The Fool Killer takes its name from the early hikers who set off for the Tripyramids and instead found themselves atop a lower, parallel ridge, the real goal still a gulf away. The summit sits east of the Tripyramid massif near Waterville Valley and earns a place on the NH 100 Highest list at 3,530 feet. Reaching it requires off-trail navigation; no maintained trails lead to the top.
The two most common approaches both begin along the Kancamagus Highway. The first follows the Sabbaday Brook Trail before cutting west into the woods for roughly half a mile to the ridge. The second climbs the Pine Bend Brook Trail for about a mile before heading south, gaining the northern ridge and ascending through open conifers. Both routes involve patches of hobble bush and require careful compass work or GPS. The summit ridge is open boreal forest about 0.4 miles long with two bumps; the high point is marked by a sign and a small canister holding a hiker register.
The top is wooded with no panoramic views, though the ascent offers glimpses through the canopy. Winter and early spring visits call for snowshoes given the snowpack depth, and spruce traps lurk beneath the crust off-trail. Moose activity is common near the summit. The name stays apt: anyone expecting a quick peak could find this ridge doing its best to humble them.
