>>2200554Do they? I grew up near both. They have different vibes. Both are good. People are correct that the Whites get more crowded, but mostly that's the Presidential Range, and in any case, crowded or not Franconia Ridge is one of the best hikes in the area.
Same sort of dynamic with Monadnock out by itself near Keene. It's one of the most hiked mountains in the world for a reason. Obviously part is just being fairly close to Boston which has a top 10 metro population, but plenty of other mountains are close. It's all that exposed rock at the top and the scrambles that are enough to be exciting for normies and kids without being too dangerous. Similar dynamic for some of the Whites but that doesn't make them not nice mountains, particularly off season.
Franconia Ridge has a long traverse above tree line, Washington has a road for an absolutely hellish all uphill road race. Good trails. Back country skiing. Exposure. That's why they're popular.
I love the Greens too. Better tree coverage for foliage and less busy. Vermont has nicer towns than NH.
Whites are definitely better from December to March. The New England winter turns them into legit mountaineering challenges, particularly Mt. Washington with its insane weather and temperatures.
>>2200652Parts of the West where every mountain is 12-14,000 look no better than the East Coast because they are low latitude so they lose all their snow and they are low prominence, all starting at 10,000+ feet and having trailheads closer to the summits than the Whites.
>>2201363>What is Maine?I've waited in lines at 14ers in Colorado. Even Katahdin in Maine doesn't get as crowded and that is "the spot." Go to any other mountain around there, and there are many great ones, and it will be less crowded than huge swaths of the Rockies. And as soon as Maine's quite long winter sets in the Knifes Edge becomes an absolutely top notch mixed ice and rock route if you have the skills. Pic related is New England.
