2024 Year in Review, White Mountains – Another year has gone by! It’s amazing how fast the years go by now. Here in the White Mountains, 2024 was busier than ever. Many trailheads were overflowing on the weekends, popular trails were overrun with peakbaggers trying to complete hiking lists, and town villages such as Lincoln village were gridlocked during the holidays and some weekends. Included here are a few of my favorite photographs from 2024. The commentary doesn't necessarily have any connection to the photographs.

I spent most of 2023 working on a photo history book on Franconia Notch, which was published in May 2024. Focused on the mid-19th to late 20th century, Franconia Notch explores the history of this fascinating notch. It's hard to imagine that the Profile House, one of the grandest 19th-century hotels ever built in the White Mountains, stood in Franconia Notch. But the Profile House is just part of the history surrounding this incredible notch.

I separated Franconia Notch into six chapters – Taverns and Hotels, Transportation, Old Man of the Mountain, Mountains, Lakes and Waterfalls, and Flume Gorge. And because this is a photo history book, over 150 archival photographs are in the book. This has been one of the more enjoyable projects that I have done, and I am pleased with the completed book. If you are fascinated with Franconia Notch, I think you will enjoy it. If interested in purchasing a copy, click on the book cover above.

Over the last few years, some great books written by hikers have been published. I am also aware of a few more books that will be published in the future that should be good. If you have a dream of writing a book, I encourage you to pursue that dream. But remember, the internet is not public domain. Before you begin your book project, read up on the United States copyright laws and intellectual property rights. Your goal should be to create a body of work that is yours, not one that is copied from internet sources.

And if you're going to write a first-of-its-kind guidebook, only write about places that you have actually visited. People buy guidebooks for the firsthand account information that is provided in them; describing a hike that you have never done is deceiving and unethical. This holds true for any publication; excluding historical-related subject matter, only write about places that you have visited. If someone has never eaten at a particular restaurant or stayed at a particular hotel, how can they recommend and describe these establishments in an online article? The answer is easy. They copied the content from an internet source. This approach to writing can damage one's credibility, and I hope to write about this in the future.

I spent a good amount of time in 2024 working the Gale River Loop Road and Haystack Road area. During the early years of the White Mountains, this area had a few settlements; these settlements are long gone, but remnants of them remain. Because I was on and off these roads all season, I was able to witness the human impact happening at the dispersed campsites along both roads. The mattress above was left at one of the campsites along Gale River Loop Road. Forest Service orange tagged (warning sticker) it, and it was eventually removed.

When it comes to roadside camping, these two roads can best be described as a free-for-all, but they're out of control now. Trash and abandoned camping gear is being left everywhere, and sites are being occupied well beyond the 14 night maximum. During the 2024 season, some campsites along Gale River Loop Road were occupied by the same occupants for 30 plus days. But this is just the beginning, and I hope to write more about it in the future.

I have a few projects lined up for 2025. The railroad buffs will be happy to know that I have tentative plans to do a large amount of field research on the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad. My research on this railroad never really ends, and this one railroad has become my lifelong body of work. It was the biggest and most productive logging railroad ever built in New England; the history surrounding it is endless. I will also be doing some research on the 52 With a View hiking list for a possible future project.

Be safe exploring the trail system this year and enjoy the White Mountains. To see a full list of every write-up I did in 2024, click here.

Happy New Year!

© Erin Paul Donovan. All rights reserved | Historic Information Disclaimer | White Mountains History
 

Erin Paul Donovan

Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC

Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.