Vose Spur is a trailless 3,862-foot sub-peak of Mount Carrigain in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Named after George L. Vose, it sits just north and east of Carrigain's 4,700-foot summit and counts among the New England Hundred Highest peaks. Reaching the top requires a full off-trail bushwhack, and not a casual one: the route is widely regarded as one of the most demanding on the Hundred Highest list.
The approach follows the Signal Ridge and Carrigain Notch trails for roughly 3.5 miles before the off-route climb begins. The bushwhack then ascends approximately 0.7 miles up steep, densely forested terrain laced with blowdowns. A herd path exists in sections, becoming more defined above 3,200 feet, but it vanishes frequently enough that confident navigation with a map, compass, and GPS is essential. The full round trip runs roughly 10 miles.
The summit is wooded with no views, but the route's open talus slopes on the mountain's east face more than compensate, delivering broad views into Carrigain Notch and across to Mount Lowell. Insects can be heavy on the lower trail in summer but thin out once the bushwhack begins in earnest. Autumn, after the foliage thins but before significant snowfall, often provides the clearest navigation through the dense forest.
