range, with First and Middle Sister providing the best sightlines to Mount Chocorua’s dramatic summit cone.
For more photos from the Chocorua Region, you can check them out here.