Halloween Hike

[ChacoTaco]

Hello all, Im Chaco Taco. Just moved to New Hampshire in Feb 11 from NC. Been exploring The Whites a bit and am looking at a 4 day hike Halloween Weekend. Id like to try and go Carrigan, Hale and Hancock but am trying to figure out a proper loop. Anyone got any good suggestions? Im just stuck with the whole camping part. I have a guidebook for The Whites and am trying to stay within the parameters of the camping guidelines. I have 3 nights and 4 full days. It will take about 1.5 hours to drive and I plan on being able to get a full day of walking on day 1. Im in solid hiking shape. Anyway, Im glad to be on this website and thank those responsible for getting me here. I hope to meet some of you folks out on the trail.

Heading out now to go up and play on Franconia Ridge for the first time since my Thruhike in 2008. Woop Woop!

 

[Red Oak]

Hi Chaco, I would do North Hancock first,then south Hancock.After that you got two less used trails[cedar brk. tr. or Hancock notch tr.] to get you to Carrigain.I personally believe Hale after Carrigain might be tricky right now.The bridge status across the Pemi river needs to be explored.Somehow maybe you could eventually get to Zealand hut which is open all year on your way to Hale.Another option that might be fun is to head towards Crawford notch after the Hancocks and tag Willey,Field and Tom.Both options involve going north on Shoal pond trail from Stillwater junction.Shoal pond trail is crazy remote I hear,sounds like fun no matter how you do this.Some of these trails deep in the Pemi wilderness might still have numerous blowdowns from Irene.Welcome to the upper Apps.

 

[ChacoTaco]

I have done a few trails in the Pemi since Irene and have spoken with teh AMC and besides a few wash outs in places, things are good. I love the Pemi Wilderness. Quickly becoming one of my favorite places in NH. I have only been up here since Feb, transplant from Asheville,NC. I just got back from doing 14.2 over franconia and bridle path. I love New Hampshire.

Thanks for the welcome Red Oak. Glad to finally be on this site. Seems like some great people here

 

[Raven]

Welcome to VFTT Chaco-Taco.

Here's a thought, although not a loop, but maybe an interesting way to do this. Hale is relatively far from the other two but the terrain is not bad.

Day 1:
Consider starting on the Hancock Notch Trail with your full pack. Take Cedar Brook and Hancock Loop Trails to the base of the moutain. These are easy miles to this point, so good with heavy pack. Drop weight and do the hancock loop. After this, take Cedar Brook NW for a few miles looking for a campsite along the brook. This puts you in the 10+ mile range. You could also continue on to the Wilderness Trail junction and camp nearby if you had the legs for more like 13 miles.

Day 2:
Continue on day two on the Wilderness Trail east to Stillwater Junction. You can find plenty of places to camp around there. I'd set up camp then leave with a light pack up the Desolation Trail to Carrigain and back (steep in upper section - great trail). Camp.

Day 3: Leave camp set up and do a long day hike up to Hale from here along Shoal Pond, Ethan Pond and Lend-A-Hand Trails. Hike back to camp already set up by backtracking. This is about a 20 mile day. Terrain is not bad, and you've probably had your share of 20 milers if you thru-hiked.

Day 4: Hike out from Stillwater Junction, maybe 12 miles.

Things to consider: trail conditions may be rough, water crossings may be tough. But, you wouldn't be carrying most of your weight up any of the summits and can camp in the same spot 2/3 nights.

I've done something similar to this but camped closer to the Desolation Trail. That was an April backpack so the water was very high at the crossings and required shimmying across a very large downed tree in one case. They were manageable, not easy. I did not do a 20 mile day in there though.

Look around the resources posted on this forum for trail conditions of some of these trails to find out what you can about damage from Irene and water crossings.

Whether you use any of these ideas or not, have a great hike. Late October can make for very cold nights in the Whites. Take care.

 

[TDawg]

Welcome to the board. Like the name, one of my favs off the ice cream truck.

Tough figuring a good loop for those summits, especially with Sawyer River Road closed to traffic.

Maybe create "lollipop" loop with a few out and backs, starting and ending at the hairpin on the Kanc. Here goes: Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook, Hancock Loop for N & S peaks, back to Cedar Brook, Wilderness, up and down Desolation to Carrigain, Shoal Pond, Ethan Pond (AT) to Lend-A-Hand out and back for Hale, back to TFT on Ethan Pond, TFT south, Wilderness, Cedar Brook, Hancock Notch to the car. No idea of the mileage, looks big.

From my understanding the bridge over the East Branch on Thoreau Falls trail is intact aside from the stairs leading up to it, not a huge problem. Word is that Thoreau Falls trail itself sustained major damage from Irene, many parts are right next to the North Fork. The crossing above Thoreau Falls, at the northern end of the trail, is dangerous in even moderate water levels. You can avoid it, if needed, by bushwhacking about .25 up the North Fork to the AT (Ethan Pond Tr) where there it a bridge. Or the opposite of coming north to south at this point. The crossing on Shoal Pond trail is unbridged at the Pemi East Branch and could be tough in high water I hear, but I've never crossed there.

Looks like a fun trip, hope it works out how you want. Enjoy Carrigain, arguably the best view in the Whites.

Plenty of flat ground around Stillwater junction for a camp. If interested in a couple other campsites, PM me.

Edit: Looks like Raven beat me to it while I was typing, pretty similar route. Great minds think alike, they say. I like Raven's idea of leaving your camp set up at Stillwater.

 

[ChacoTaco]

Thanks, I just got my Mahoosucs Map in and have been toying with a NH hike and a Maine hike for that weekend. My car would never make it up Success Pond Road so Im stuck there.

Yea I was on Franconia today and it was really friggin cold. The winds were pushing 50 with 70 gusts. The Bridle Path is a really sweet trail. I went in at Liberty Springs, over the ridge back down to Greenleaf, Old Bridle and then the Pemi trail. It was a haul but fun. Heading for a hike in Vermont after The Gathering on Sunday. Taking my maps with me with you guys route marked on it so I can get additional info. You guys rock. Thanks again.

I do like the idea of leaving my camp to do the big miles.

 

[peakbagger]

"Frigging Cold" is relative term . You may want to up your gear carried until your blood gets thicker.

Lincoln woods parking lot to Cedar Brook trail, camp near height of land. Next day slackpack Hancocks, then short back backpack to Hancock Notch trail camp near end of Sawyer Brook Road or off Signal ridge trail. Next day up and over Carrigan as a slack returning via carrigna notch back to priro nights campsite. Last day hike out Sawyer River trail and hitch back to lincoln Woods.

Save Hale for a "hangover" hike. It can be done via the trail in 4 or 5 hours max or via the abanonded fire wardens trail in about the same time. Its great for a SUnday hike when you need to be back home early.

 

[Raymond]

Water levels are pretty high right now for some reason. It took me a while to get across some of the streams on the Signal Ridge Trail yesterday, particularly the first one along the trail proper and the one just after the split. And don’t forget that Sawyer River Road is closed, probably forever, unless there’s logging to be done up there or that house is anything important.

 

[peakbagger]

It was rumored long ago that the reason the road wasnt fixed quickly when it washed out the last time was to try to "smoke out" the owner of the inholding as the FS has been trying to buy it for years. There is a lot of timber up in the area and it was "zoned" for timber production so I wouldnt be surprised if its fixed in a couple of years.

 

[MichaelJ]

It's an active snowmobile route, too, isn't it? And a valuable asset in case of forest fire. It'll get rebuilt eventually, I would imagine.

 

[una_dogger]

After Carrigain take Desolation to Shoal Pond Tr (many excellent places to tent) to Ethan Pond to Thoreau Falls to AT to Zealand Tr to Lend a Hand to Hale, double back to TF and Lincoln Woods or continue up over Zealand and Bonds --- that would be the way I would go.

Not sure of Shoal Pond Tr conditions post Irene but it's an easy pleasant walk with a couple water crossing (of which only one could be a bit tricky in High Water).

All depends on your hiking speed and how many miles you like to cover in a day but there is alot of easy walking in the routes outlined in the thread here.

Happy Trails and welcome to New England and VFTT

 

[una_dogger]

I mean, what TDawg said.

 

[una_dogger]

My car would never make it up Success Pond Road so Im stuck there.

.

My Mini Cooper handled SPR just fine.

 

[ChacoTaco]

My Mini Cooper handled SPR just fine.

Hmm, thats got me thinking. I am going to just figure out something when it gets closer. We just hikedin Southern Vermont and it was amazing. I had done it in 08 on my thru, but it rained sooo much. After being there, its got me thinking about Vermont too. I have enjoyed reading the stuff you have posted and am looking at all possibilities.

Did see someone wearing a VFTT tshirt today in Vermont.