Outside of managing his construction firm RBS Strategies, LLC, Douglas A.G. “Doug” Stevenson enjoys numerous outdoor activities in and around Carlisle, MA. In addition to hiking trails in multiple national parks, Doug Stevenson climbed the 4000-footers, a set of 48 mountains recognized by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

The 4,000 Footers, all located within White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), derive from a list compiled in 1931 by local mountaineer and AMC member Nathaniel L. Goodrich. He chose peaks that were at least 300 feet above the ridge of a neighboring mountain at least 4,000 feet above seal level. In the succeeding decades, fellow AMC members expanded Goodrich’s list and proposed the creation of the Four Thousand Footer Club (FTFC). In 1957, after the AMC approved the creation of the FTFC, members met to finalize the list, using the 1955 U.S. Geological Survey’s data about the WMNF, resulting in 46 entries.

Since its initial publication, the FTFC updated the list with two additional mountains in 1967 and 1980. It maintains a guide on the geography, climate, and shelters for hikers on its website, updating it every five years. It recommends that prospective hikers begin with trails with small elevation changes, like the Jackson-Webster Loop, north of the AMC’s Center. As their skills improve, they can progress to more difficult mountains and ultimately tackle locations like the Kinsman Ridge Trail on Cannon Mountain.