BIGEarl
Well-known member
August 31, 2013: Pemi Loop – CCW Dayhike
Trails: Wilderness Trail, Bondcliff Trail (end-to-end), Twinway, Garfield Ridge Trail (end-to-end), Franconia Ridge Trail (end-to-end), and Osseo Trail
Summits: Bondcliff, Bond, Guyot, S. Twin, Garfield, Lafayette, Truman, Lincoln, Little Haystack, Liberty, Flume
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
I believe the first time I heard of a Pemi Loop was a few years ago while traveling from a hike with Sue and Fitz. I don’t recall where we hiked that day but I remember Fitz was driving and he mentioned the Backpacker Magazine article. He already knew Sue and I had a preference for long, multi-peak hikes and told us about the article. I believe my response at the time was “that sounds like a good list”. That’s when it started; if you want to point a finger in any direction, it was Fitz. Fitz can also take credit for moving me from cardiac rehab streetwalking to mountain hiking; Fitz is my PCP. I dug into my Pemi Loop due diligence to learn more about the hike.
For the past few years Sue and I have been interested in doing this hike. Unfortunately, the scheduling didn’t work out on the first year due to other “big” hikes on the list and in subsequent years I was experiencing significant problems with foot pain that would have prevented me from finishing such an effort. Knowing there’s a high probability of not being able to finish, I won’t start. This year I focused on finding a solution to the foot pain roadblock and it seems that I had success. Sue and I seriously discussed this hike again multiple times, recently we decided the date, and started into the plan.
For me, the plan started a couple weeks ahead of the actual hike and focused on mental preparation. Like most previous big hikes, I expected to finish this hike on mental strength (aka - stubbornness and determination) because my physical capabilities were long gone. We both made some adjustments to our trail food selections and/or amount.
Late on Friday we met for the drive to Lincoln Woods. Our plan was to get started early, and go for it. We arrived at Lincoln Woods on plan, took care of our final hike prep, and started walking. Lincoln Woods is a pretty quiet place in the middle of the night. On our way out of the trailhead area we both got a few pictures but the cameras generally stayed packed in their cases until daylight arrived, several hours later.
Headlight hiking is fun; the world shrinks to the size of the headlight beam but there are noises. The source can usually not be seen, but there are still noises. Just hike and don’t worry – there’s nothing in the woods at night that wasn’t there during the day; except maybe for an occasional hiker or two on a crazy hike plan.
We completed the initial warm-up on Wilderness Trail to Bondcliff Trail without more than one or two “necessary” stops and made the turn. We made pretty good time to the trail junction and weren’t trying to force anything. I think we both realized we needed to be careful with available energy – it was going to be a very long day.
The mud pits on lower Bondcliff Trail are worse than the last time we were there only a few weeks earlier but we were able to make our way through with clean and dry boots. After the pits the trail starts the climb to Bondcliff. Roughly halfway between wilderness Trail and the upper crossing of Black Brook it happened. We were hit with trailside noises like I’ve never heard before. It was loud, aggressive, and seemed like we were to be attacked at any moment. I simply told myself it was someone’s noisy lapdog – what other kind is there? Thirty or forty yards later everything was again quiet and we were back to enjoying our wilderness experience. From the lapdog to the scramble below the summit we hiked in quiet darkness.
As we reached the treeline my headlight batteries were running down and the unit signaled with some flashing. I adjusted to a lower intensity level and was able to avoid pulling out my second light. Above the trees, hiking in cloudy conditions with poor lighting, the trail is a little less obvious. Two sets of eyes were able to do the job and we made our way to the summit, got a few pictures, and continued our trek. We could see the photo pedestal at Bondcliff but there was no point to waste any time there; neither of us had the equipment or experience to get really good pictures in those conditions.
Dawn was breaking but sunrise was still a while off. I expected to be on Bond when sunrise arrived but it wouldn’t matter due to the overcast conditions. We worked our way along Bondcliff trail north and the endless rocks started to occupy my thoughts. I recalled one of the points mentioned in the Backpacker article was “long stretches of abusively rocky trail”; yeah, it’s in there. A lot of this hike is mental along with the physical. Eventually I was able to shift my focus to the sections of trail that were more friendly and mental life got better; suddenly the rocky sections were only rocky sections – no big deal.
We cleared Bond in clouds getting glimpses to Franconia Ridge and Mount Flume (our final peak); and then looking north over Guyot to S. Twin (our next peaks). We had some walking to do and couldn’t afford the luxury of standing around to enjoy the sights. When we passed over the summit of Guyot we were enjoying bright sunshine, broken clouds, large patches of blue sky, and terrific views. Of course, we grabbed a few pictures but stayed with our plan. Soon we would reach the north end of Bondcliff Trail and change to Twinway.
The section of Twinway leading over S. Twin and down to Garfield Ridge Trail cost us some time. It is a very wet, very muddy area. The rocks were unpredictably slippery. We slowed our pace to avoid problems. As we were hiking toward S. Twin we crossed paths with our first of many hikers and runners for the day; occasionally we stopped for a brief visit but most often it was a friendly greeting and keep walking. By the time we hit S. Twin the sun was gone, overcast conditions returned, and views were limited. A couple quick pictures and we were on our way down to Garfield Ridge Trail.
Descending from S. Twin on wet rocks isn’t too difficult, just be careful with foot placement. We both managed to make the trip without any problems along the way. We had a lot of company on this section of trail. Everybody that stayed at the hut on Friday night must have decided to head for S. Twin at about the same time. It seemed like we passed several distinct groups. We reached Garfield Ridge Trail and headed to the hut for our first planned water stop. While we were there I also made a quart of Gatorade, drank it and had some food. Sue pulled out a surprise treat – peanut butter squares! Lots of chocolate, lots of peanut butter, lots of energy, really good! We avoided temptation, packed our things, and took off.
Next up was an east-west hike of the Garfield Ridge Trail. The expected tests were climbing Garfield and then Lafayette. The trail is only a little over 6.5 miles, but it’s a rough 6.5 miles. There are lots of PUDs, mud, slick rocks, and much more. Sue and I have hiked this trail a number of times and knew what to expect. In this case, experience saved us from the demoralizing effect the trail has to offer. Yeah, it’s a tough trail but there are many tough trails in The Whites, each with its own character; Garfield Ridge Trail has character. On the way across the ridge we made our second and final planned water stop at the Garfield Ridge Trail tent site spring. I can’t go past that spring without making a stop for at least a quick drink – that’s really good water. While we were there we met some through hikers; Sue shared her ace bandage, and treats (including the remaining peanut butter squares). She could have at least done this when I wasn’t looking. The others were very appreciative of everything.
After a couple minutes on Garfield we were headed to climb Lafayette. Along the way we bumped into another pair of hikers on a similar plan for the day in the opposite direction. They had their sights set on Galehead Hut for water and a break. We continued west and now up on Garfield Ridge Trail climbing Lafayette to the junction with Franconia Ridge Trail. It was starting to feel really good; when we hit the trail junction we would be at the top of our hike with more downhill ahead of us than anything else. There would also certainly be some pretty good cell coverage there and I could send off the promised hike update to my Base camp. Below the treeline we met a group of backpackers on a similar route plan as ours but they were expecting it to be a three-day trip, not a dayhike. Later, Sue and I discussed it and decided if you’re going to hike a Pemi Loop it needs to be a continuous hike, otherwise it’s just backpacking in the mountains.
Continued.......
Trails: Wilderness Trail, Bondcliff Trail (end-to-end), Twinway, Garfield Ridge Trail (end-to-end), Franconia Ridge Trail (end-to-end), and Osseo Trail
Summits: Bondcliff, Bond, Guyot, S. Twin, Garfield, Lafayette, Truman, Lincoln, Little Haystack, Liberty, Flume
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
I believe the first time I heard of a Pemi Loop was a few years ago while traveling from a hike with Sue and Fitz. I don’t recall where we hiked that day but I remember Fitz was driving and he mentioned the Backpacker Magazine article. He already knew Sue and I had a preference for long, multi-peak hikes and told us about the article. I believe my response at the time was “that sounds like a good list”. That’s when it started; if you want to point a finger in any direction, it was Fitz. Fitz can also take credit for moving me from cardiac rehab streetwalking to mountain hiking; Fitz is my PCP. I dug into my Pemi Loop due diligence to learn more about the hike.
For the past few years Sue and I have been interested in doing this hike. Unfortunately, the scheduling didn’t work out on the first year due to other “big” hikes on the list and in subsequent years I was experiencing significant problems with foot pain that would have prevented me from finishing such an effort. Knowing there’s a high probability of not being able to finish, I won’t start. This year I focused on finding a solution to the foot pain roadblock and it seems that I had success. Sue and I seriously discussed this hike again multiple times, recently we decided the date, and started into the plan.
For me, the plan started a couple weeks ahead of the actual hike and focused on mental preparation. Like most previous big hikes, I expected to finish this hike on mental strength (aka - stubbornness and determination) because my physical capabilities were long gone. We both made some adjustments to our trail food selections and/or amount.
Late on Friday we met for the drive to Lincoln Woods. Our plan was to get started early, and go for it. We arrived at Lincoln Woods on plan, took care of our final hike prep, and started walking. Lincoln Woods is a pretty quiet place in the middle of the night. On our way out of the trailhead area we both got a few pictures but the cameras generally stayed packed in their cases until daylight arrived, several hours later.
Headlight hiking is fun; the world shrinks to the size of the headlight beam but there are noises. The source can usually not be seen, but there are still noises. Just hike and don’t worry – there’s nothing in the woods at night that wasn’t there during the day; except maybe for an occasional hiker or two on a crazy hike plan.
We completed the initial warm-up on Wilderness Trail to Bondcliff Trail without more than one or two “necessary” stops and made the turn. We made pretty good time to the trail junction and weren’t trying to force anything. I think we both realized we needed to be careful with available energy – it was going to be a very long day.
The mud pits on lower Bondcliff Trail are worse than the last time we were there only a few weeks earlier but we were able to make our way through with clean and dry boots. After the pits the trail starts the climb to Bondcliff. Roughly halfway between wilderness Trail and the upper crossing of Black Brook it happened. We were hit with trailside noises like I’ve never heard before. It was loud, aggressive, and seemed like we were to be attacked at any moment. I simply told myself it was someone’s noisy lapdog – what other kind is there? Thirty or forty yards later everything was again quiet and we were back to enjoying our wilderness experience. From the lapdog to the scramble below the summit we hiked in quiet darkness.
As we reached the treeline my headlight batteries were running down and the unit signaled with some flashing. I adjusted to a lower intensity level and was able to avoid pulling out my second light. Above the trees, hiking in cloudy conditions with poor lighting, the trail is a little less obvious. Two sets of eyes were able to do the job and we made our way to the summit, got a few pictures, and continued our trek. We could see the photo pedestal at Bondcliff but there was no point to waste any time there; neither of us had the equipment or experience to get really good pictures in those conditions.
Dawn was breaking but sunrise was still a while off. I expected to be on Bond when sunrise arrived but it wouldn’t matter due to the overcast conditions. We worked our way along Bondcliff trail north and the endless rocks started to occupy my thoughts. I recalled one of the points mentioned in the Backpacker article was “long stretches of abusively rocky trail”; yeah, it’s in there. A lot of this hike is mental along with the physical. Eventually I was able to shift my focus to the sections of trail that were more friendly and mental life got better; suddenly the rocky sections were only rocky sections – no big deal.
We cleared Bond in clouds getting glimpses to Franconia Ridge and Mount Flume (our final peak); and then looking north over Guyot to S. Twin (our next peaks). We had some walking to do and couldn’t afford the luxury of standing around to enjoy the sights. When we passed over the summit of Guyot we were enjoying bright sunshine, broken clouds, large patches of blue sky, and terrific views. Of course, we grabbed a few pictures but stayed with our plan. Soon we would reach the north end of Bondcliff Trail and change to Twinway.
The section of Twinway leading over S. Twin and down to Garfield Ridge Trail cost us some time. It is a very wet, very muddy area. The rocks were unpredictably slippery. We slowed our pace to avoid problems. As we were hiking toward S. Twin we crossed paths with our first of many hikers and runners for the day; occasionally we stopped for a brief visit but most often it was a friendly greeting and keep walking. By the time we hit S. Twin the sun was gone, overcast conditions returned, and views were limited. A couple quick pictures and we were on our way down to Garfield Ridge Trail.
Descending from S. Twin on wet rocks isn’t too difficult, just be careful with foot placement. We both managed to make the trip without any problems along the way. We had a lot of company on this section of trail. Everybody that stayed at the hut on Friday night must have decided to head for S. Twin at about the same time. It seemed like we passed several distinct groups. We reached Garfield Ridge Trail and headed to the hut for our first planned water stop. While we were there I also made a quart of Gatorade, drank it and had some food. Sue pulled out a surprise treat – peanut butter squares! Lots of chocolate, lots of peanut butter, lots of energy, really good! We avoided temptation, packed our things, and took off.
Next up was an east-west hike of the Garfield Ridge Trail. The expected tests were climbing Garfield and then Lafayette. The trail is only a little over 6.5 miles, but it’s a rough 6.5 miles. There are lots of PUDs, mud, slick rocks, and much more. Sue and I have hiked this trail a number of times and knew what to expect. In this case, experience saved us from the demoralizing effect the trail has to offer. Yeah, it’s a tough trail but there are many tough trails in The Whites, each with its own character; Garfield Ridge Trail has character. On the way across the ridge we made our second and final planned water stop at the Garfield Ridge Trail tent site spring. I can’t go past that spring without making a stop for at least a quick drink – that’s really good water. While we were there we met some through hikers; Sue shared her ace bandage, and treats (including the remaining peanut butter squares). She could have at least done this when I wasn’t looking. The others were very appreciative of everything.
After a couple minutes on Garfield we were headed to climb Lafayette. Along the way we bumped into another pair of hikers on a similar plan for the day in the opposite direction. They had their sights set on Galehead Hut for water and a break. We continued west and now up on Garfield Ridge Trail climbing Lafayette to the junction with Franconia Ridge Trail. It was starting to feel really good; when we hit the trail junction we would be at the top of our hike with more downhill ahead of us than anything else. There would also certainly be some pretty good cell coverage there and I could send off the promised hike update to my Base camp. Below the treeline we met a group of backpackers on a similar route plan as ours but they were expecting it to be a three-day trip, not a dayhike. Later, Sue and I discussed it and decided if you’re going to hike a Pemi Loop it needs to be a continuous hike, otherwise it’s just backpacking in the mountains.
Continued.......
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