Wôbanaki Lakann Trail Announcement

In the early morning hours on the 14th of September, I (Nick Higgins) will embark on a six hundred and fifty mile journey through sacred native lands here in New Hampshire and Vermont. In simplest terms, I will be connecting three of the most iconic long distance hiking trails here in the northeast in one continuous footpath. The Wôbanaki Lakann Trail, or “a journey through the Dawn Land”, will connect the White Mountain Direttissima, the Cohos Trail, and the Long Trail. 

Each step will honor the Abenaki people who walked these hills for thousands of years. I will aim to complete this 650 mile endeavor with nearly 135,000 feet of vertical gain and loss in 21 days through the heart of foliage season. This will mean covering roughly 31 miles per day with 6500 feet of elevation gain and loss to stick to a three week timeframe.  The route is named in honor of the Abenaki people, Wôbanakiak, or “People of the Dawn Land” who’ve called this region home for over 10,000 years. 

The Route

The route begins at the Glencliff Trailhead at the base of Mt. Moosilauke heading north on the White Mountain Direttissima, a continuous foot powered connection of the 48 four thousand footers of New Hampshire's White Mountains. This path was first conceived by Henry T. Folsom in 1970, with dozens of endurance athletes in the White Mountains following in his footsteps since. 

It features iconic sections like Franconia Ridge, Bondcliff, and Agiocochook (Mt Washington) in the Presidential Range.  One is sure to find some amazing alpine views of terrain carved out over 12,000 years ago by the last Ice Age. The Wôbanaki Lakann Trail is more than a beautiful trail covering some of the most rugged terrain in the northeast; it is a celebration of the history, culture, and a thriving endurance community here in the White Mountains. 

This portion of the hike concludes on Mt Cabot, New Hampshire’s northernmost four thousand foot peak. The tail end to an epic 240 mile trek across New Hampshire’s 48 four thousand foot mountains keeps me heading north towards the Canadian border on the Cohos Trail.

The Cohos Trail stretches nearly 170 miles from Crawford Notch north to the Canadian border, taking hikers deep into seldom seen stretches of New Hampshire’s north country. Kim R. Nilsen first proposed the idea for the creation of the Cohos Trail in 1978 in an editorial in the Coos Country Democrat newspaper. After many years and countless volunteer hours, the Cohos Trail was completed in 2011 for adventurers to enjoy for years to come. 

There is a common notion that one is more likely to see a moose than a person while hiking this trail, as it stretches north through some of the most untapped natural beauty this state has to offer. The completion of this route at the Canadian border sets up an unusual 93 mile roadwalk connection to the third and final leg of the Wôbanaki Lakann Trail, Vermont’s 272 mile Long Trail.

The Long Trail is the grandaddy of all long distance hiking trails here in the United States, conceived in 1909 by James P. Taylor and shortly followed by the creation of the Green Mountain Club the following year in 1910. The Green Mountain Club was instrumental in establishing a footpath that runs the spine of Vermont’s Green Mountains from the Canadian border down the length of the state to the Massachusetts border, creating the first established long distance hiking trail in the country. 

Once I have completed the 93 mile roadwalk connection from the northern terminus of the Cohos Trail to the northern terminus of the Long Trail, the journey will continue south as I make my way through Jay State Forest and the northern Green Mountains. Nearly 150 miles later the Long Trail intersects with the Appalachian Trail where I will continue back to Glencliff Trailhead, the start and endpoints of this trek. 

The Cause

While there are many important historical and cultural nuances to this journey, the overarching mission of this trip will be to raise funds for Mission Clean Water, a nonprofit organization that does critical work to establish lasting clean water initiatives to benefit communities in some of the most arid regions of the world. 

My goal is to raise $10,000 for Mission Clean Water which will immediately be put to use on upcoming projects in Uganda that are lined up, planned, and are just awaiting the funding. This has been an ongoing effort of mine since the passing of my late friend and fellow White Mountain endurance athlete, Christopher Owen Roma, known by many in the hiking community as ‘Rafiki’. 

The Lincoln 100, a 100 mile fundraising race, was held on January 16th 2025 in honor of Rafiki and his commitment towards Mission Clean Waters work. With over $10,000 raised and many smiles shared amongst friends and family of Chris, this fully funded an expansion project in Uganda that gave clean water access to over 3500 people. This led to a 20% increase in enrollment at a local school and zero reported waterborne illnesses since its establishment. 

This work not only provides clean drinking water for thousands, it helps bring back dignity, opportunity, and time for incredibly underserved communities. Clean water has a generational impact from increasing school enrollment, lowering domestic violence rates, increased agricultural opportunities, and so much more. I am proud to partner with Mission Clean Water to raise funds during my upcoming hike of the Wôbanaki Lakann Trail. 

How does Burgeon Outdoor fit into this effort? 

I moved to Lincoln NH in the fall of 2021 from the Boston area where I was born and raised. At a young age, I fell in love with the White Mountains of New Hampshire and soon found myself driving up here with a fresh license at the age of 16 and a desire to explore some of the peaks and valleys I now get to call home. 

Chris ‘Rafiki’ Roma was one of the first friends I made upon arrival where I found myself working at a local ski shop in town, where he was working in the snowboard department affectionately called “The Board Shop”. When I learned Chris was a ‘Triple Crown’ hiker, someone who completes the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail, I was a bit uneasy to get out in the woods with him. ‘Would I be able to hang at his pace, up and down these rugged trail networks?’ I was soon found asking myself. 

I invited Chris on an off-trail adventure to a remote alpine pond deep in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, utilizing a series of existing trails and unmaintained old logging railroads to see if I could slow him down. We soon found out that we much enjoyed each other's company and kept a similar three mile per hour pace for the nearly twenty mile trek. Many many miles and adventures followed until ultimately Chris’s passing in January 2024 while attempting a solo single-day Pemi Loop, a popular 30 mile adventure for many during the summer months but seldom sees single-day attempts during the winter.

In the grief and months following this incident, I found myself struggling to make peace with the situation at hand. It was a hard reality to accept. Someone as experienced as Chris was not immune to making mistakes in the mountains we call home. ‘I surely would’ve made better decisions, right?’ I asked many times. The reality is we are all capable of making some wrong decisions every time we venture out into these potentially harsh alpine environments. 

In May of 2024, I found myself a new role at Burgeon Outdoor in Lincoln. I was extremely excited about the new potential for growth here in my role at the company and also in the community that has given me so much. Burgeon’s mission to create sustainable high quality alpine apparel suited for some of the world’s most extreme conditions, while benefiting the communities we work and live in here in Lincoln and Gorham New Hampshire was right in line with where I wanted to take the next steps on my journey. 

Burgeon has given me a space to heal, to grow, and to help inspire future generations to tackle the same mission that we hold dear to us. I don’t say this lightly, I truly love where I work for too many reasons to list all of them. Being a part of Burgeon’s impact here in the community I live in has been nothing short of an honor. 

Growing our relationships with local nonprofits like the Appalachian Mountain Club, New England Disabled Sports, Hiking Buddies 501c3 and many more has been a privilege to see firsthand the impact these community cornerstones leave in the White Mountains. Burgeon has also supported my own social efforts with major donations to The Lincoln 100 and the 2025 Snowsafe Summit, a White Mountain safety event hosted by Hiking Buddies at Barndoor Hostel in Rumney NH.

Burgeon has left a positive impact on mine and countless others lives, and I am proud to help to continue that legacy. With your help, every step I take will help bring clean water, opportunity, and dignity to communities that need it most. 

I humbly ask that you consider supporting Mission Clean Water in their efforts to bring clean water and sanitation to underserved communities. 

Please consider donating here to support their work.

With humble gratitude, 

Nick Higgins