What am I missing?

Ok...So, I've been doing this hiking thing for about a year now...and done more than a few mountains.

I'm pretty good at looking at the map and at knowing the trail on the mountains I've been on. I can often look at a trail picture and have an idea where it is.

BUT...when I look out at the views FROM wherever I am...I have NO IDEA what I'm looking at. Even if I know the area I'm like..."ok...so...that peak over there is...? and that one would be?" I usually am clueless. If I'm on peak A of a several peak summit or range (i.e. Bigelow...I know that this is Avery, that's West, and those are the horns) I have somewhat of a clue. BUT...to look OFF Avery Peak...other than Sugarloaf (duh...) (I have no idea what I'm seeing out there.

Is there any help for me? I want to be one of the people who can look at the view from the summit and point out what those peaks out there are. I won't enjoy it any more...I'll just look a little smarter

You can get the book: Scudder's white Mountain Viewing Guide. It will have diagrams of the mountains from the peak you are on. I use to copy the pages and just bring the pages from the mt. I was hiking

I just pull out my map and compass if I have no clue what I am looking at.

Don't worry about it. I've been doing it for close to 20 years and am not so great at it either.

The best way to pick out peaks is to lay the topo map flat on the ground and line your compass up with it. Do this and it becomes not so tough to figure out which peak is which.

But as far as standing on a mountain top and pointing out every peak in viewing range, that is usually done best by folks who have hiked the snot out of a particular area. I'm halfway decent at just pointing stuff out in the Adirondack High Peaks once I get my bearings, but there are very few peaks I've done more than 2 or 3 times and many only once so the angles at which you are viewing a given mountain are always different. Often, it's like "that is Peak X, that is Peak Y, that is ... um, I think, Peak Z ... let me check the topo."

Other places in the Northeast, it's hit and miss in terms of instant recognition. It's like getting to know your way around a city. The more you're in the area, the easier it becomes to know the streets without thinking about it.

hike with arm - he knows every bump out there. MEB is pretty good too.

I am ok with the major peaks - but hopeless on the 3k'ers unless I look at the map.

Did you ever take any spatial-relation tests that involved things like pictured below? It’s just my opinion, but in order to be good at identifying peaks from different viewing locations, I'm thinking you have to be good at spatial-relations.

Did I get high scores on this type of testing . . . hmmmm . . . not so much!
That might explain why I also struggle sometimes with peak identification, especially when plopped down in a location that’s different from my more familiar vantage points.

1. Scudder's Guide
2. Steve Smith and Mike Dickerman's book on the 4Ks
3. Map and Compass
4. Go with someone who knows what they're looking at.

For some reason I really like to know what mountains I'm looking at. Somehow it comes alive to me when I can identify the peaks because after a while you know them from various directions, elevations etc. It's a lot of fun and if you want to learn them it doesn't take all that long.

-Dr. Wu

Another possibility would be to visit the summit with Google Earth ahead of time.

1) The big one with all the buildings, antenna, black smoke, cars, babies in belly packs, bikers, etc. is Mt. Washington.

2) Post the picture and if you are wrong someone will correct you.

3) The brother-in-law you dragged up there will be thoroughly impressed, even if you're just rattling off nonsense.

4) , ,

you guys make me giggle...

I like the idea of just spouting off random names to impress

No, really though...I agree that there is a sense of familiarity when you can look around you from the top of some peak...and know what's there. It just helps me to feel more at home.

I am, however, going to check out the book.

And..as for spatial relationship...um...not so much for me either. I can do Algebra I and II GREAT...Geomery, Trig/functions, calculus...HA HA HA!!

Echo the Steve Smith books- I hiked fairly clueless for 15-20 years, began using Smith books the last 10, I am pretty good now at picking out most peaks in the whites, winter hiking has helped a lot as well.

Imzadi said:

I am, however, going to check out the book.

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I second the endorsements for Scudder's View Guide to the White Mountains. I have no reason to believe that I am a whiz at spatial relationships - at least no one one has ever complimented me for that - but after a few years of using this book, I found myself able to ID dozens of peaks from summits he does not include.

Be sure to get the 2d Ed., to which Scudder has added 11 summits, for a total of 54. You can find it at the Mountain Wanderer and similar stores, but may prefer to order it direct from Brent's High Top Press. He will sign it for you, if you like (at least he always has in my experience).

Brent is a member of VFTT, by the way, although he uses a different screen name.

Learn where everything is relative to Mt. Carrigain. You can see it from all but 4 of the other 4Ks.

Tim

Strangely, once I hike a peak, I can just recognize it from other summits. Not sure why...any one else experience this??

bikehikeskifish said:

Learn where everything is relative to Mt. Carrigain. You can see it from all but 4 of the other 4Ks.

Tim

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Hey Tim..that's my secret method!!

Seriously..once a few key peaks can be found..and carrigain is one of them..Kearsarge North is another....everything else is relative to that..That and the fact that I practice guidebook and map memorization for at least an hour every evening...
Grumpy Gran has secretly pulled out the Scudders a few times after she had me list them off...There always are a few mountains that people don't believe you on..The Moats for example....Lowell and nancy as well

that being said..we have a couple in our group who never ever have any idea what they are looking at and still enjoy the hike just fine.. I swear that Claude could take or leave the view..if it ain't chocurua it's just mountains....

Views

I think I'm pretty good at it, I'm sure others could prove me wrong. I enjoyed trying to guess, but then I had the pleasure of receiving a Scudder's Guide from Mike Dickerman who stood on the summit of Washington with me while we picked out the various peaks. All four of them. Carter Dome, Carrigain, Lincoln and Lafayette. Everything else was hidden by undercast, even the Northern Presis.

But, yeah, that's how I learned them. At least the obscure, lower elevation ones.

The brother-in-law you dragged up there will be thoroughly impressed, even if you're just rattling off nonsense.

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My brother in law is not impressed. He insists I am rattling off nonsense. He couldn't identify Mount Washington if he was standing on it. When he's gone birdwatching he gets all excited and says, "There's some! What are those?!" "Those are Pigeons, Dan," and he's all proud of himself for spotting pigeons.

KDT

Kevin said:

I think I'm pretty good at it,

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Kevin, I think you're one of the best at identifying peaks, as evidenced by our looking east from Signal Ridge, and you listing off every peak we could see!

una_dogger said:

Strangely, once I hike a peak, I can just recognize it from other summits. Not sure why...any one else experience this??

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Yes, me. Each time I hike one, views-from and views-of all take on a different look.

I also use the Carrigain trick. Carrigain, Washington, Lafayette, Chocorua.

For the DAKs, I also recommend this: http://wandel.ca/viewbrowser/. The DAKs are much more challenging for me, but have fallen more into place with each successive hike. Gothics, Marcy, Giant, Santa. Indian Lake, Long Lake, Blue Mountain, Tupper.

--M. said:

Yes, me. Each time I hike one, views-from and views-of all take on a different look.

I also use the Carrigain trick. Carrigain, Washington, Lafayette, Chocorua.

For the DAKs, I also recommend this: http://wandel.ca/viewbrowser/. The DAKs are much more challenging for me, but have fallen more into place with each successive hike. Gothics, Marcy, Giant, Santa. Indian Lake, Long Lake, Blue Mountain, Tupper.

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Very nice link! Anyone ever do a browser for the Whites?

Nice thread Imzadi! Always interesting to hear what references are available!

About 15 years ago when I first started hiking in the high peaks I picked up a little booklet that gave the compass degree bearings to each of the other "46" peaks. From that it was easy to look at a topo and figure out the others. It was a easy way to get acquainted.

Now what I like to bring along (I have no idea where that little booklet is) is the NG map for summit viewing. With their scale it's nice to know way off there in the distance what I'm looking at. You most likely won't need a compass too much once you know some (a few landmarks) of what's around you but getting to that point is the hard part. My comment about not needing a compass for peak identification is only for that and in the context I gave. You do need a compass for navigation.