camping in northern presi's

[the starchild]

i am trying to plan a 3 or 4 day trip in the N. presi's for a buddy and I. he wants to keep the days on the easier side. We both really wanna tramp around this area though. We are heading up the weekend after labor day to hopefully get great weather and less people.

i was thinking of hiking to the perch via isreal ridge for the first night and then over to valley way campsite for a ngt or two and do lots of packless exploring in that area, subway, ice caves, star lake etc. Any other suggestions? i just got a copy of the new RMC guide and started flipping through it a few days ago.

The small number of platforms at Valley Way (2) worries me. How hard is it finding legal camping in that area if the site is full? It seems like this shouldn't be a problem from the map, but i have never been to this area of the whites before.

thanks in advance!

 

[David Metsky]

If you are not planning on staying at Valley Way on a Saturday night you should be fine. It's not real easy to find a good and legal place to pitch a tent up there but it is possible. The more you drop in elevation the better. Gray Knob and Crag Camp are also great spots, although you can't tent there.

-dave-

 

[Brownie]

The Perch

The Perch is the highest legal designated camp platform in the Whites.
Not quite an easy climb to get to either, by any direction, but worth every effort!
My favorite.
I have stayed at the perch for as much as a week once, best base camp I have ever had in the Prezzies, considering the views.
From there you can just about get to all your other destinations including Mt Washington, if your so inclined.
The water resource is also second to none in the Whites, but I would still pump-purify it these days.

If you are planning to explore the Ice Caves and Subway, then it would probably make more sense to camp over to Valley platforms, but you will be required to climb and descend the Chemin'De Dames, a steep & gravely difficult trail by any standard.
You would better be suited to explore the higher peaks from either basecamp platform site instead of going down into the ravine.
Trying to find a legal and useful camp other than these 2 tent site locations is quite difficult on the north side of this range region.

If you are looking for another alternative to base camping, consider the Great Gulf region as there are a ton of places to camp as designated sites and many more options to pick your own site on level ground as well.
No need to wait for weekend after Labor day either.

Jeff

 

[Quietman]

When I basecamped in this area, I camped off the Amphibranch trail a little ways north of the Amphibranch-King Ravine Trail-Randolph Path Junction. I remember it being easy to find level spots over 200' from the trail. This is not as high in elvation as some of the previously mentioned spots, but its location near the trail juction allows numerous loop hike options.
Sometime in the near future I'm going to do this again with one of my sons and do the King Ravine/Great Gully/Spur loop as the Gully trail is one that I've neglected in my previous trips.

Have fun!