Unexpected Columbus-Day Pass

[--M.]

Hi.

Miraculously, I have been given a four-day pass for Columbus Day weekend, Thursday evening to Monday afternoon. Shocking, it's true. The family can't come with, so I'm free and solo. I still don't really believe it.

Now, how to spend it?

Having done the heavy-pack thing this summer, I'm now looking for good options for base-camp day-hikes. Parameters include:

• Car-camping base. For example, I've enjoyed the Wild River Campground for this. Solves lots of weight problems. BBQ, not freeze-dry.
• Crowd Control: Which areas won't be entirely over-run on such a popular weekend? It's too crowded when I feel like I'm at an amusement park ride waiting in line. "Ooh, Mommy, when do we get to ride the Franconia Ridge?!"
• Interesting new hikes: "new" excludes: Presis, Franconias, Pemi-AT, & Carter/Moriah/Imp. Maybe Carrigain? Sandwich Range? Caribou-Speckled? western AT? What's yer favorite?
• Fishing..., maybe. In MA, there's been a drought. Is the Pemi too low? Are there good hikes with fishing still viable? Angling is often mutually exclusive with peaks, and good flows are required. Any help, here?

All of these seem to point to driving in the Sawyer River Road and doing Carrigain & surroundings. But I've never done that, so maybe you can't park all the way at the end, or maybe the road won't be open with the recent work. Or maybe it's the single-most visited area on that one particular weekend. See?

I know many would counsel "just doing it," and in the end I will, but this seems a perfect use for this site, so...

So I invite you, please help a hiker find that right spot just far away enough from downtown North Conway!

Best,

--M.

 

[John S]

Hard to guaranty total ‘crowd control’ on that weekend. However, if you liked the Wild River area, try nearby Basin or Cold River campgrounds for a base. You could do the Royces on the drive-up day, then loops over Meader and the Baldfaces (half-mile road walk) and Speckled and Blueberry Mountains on the next two days. Also, the Old Speck trailhead in Grafton Notch is less than an hour from there.

If you have transportation options, almost any stretch of the At or LT that isn’t close to popular summits would be great. Check out the LT north from Rt. 4 to Lincoln Gap or above Smuggler’s Notch. Closer to home is the Monadnock-Sunapee Greeenway, an easy four-day trip.

 

[--M.]

Hey, thanks, John S. Yeah, the whole area over there looks really good.

As I'm going solo, a car-drop isn't an option, so LT-walking is out for this time.

Can anyone comment on the drought situation up there? It's mighty dry down here.

Thanks again,

--M.