These are hikes that I have done and my comments on them. Some of the more memorable ones have a link with a narrative as well as some pictures.
Mount Monadnock: A nice mountain with a lot of trails. I recommend the Cliff Trail. It has nice views from numerous rocky ledges. Unfortunately, it gets pretty crowded on the mountain, although because I went on a cloudy, drizzly day, I saw more salamanders than hikers. The views from the top are great, and it was a great hike.
Welch-Dickey Loop Trail: Near Waterville Valley, this is a short loop hike over two peaks. The views are fantastic almost the entire way. A lot of the hiking is on open granite, so wet days may be dangerous. The views out to Mt. Tripyramid are great and there are some nice ledges to enjoy the views from.
Mt. Moosilauke: West of I93, just north of NH 118. We did a loop starting from the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. Ascended on the Asquam Ridge Trail, joining up with the Appalachian Trail near the summit of Mt. Jim. Crested the wooded summit of Mt. Jim and skirted the peak of Mt. Blue. At 5.5 miles, we reached the summit of Moosilauke, above treeline, and enjoyed gorgeous views in all directions. It's quite windy up there.
Mt. Tripyramid Starting from the Livermore Road near Waterville Valley, we did the loop counterclockwise going over North, Middle, and South Peaks. The North Slide leading up to North Peak is a very steep and fairly long ascent on open granite and should definitely not be attempted in wet or icy conditions. We stopped periodically to catch our breaths and to admire the grand view which included Mt. Osceola and Mt. Tecumseh. The summit is wooded except for a small opening in the trees. There are better views from Middle Peak, although that is also for the most part wooded as is South Peak. The South Slide is considerably looser than the hard granite of the North Slide and would make for a difficult climb.
Jennings Peak Near Waterville Valley, the trailhead is just off of NH 49. We took the Sandwich Mountain Trail (a couple of pretty steep sections!) up to Noon Peak and continued on to Jennings Peak. There are great views from Jennings Peak from a couple of rocky ledges. Views are out to Mt. Tripyramid, Sandwich Mountain, and Mt. Osceola. The trail continues on for about another mile to the peak of Sandwich Mountain, but we turned back and headed down the Drakes Brook Trail to complete the loop.
Fairview Mountain: There are so many great hikes in the rockies, especially near Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. This fairly popular hike starts at Chateau Lake Louise and climbs a peak overlooking Lake Louise. The trail goes through dense subalpine forest opening up into a subalpine meadow filled with wildflowers and climbs into the rocky alpine region as you near the summit.
Mt. St. Helens: Nice hiking in a surreal landscape of ash. I started from Johnston Ridge Observatory and hiked down into the valley towards the crater. You can see Spirit Lake filled with dead trees, as well as the crater with its growing lava dome. Plants and animals are starting to come back even in the area very close to the mountain. We saw some elk as well as lupines, bead lilies, paintbrushes, and many other types of plants.
Halemauu Trail, Haleakala National Park, Maui:Haleakala National Park is located in the eastern part of Maui. It encompasses numerous climatic zones from seashore to temperate forest to alpine shrubland to the alpine desert of the summit area. The Halemauu Trail starts from the 8000 foot elevation and descends into the "crater" which is actually an eroded valley near the summit of the 10,000 foot dormant volcano. The well constructed trail switchbacks down a very steep face and after about 3 miles reaches the valley floor. Within the crater you can see many cinder cones, volcanic rock, and the amazing silversword, a flowering plant that can only be found in the crater area of Haleakala. You may also encounter the endangered state bird of Hawaii, the nene, which is believed to have descended from the Canadian Goose.
Kuliouou Ridge Trail, Oahu: The Kuliouou Ridge Trail climbs to the top of the Koolau Ridge to an elevation of 2025 feet. It is located in the southeastern part of Oahu in the town of Hawaii Kai. The hike starts in a valley between two ridges and climbs fairly steeply via a series of switchbacks. It soon reaches the ridge from where you get magnificent views of the ocean and the peaks of Diamond Head near Waikiki and close by the peak of Puu o Kona on the Koolau Ridge. The final push to the top of the ridge is steep and some assistance is given by stairs, but it is still tough. The views from the top are simply marvelous. You can look down the other side of the ridge to the windward side of the island, with views of Rabbit Island and Waimanalo Beach. Also visible are Koko Crater, Diamond Head, and the town of Hawaii Kai.
Koko Crater: Koko Crater is the cone of an extinct volcano. It is located near the eastern tip of Oahu near Hanauma Bay. The trail starts by the stables and the entrance to the botanical garden. The initial climb to gain the ridge of the crater is steep and rocky and I do not recommend it be done when it is wet. Once on the ridge, the trail levels out and is fairly easy for a while. The views get increasingly better as you gain more altitude, with vistas of Sandy Beach and Hanauma Bay. Past the halfway point to the peak, the trail becomes more rugged as you need to negotiate a couple of rocky protrusions on the ridge. Sometimes you need to climb over substantial boulders with a very steep dropoff on both sides. Definitely a more technical hike than the Kuliouou Ridge hike decribed earlier.
Jungfrau Region The Jungfrau region of the Alps in the Bernese Oberland is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We stayed in the town of Grund, near Grindelwald, and the scenery there is dominated by three peaks: Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. We took the cog railway from Grund to Jungfraujoch which is the col between Jungfrau and Monch, at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. The scenery from the top was unbelievable. With only a clear blue sky above us, and snow capped peaks all around, us, the view of the shining, white Aletsch Glacier extending ahead and into the distance was just spectacular. On the way down, we got off the train at Eigergletscher station and hiked down to Grund, a trip of approximately 4 hours. The hike was through forests of evergreens, meadows dotted with wildflowers, and rolling hills, all with a magnificent backdrop of the north face of Eiger. Along the way were rustic old farmhouses sitting alone in fields of wildflowers, the quintessential picture of Switzerland. What a beautiful hike!