The White Mountain 4000 Footers list is a quest for hikers, with rules like a game. The rules are a hiker must walk, run, or ski on foot to the top of each peak on the list and back. When the hiker has climbed (sometimes called “bagged”) each peak on the list they qualify for a patch, and certificate of recognition.
The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), Four Thousand Footer Club is the keeper of the official list and rules for the “White Mountain 4000 Footers” game. The AMC Four Thousand Footer Club presents Awards to recognized hiker’s at their Annual Meeting each April.
The rule for a mountain to qualify for the list is it must have 1) a minimum elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level, and 2) a minimum prominence of 200 feet from any neighboring peak.
A few mountains on the list are very challenging. So challenging that many of the hiker’s who start the list will never to finish it. Owls Head being the most notorious, for it’s 19 miles round trip, tricky river crossings, steep and loose rock slide, and often muddy trail conditions. West Bond being another tricky one. Roughly 22 miles round trip, and no way to get there but to go over other 4000 footers on the way in and out.
My website TrailsNH.com offers hikers an easy way to keep track of the peaks they have hiked. Hikers simple check off the peaks as they complete them. When they have completed all the hikes they can export the list to send into the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club to get their patch.
If you would like a Four Thousand Footers sticker for your water bottle of car, visit the TrailsNH Sticker Shop.
