Book excerpt: Have you ever stepped onto the rocky dome at the foot of the Presidentials and seen nothing but mountains rising on all sides of you? Have you ever looked into Zealand Notch while scree surfing down the unstable terrain of a rockslide below a rugged cliff? Have you ever gazed upon the boulder that balances atop a stone column surrounded by cascades? Have you ever come face to face with the stoic profile overlooking Franconia Notch? Touched the most prominent freestanding spire of stone on the east coast? Walked through the darkness of a mine shaft or disturbed the stillness of its underground pool? Have you ever clung to the side of a ledge for a view of the slide-scarred peaks that tower over the Kancamagus or stood amongst the rubble that was once the Old Man of the Mountains? This isn’t your average hiking guide. This is how to escape the crowds and get the views you never dreamed possible by going where others won’t. Follow forgotten paths. Visit lost destinations. Go where trails don’t. These are the White Mountains you never knew you were missing out on. These are the White Mountains you haven’t seen.