Help Me Finish My 48

[zman]

I seem to have a habit of not finishing things (like house repairs & yard work) when I get close to the end. I have been stuck since November at 4 of the 48 left to go. Since then I have summitted at least six or seven 4k’s, of course none of the 4 I need.

My remaining 4ks are Middle Tripyramid, Bondcliff (missed these 2 due to laziness, bad weather, poor planning) Isolation, and Cabot. Now I’m ready to finish (me thinks) and trying to figure out the best way to group Tri, Iso and Bondcliff into a reasonable 4 day 3 night trip in July- Any creative ideas without spotting a car? with spotting a car? using the AMC shuttle?
Also, anyone done the Iso bushwack in summer? Pros and cons?

Planning on saving Cabot for last so I can drag my family and friends along to celebrate.

 

[sapblatt]

Without getting super exotic, you really have four isolated peaks that would really require four separate starting points. I suppose you could get crazy and try to do Middle Try and Bondcliff on one trip, but that would be excessive.
Bondcliff, Iso and Cabot are about as far apart and as long as you could do...as you know, boncliff and Iso are two of the longer (although not too difficult in good conditions) 4ks out there.
FYI - Cabot - I highly recommend coming down to it from the North via Unkown Pond - beautiful woods - a great day hike!
Good luck and have fun - and it gets better after 48!

 

[RoySwkr]

Also, anyone done the Iso bushwack in summer? Pros and cons?

I have done the bushwhack from the shelter to the col S of Isolation in summer. It is much shorter than the trail and very hard to get lost, but you will get more branches in your face.

As for your 3 peaks, there was a crazy woman who was a Navy doc who carried backpack gear on most all the summer 4k even though she often hiked from multiple trailheads in a day. That way she could camp whenever she felt like it and didn't worry about how long each hike would take - not that they took her that long, she did the whole AT in CT in a day. You could do the same.

 

[McRat]

Unless the weather is ridiculous, I may be doing the Tripyramids Saturday via Scaur ridge.

You're welcome to come along. PM if interested.

 

[Mike P.]

What's your planned approach for Cabot? The shorter approach on the Mt. Cabot Trail is closed. It makes for a nice overnight at Unknown Pond but the best view in the area is on 3,905 Ft. Horn.

A trail runner might be able to do Bondcliff & Middle Tri as they have long flat/less than moderate approaches for a bit before the climbing starts.

The footing for Isolation from Route 16 is pretty good accept for where you begin do descend the side of Engine Hill before reaching the river/brook. after that the footing is good so IMO bushwhacking to save a little distance is likely going to add time route finding you don't need because the trail is pretty easy, just longer.

my .02 I'd look at Middle Tri or Isolation for 48 mileage on these not as hard as you might expect based just on distance.

 

[Nate]

Actually, when bushwhacking from the Rocky Branch Shelter #2 over to the Davis Path, how dense are the woods in there? Particularly if Davis is the destination, is it better to make a beeline to the summit, or is the going much easier in the cols that border it?

 

[Paradox]

I advise you to put yourself in a different mindset. I found myself in a similar situation. Lots of scattered peaks with say not doing E. Osceola when I was standing on Osceola about 8 years ago. I came to the realization that I do this for fun. Treat your S.O. with tact and style and you will get out of more yardwork and honeydo stuff. You will get to do what you want for four weekends rather than just one or two.

 

[deanmacg]

Spread them out and savor each!

 

[Lizzy]

I agree. Enjoy each one as its own experience. I am still working on my 48, and I will continue to go to favorite mountains, trails, and ponds over & over again and share with friends the great places I've already been to, in favor of marching up a viewless peak because I haven't put a check mark next to it yet. To me, that's more fun than achieving some arbitrary goal.

 

[Eric Savage]

Do the Horn

I've been very happy with the loop over Cabot, Bulge and Horn from the Berlin Fish Hatchery. If you're doing Cabot, you might as well do the Horn; the views are so much better and it doesn't add a lot of miles or elevation gain; you can check out Unknown Pond, too. Also, if you ever move on to the New England 100 Highest, you'll be two peaks ahead. Just be careful on the Bunnell Notch Trail - it can be very muddy, interrupted by logging and possibly relocated in some places.

 

[LivesToHike]

Enjoy the ride!

I'll echo the same advice - Enjoy and savour your last few peaks.

Like some other friends, I went on the 17-20 year plan for the 48 NH 4K'ers. My last three peaks were Waumbek, Cabot and Isolation. I think it took me 2-3 years to finish these, as I had committments at home to honor, and friends who clamoured to climb peaks I'd already gone on - it was/is fun to hike on familiar ground and see sights I may have missed due to time constraints, bad weather, etc. Isolation took me 2 years to finish - I found the West-to-East route with the Dry River not being so dry in late Spring... ...I was by myself so I was extra cautious about stream crossings; it slowed me down and I turned around about 2 miles later when I ran out of time. It was even better 2 years later on a very memorable late June group hike from Rocky Branch when the weather was pristine.

If you need more folks on a Bond hike, let me know. I haven't been up that way in while. The closest I've been recently was at Guyot platform site 2 years ago on an overnight with my brothers, but we never made it over to West Bond, etc, owing to our own schedule and plan for that day.

Enjoy!

---LTH

 

[jmegillon149]

hmm, four day trip, this is interesting because we talekd at a gathering this weekend of stringing maximum 4kers into one continuous, carless trip, which would be cool, and I think, cooler than those car spot heavy weeklong speed peak bagging events

I would say the best way is
1. do the tripyramids, roadwalk the kanc over to lincoln woods, camp at theat sits not too far off the wilderness trail
2. up over bondcliff, the other two bonds, over zealand, stay at zealand
3. hike into crawford notch take the crawford path over to mitzpah, stay there
4. hike up and over isolation.

its a lot of miles/day, but an awesome trip, maybe 5 days would be more reasonable, eather way, youll get the 3 targets, plus several other great peaks along the way, have fun!!

 

[RoySwkr]

Actually, when bushwhacking from the Rocky Branch Shelter #2 over to the Davis Path, how dense are the woods in there?

Not too bad, a lot of birch

Particularly if Davis is the destination, is it better to make a beeline to the summit, or is the going much easier in the cols that border it?

I've never been up Davis this way, in fact I apparently have never been
up it at all now that I see the spur trail stops at the S peak. Note that
the USGS 7.5' map is total hokum as to the location of the Davis Path
near here but the footway is obvious in summer.