Scott and Morgan Morneault are two of Kingswood’s most experienced trips leaders. In fact, they know the White Mountain National Forest about as well as anyone. They are proud members of the 4000 footer club (which means they’ve summited all 48 four thousand foot mountains in New Hampshire, many of which they’ve done multiple times, and some of which they have done in every season); they have hiked nearly all of the “52-With-A-View” in New Hampshire (which are mountains with lower elevations but still spectacular vistas); and they are two hikes away from completing the Kingswood Varsity Club Wheel, which lists all 74 hikes Kingswood offers. With a combined seven years of Kingswood experience under their belts, they are more than qualified to answer all sorts of questions about Kingswood’s Hiking Program.
What do you love about hiking?
The feeling of adventure! Hiking is an opportunity to escape modern stressors and technology that run our day-to-day life. Hiking requires you to be present. Nothing outside of “one foot in front of the other,” matters when you are on the trail. You tune into your surroundings on a heightened level, discover the nuances of the world around you, and gain a new perspective! But hiking is not “a walk in the park,” it offers a unique opportunity to challenge yourself, physically and mentally. We truly enjoy the challenge and reward of hiking. Each adventure you get the opportunity to face a challenge, overcome difficulties, and achieve the incredible.. it’s all inside you! Every single hike is different from the last, even if you have summited the same peak 100 times, there is always something special about that day’s adventure. We also love the breathtaking views, surprising trail visitors (like moose!) and enjoying the journey with friends and family!
How did you become interested in hiking?
The White Mountains is where it all began. Actually, Kingswood Camp is where our hiking journey began. Scott started at camp in 2014, and led a few hikes. One of the mountains he climbed that summer was Mt. Chocorua, and he told me that I would absolutely LOVE it. Once the camp season ended, he and I climbed Mt Chocorua, and I haven’t been the same since. Kingwood Camp changed how both Scott and I perceived hiking by opening a door to some incredible trails, terrain, and mountaintops that two people, who had previously only explored Connecticut trails, wouldn’t have necessarily been exposed to. That following summer we hiked Mt Moosilauke, and all along the summit ridge he was pointing out Kingswood to me– quite a different perspective than when I came to visit over the summer! Then he said, “there are 47 more mountains like this.” So naturally we set out to complete all 48 4,000 footers, and have been exploring the many other incredible trails in the White Mountains ever since!
What makes hiking in the White Mountains special?
The White Mountains include a wide range of terrain from an easy stroll around a beautiful lake to climbing thousands of feet up onto an exposed ridge with stunning panoramic views. The topography of this region is so staggering, from the depths of the numerous notches, to the summits of hundreds of surrounding peaks, there is never a shortage of breathtaking scenery. Included in this scenery is also something quite specific to this area – its untouched wilderness areas. There are six protected wilderness areas in the National Forest, covering approximately 149,500 acres. Here you can really immerse yourself in nature and enjoy land preserved from human interference!
How does Kingswood get campers interested in hiking?
Lots of the Kingswood staff members love to hike, and their enthusiasm for hiking trickles down to the campers. Then, when campers return from trips happy and brimming with stories, it encourages other campers to give it a try. Finally, lots of campers are eager to join or move up a tier in Kingswood’s hiking club, known as The Varsity Club.
Can you tell us about the different types of hiking trips Kingswood offers?
Kingswood offers hiking opportunities for every type of hiker from novice to experienced. The Kingswood Varsity Wheel breaks hiking opportunities into categories that roughly match three different challenge levels.
The Piermont level offers shorter, local hikes, introducing them to the Kingswood hiking and overnight camping experience. Next is the Franconia level, which offers more mid-range hiking distances with higher peaks, longer mileage, and even more eye-catching views, deepening their experience in the White Mountain National Forest, including visits to AMC campsites. The most challenging set of hikes is at the Presidential level, including mostly 4,000’ers, Presidential Peaks, the tallest of which is Mount Washington at 6288’ as well as some of the most remote hikes in the White Mountains, only accessible by overnight trips.
The Varsity Club wheel provides an excellent guide as well as goal tracker to increasing your hiking experience while at Kingswood Camp. However, these are not all the hikes we have to offer! Each year we also like to offer some hikes “new to camp” that we believe our campers will love! Some of these include trips to Frankenstein Cliff and Arethusa Falls (NH’s tallest waterfall), the Sugarloafs (one of the “52 with a view” peaks!), and AMC Hut trips!
How often does Kingswood send out hiking trips?
Kingswood tries to offer at least one hike every weekday, and often offers as many as three hikes per day. We try to restrict our weekend hiking to avoid the weekend crowds and to allow for campers to participate in special weekend camp activities like sports tournaments, cabin meetings, and ice cream parties.
More than one hike usually goes out on a given weekday, and we aim to offer multiple hikes of varied Varsity Club levels, so that any Kingswood camper has an opportunity to join. These hikes can include a short day hike after lunch, a full day hike that leaves after breakfast, or a multi-day hike that includes camping in the mountains.
How do you make the rosters for the different trips?
One of the many wonderful characteristics that makes Kingswood Camp so great is their knowledge of their campers.
Whenever a hike is offered, the first step is to inform the campers about the experience. So one of our experienced trip leaders provides a brief overview of the hike, explaining the distance, the difficulty, and the unique aspects of the trip.
We then gauge interest in the hike by compiling a list of campers who would like to give that hike a try. If a camper has signed up for a hike that may be a little outside of their current experience level, we will advise them to pursue a Piermont level hike before moving on to a more challenging adventure (nothing is worse than being overfaced on a trip).
If the interest in the hike exceeds the number of campers we can take (either because of space in the van or White Mountain rules and regulations), we do our best to offer that hike again in the near future to make sure all campers have the opportunity to pursue the hikes they are interested in!
What safety measures does Kingswood employ to ensure that trip leaders are prepared for if/when something goes wrong on a trip, such as someone getting hurt or sick, or if the weather takes a turn for the worse?
Kingswood Camp trip leaders are specifically trained and certified in Wilderness First Aid, which provides them the specialized knowledge to perform emergency injury treatment in the backcountry. A WFA trip leader always carries a medical kit, put together by the nursing staff, which is uniquely tailored to the campers on that particular hike. This medical kit comes with everything needed to provide wilderness first aid, as well as the items specific to this group of campers that may be needed to take care of them in the event of an injury or emergency on the trail. To do so effectively, the staff member with the med kit will hike as the “sweep” (the person in the back of the group), this way, if any camper sustains an injury, they are easily seen by the sweep, who is always looking ahead to the group, and able to assist as soon as possible.
Kingswood also follows a strict camper to counselor hiking ratio, ensuring there will always be enough counselors to assist in an emergency. Trip leaders also have a diligent plan, well mapped out route, back up routes, and inclement weather plans, as well as a detailed information sheet that includes a list of which campers and staff members are hiking, which routes we are taking, when we are leaving and expected to return, sent to our staff staying back on campus. We also always carry satellite calling devices and back up chargers to reach camp in the case of an emergency.
What hiking gear does Kingswood provide, and what items should campers bring from home?
Kingswood provides some great essentials, like hiking backpacks, specifically designed for hiking gear. We also provide tents and sleeping pads for overnight hikes. We do recommend campers bring their own sleeping bags, but there are always some extras on hand in the trips room. Same goes for water bottles – we have many extras that are always washed and ready to go on the trip, but it is ideal for campers to bring two of their own.
Other items campers should consider bringing to camp are suitable outdoor shoes. Sneakers work well on the trails we hike, but sometimes more seasoned hikers will bring a special pair of hiking boots specifically for our trips. Bringing a non-cotton, warm layer is ideal. Although it is the summer, exposed summits can get a bit chilly (in fact the highest temperature ever recorded on Mt Washington was only 72 degrees!). Cotton is not dry-wicking, meaning it absorbs sweat and stays wet longer than polyester or wool, which can make those summits even colder. Also having a waterproof jacket is essential, as weather can change on a dime in the mountains. It is also nice to have these jackets in windy conditions.
What is your favorite hike in the White Mountains?
Scott: Always a challenging question but if I were to pick only one I would have to choose Adams through King Ravine. This hike has everything: boulder fields to climb over, subway cave system to climb through, “ice caves” still frozen in the dead of summer, and breathtaking views. 10/10
Morgan: There are so many hikes in the White Mountains that I love, for different reasons. But if I have to pick just one it would be Mt Chocorua – it is very nostalgic for me, as this was my very first mountain, which makes it special no matter how many times I climb it. I will always remember the feeling of standing on the exposed rock in awe of the untouched beauty of the magical White Mountains. Beyond that, it’s a very well-rounded hike, offering a little bit of everything– gorgeous waterfalls with trails that climb right along-side them, numerous trail routes to the summit cone, a moderate incline leading up to fun rocky scrambles to climb, and sweeping 360 degree views! I highly recommend a visit!!
What Kingswood trip has been your most memorable?
Morgan: Ten years from Scott’s first year on staff at Kingswood, I had the opportunity to join him for summer 2024! I was assigned as a trip leader for a hike up Mt Moosilauke within the first couple of weeks. Returning to this hike felt different with campers. I was now the one encouraging them to overcome the challenges of the trail, and getting to see their faces in awe of the spectacular view while pointing out camp from 4,802’…just as I had experienced my first time on the open summit of this “Bald Place” with Scott as my guide. Things had come full circle, and I knew in those moments on that hike, that I wanted to share this experience with anyone who is willing to give one of these hikes a try. I truly believe being a trips leader and encouraging campers to get out on the trail is how I get to return the favor to Kingswood for helping me discover what I am most passionate about– exploring and hiking in the White Mountains!
Scott: My most memorable Kingswood hike was my first one. I was sent as a co-trip leader my first year in 2014 to Mount Chocorua. My only experience with hiking at the time was in Mass and CT so I didn’t know what to expect. Every aspect of the trip was memorable. Hiking along the river, exploring the pools below the waterfalls on the hot summer day, being fooled by the false summit at the top of Chocorua, and then the amazing fun, which was climbing all those massive rocks to reach the true summit. Sitting on the summit looking out at the Whites for the first time I remember having the feeling of truly being in the Wilderness, no major cities, only a few small signs of civilization. I was truly in awe.
Which trip are you most looking forward to this summer?
This summer we will have just one remaining hike left to complete the entire Varsity Club Wheel: Smarts Mountain. This Franconia level peak has eluded us for years, but timing is everything. Out of all the hikes that we have led at Kingswood, this one is shaping up to be the most special, because we have the opportunity to finish this list of incredible hikes alongside our campers! Although there were some hikes we completed as a couple, we really wanted the opportunity to share this achievement with camp. We want to reach this summit and celebrate this list with campers, who were all once just like us, new to hiking, but discovered it at Kingswood Camp. Above all else, we hope to inspire our community to try new things at camp, pursue interests, take on challenges, push the boundaries of your potential, and keep working toward your goals throughout the year, so that every time you return to Kingswood Camp you can say, “this is where it all began, and I can continue to grow my passions year after year.”
