Looking for NH advice

[Yiddo]

Hello all - A buddy and I are looking to do a 7-10 day trip in NH, as I have to be up there for a wedding. I'd ideally like to do the presidential range, or atleast Mt. Washington. Does anyone have any tips or is familiar with this area to give suggestions for a 7-10 day backpacking trip in that area? All info and recommendations help

[colorado_rob]

Two tips: get in shape and carry but adequate gear!

[colorado_rob]

Fantastic place, our favorite on entire AT

[colorado_rob]

Two tips: get in shape and carry light but adequate gear!

this is what I meant

[Venchka]

Watch the weather.
Watch the weather.

Wayne


Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."

[Yiddo]

looking for tips more on places to start/stop, accesibility, and stuff of the like

[DLANOIE]

How about the Hut to Hut traverse.

[peakbagger]

You are asking a very broad question, we need more info like how old are you, what is your hiking background, what is your general level of conditioning, and how big is your checkbook. These all factor in.

The "easy" way to the do the whites, is to make reservations in the AMC mountain huts (outdoors.org). They are not cheap (approx. $150 a night) but are located right along the AT a days hiking apart. These are not hotels, they are mountain huts that hold 36 to 96 guests, they serve breakfast and lunch. They don't have showers. They are very popular and its doubtful you can get string of reservations at this late date.

Alternatively you can backpack the AT, there are USFS and AMC campsites along most of the route but they are very popular. There is one long section of the AT from Crawford Notch to Mt Madison where camping options are very limited along the AT, along some areas you have to drop off the ridgeline a mile or so and 1000 feet of elevation to find a flat spot. This requires a lot of planning.

If you just want to backpack and not fixed on the Whites, the Long Trail in VT is set up better for backpacking with numerous club run shelters and campsites along the way. If you stick to the northern end, the crowds are far less than the southern section that is shared with the AT. There are also several nice backpacks in the whites that skip the AT. These requite more planning and stringing together 7 to 10 days would be tough I would suggest breaking the trip into 2 or three shorter sections with break in between. If you want a more remote experience, the Coos trail starts in the Whites and runs tot he Canadian border, the logistics are difficult as it runs through remote territory with not a lot of chance to resupply.

As commented before, unless you are in shape and used to the terrain, you could get beat up an spit out by the whites. Many folks come with ambitious plans and have to either quite or scale back. This includes northbound AT thruhikers who frequently hit the whites and have to halve their daily mileage.

There is lot to be said to set up at a campsite and day hike. There are some limited lesser known legal free camping spots hidden away in the National forest. No facilities but you can set up and use them for a base camp. There are hundreds of day hikes that will get you to all the summits and depending on you condition you can cover a lot more territory without a pack.

A key resource which is the only guide you need is the AMC White Mountain Guide. It has all the trail descriptions and all the maps you need. Its overkill for a strictly an AT hike but essential for car camping and day hiking.

[LIhikers]

My wife and I did the Presidential traverse and we aren't in great shape, although we are experienced hikers.
We were able to make it from campsite to campsite every day.
I'm going to guess, as my memory isn't great, but I think it was 5 days of hiking and 1 zero day due to weather.

[Yiddo]

I'm unfamiliar with the area. I don't think the huts are in my budget really. Did you use them or what did you do?

[Slo-go'en]

I'm unfamiliar with the area. I don't think the huts are in my budget really. Did you use them or what did you do?

With good planning and a little luck, most of the huts can be avoided, but this can result in some very long and difficult days. Hiking NH and through the Whites is not a trivial matter. This is why there is at least one rescue a week and the occasional death, typically 2-3 a year.

There are a couple of on going threads about camping in NH going on right now that you should read.

[LIhikers]

We didn't stay at any huts, we used our tent in legal campsites.
The first night and the zero day were at the campground near the Mizpah hut.
The next campsite was at a shelter northbound from Mt. Washington, I don't recall the name.
It was built by some other organization other than the AMC.
Next was Valley Way campsite, down hill from Madison Hut.
Then Osgood campsite for a night.
Finished at the AMC center, the name escapes me, near Gorham.

[Slo-go'en]

We didn't stay at any huts, we used our tent in legal campsites.
The first night and the zero day were at the campground near the Mizpah hut.
The next campsite was at a shelter northbound from Mt. Washington, I don't recall the name.
It was built by some other organization other than the AMC.
Next was Valley Way campsite, down hill from Madison Hut.
Then Osgood campsite for a night.
Finished at the AMC center, the name escapes me, near Gorham.

Nauman tent site by Mitzpah
The Perch, (or if you go a little farther, the Gray Knob cabin or Crag Camp) which are RMC (Randolph Mt Club) facilities.
Valley way tent site.
Osgood campsite.
Pinkham Notch.

Nauman to the Perch is one long, hard day going NOBO, but that's the sequence of events one has to do for the Presidential traverse if you don't want to use the huts.

[rafe]

Nauman to Perch is the bugaboo for me. Could maybe do it on a perfect day, with a light pack and a very early start...

From Perch to Pinkham shouldn't be too hard for a day's hiking.

[rickb]

Hello all - A buddy and I are looking to do a 7-10 day trip in NH, as I have to be up there for a wedding. I'd ideally like to do the presidential range, or atleast Mt. Washington. Does anyone have any tips or is familiar with this area to give suggestions for a 7-10 day backpacking trip in that area? All info and recommendations help

You could always park at the base of Mt Washington and take the train or stage coach (a van) up to the summit and walk south. I am serious-- if the reception was any good you sure won't want to kill yourself on day one, right?

If you hike a decent pace you wil have time left by the time you reach Franconia notch (where there is an AMC shuttle, I think) so you keep moving until you reach Kinsman Notch, where you hitch to or get picked up by the owners of the Notch Hostel.

You then recuperate or take a bike into North Wodstock to drink and eat. You sign up at the hostel to be dropped off in Franconia Notch the next morning where the AMC shuttle arrives to take you back to your car.

When you post pitcures on your blog you use words like "summited Mount Washington" rather than climbed-- no one will be the wiser.

No hut stays are needed or recommended for this.

[nsherry61]

Geez. You guys make the Whites out to be a great scary beast of an area. Yeah, if you're used to hiking 20 miles per day out west, you will be doing 10-15 in the Whites. If you do 10 miles per day in most other places, you'll probably do 5-7 in the Whites. Yeah, it's very rugged, with endless rock hopping and a complete lack of switchbacks, so you are often climbing straight up washed out trails/stream beds. But, there are lots of beautiful areas and with a little creativity, planning, and not expecting high miles, the Whites are great!! Yes, camp sights along the ridge lines are often scarce, but they are plentiful off the ridge lines, and even along the ridges, they aren't non-existent, they just require some planning and/or "campsite" flexibility.

As for weather, in the summer, they're mountains. Storms can happen. Walking ridge lines in storms can be either fun or a bad idea depending on the situation. So, make sure you have planned out alternatives to ridge walks if a storm blows in. And, there are generally many, many ways down off most of the ridges in the Whites. It's a friggen spider web of trails in most places. And, in the summer, although storms do happen, they are not all that likely in any given week.

Discussing the dangers of the Whites to New Englanders is a lot like discussing the dangers of bears or rattle snakes to outdoor people in general. They just aren't as big an issue as many people make them out to be, especially if you walk in prepared with basic knowledge and behave with reasonable common sense.

[DLANOIE]

I didnt realize the huts prices were that high. Last time I went through there it was still under a hundred dollars a night. I have never stayed at any of the Huts myself. The food is good though.

[rafe]

I'm unfamiliar with the area. I don't think the huts are in my budget really. Did you use them or what did you do?

Get the AMC guide book, or at least the map set. Or get a detailed map that includes all of the White Mountains, not just the AT. You can easily piece together a blue blaze loop of almost any length that will lead you to the AT. There are dozens of trailheads on the Kancamagus Highway (Rte. 112) that lead into the Pemi Wilderness, and almost any of those can be followed up to the AT at some point.

Also consider some of the trails and peaks south of the Kanc. Very rugged, several shelters and camp opportunities, and awesome views looking south to Lake Winnipesaukee, or in any direction, really.

Staying mostly on the blue blazes has tons of advantages -- plenty of water, camping opportunities, no crowds, no overt AMC presence. Like hiking/camping ought to be.

The only real problem is the one that thru-hikers face: following the AT over long distances in the White Mountains. For sure, the AT has most of the best views -- miles of bare ridgeline with 360 degree views -- but following it like a thru-hiker is a logistically pain in the derriere.

[MuddyWaters]

Hello all - A buddy and I are looking to do a 7-10 day trip in NH, as I have to be up there for a wedding. I'd ideally like to do the presidential range, or atleast Mt. Washington. Does anyone have any tips or is familiar with this area to give suggestions for a 7-10 day backpacking trip in that area? All info and recommendations help

Bring a map!

The whites are criss crossed with dozens of trails. Maybe hundreds.

The White Mountains waterproof map by Steve Bushey is better than the AMC ones.

http://www.mapadventures.com/collect...roof-trail-map

Also available on amazon.com.

Most people do 2/3 - 3/4 of normal mileage. Half is a bit low to assume, but is conservative for planning. People that overestimate their capability, and underestimate weather, get into trouble....or worse.

[hikernutcasey]

My buddy and I did the Whites (Franconia to Pinkham) last August. I had asked a lot of questions and received a lot of good advice from folks on the forum. Take from it what you will but here is my trip report:

I thought I would share some thoughts about my trip now that I have returned. First of all, I just want to say that no matter what you think you know about the Whites, until you hike them you have no idea. I did my homework and still came away astonished at the difficulty of the hiking up there. It's just punishing. To all of you who gave me advice about the daily mileages I appreciate it. The trip went great and even though the days were long the mileage we did each day worked out great. Here is a summary of the trip:

Day 1: Franconia Notch to Garfield campsite: Yes, we made the campsite on the first day! It was not easy and was probably one of the most physically demanding days I've ever had on the trail. It was sunny and warm and the views were spectacular. We made it to Garfield by 6:00 in the evening and were beat. An unbelievable first day in the Whites to kick things off.

Day 2: Garfield campsite to Ethan pond: at 14 miles this was our longest day but it was doable due to the stretch from Zealand Hut over to the pond. It was still a very long day and the climb up south twin was steep! Again it was hot but sunny and more views to be had.

Day 3: Ethan pond to Naumen campsite: We sent ourselves a food re-supply to the Wiley house in Crawford Notch so this added 2 miles of road walking to this day. Again it was really hot this day and the climb up to Webster almost killed us with heavier packs from the re-supply and having to carry plenty of water. Especially the stretch from Webster cliffs over to the peak was brutal. You are exposed and it was 80+ degrees having to climb up all those rock faces right before the top. That was really, really tough.

Day 4: Nauman to the Perch: We got up at 5:00 and were out by 6:00 and got to hike towards the sunrise towards Washington up the southern Presidentials. This was my favorite part of the hike. It was really clear out and the wind was completely still. I have to imagine this was one in a hundred type of day. On top of Washington when we arrived it was 62 degrees and the wind was blowing 3 mph. Unreal. The afternoon walk over to the Perch was just as spectacular. Views of the Northern Prezis were magnificent. It was a long difficult day but again, doable.

Day 5: Perch to Osgood: Since we made Garfield on the first day we had kind of a buffer day to play with but since the weather was so good every day we really didn't need it. So instead we just relaxed and took it easy. I left my pack with my buddy and summited Mt. Adams and we hung out at Madison hut for a couple hours just eating baked goods and relaxing. The trip up Madison was our first run in with any kind of weather. The clouds had rolled in and coming off the other side all the way to treeline the wind was howling. It was easily blowing 30+ with much higher gusts. It was hard to walk in but since the temps were so mild it didn't even really feel cold.

Day 6: Osgood to Pinkham Notch: The other half of the buffer day allowed us to get to our reservations we had at Joe Dodge Lodge. Again an easy, lazy day. We got the lodge before the only rain of the trip hit so that was good. Food, shower and a bed to sleep on and we were good to go for the rest of the trip.

Day 7: Pinkham to Zeta Pass: We couldn't make it to Imp. It was just too far for us. We stealthed near Zeta with a couple thru hikers, one of whose trail journal I had been following (Airlock) so that was really cool. Again, great weather and the views from Wildcat and Mt. Height were awesome!

Day 8: Zeta Pass to Gorham: Great weather again, and the views were starting to deteriorate as rain was forecast for the evening but we did get some good ones first thing in the morning. At this point we were tired and just ready to get to White Mountain hostel.

So an unbelievable 8 days of hiking in the Whites without getting rained on at all and we got pretty much every single view you could ask for. It could not have worked out any better. It was truly the trip of a lifetime for us. Thanks again for all the advice and help in planning on this thread and the others I posted over the previous few months.