White Mountain Hut Traverse in 12 Pictures - August 6, 2011

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

She visited 4 new trails on this journey (tho she hasn't started filling out The Red Lining spreadsheet just yet); Parapet Trail, which she found does not live up to it's poor reputation - Gulfside Trail section that by-passes Jefferson, lovely - Crawford Path section that by-passes Eisenhower, nice - Mizpah Cut-Off - A-Z trail section from Tom/Field col to the Zealand trail..

What, you skipped some summits? Red lining rules over the Grid?

Tho I have been warned that I am too old - would probably hurt myself - and shouldn't dream of keeping up with the Kid, I accepted the invitation to join her on this trek, as we had been tossing it around for 2 years already.

Was this H2H your first since near completion with "the old grey mare" a few years ago?

There seems to have been quite a number of folks that have given the Huts Traverse a try this season, including many of the Croo's (possibly every single one from Greenleaf!) Pam, the original Go-Lite-Girl, who completed a solo trek on the summer solstice, and Team Muskat, who traveled the more traditional route (the younger of the duo is actually a Croo member) which includes a visit to Pinkham before heading to Madison Springs. Total mileage of the traverse is 50 miles with 15,200' elevation gain. The Up to Carter Hut and the back from Lonesome Lake Hut adds another 5.4 miles and 1900' elevation gain. Apparently most Croo's look to sleep at both Huts too.

The original H2H route pioneered by AMC employees way back when began at Madhouse (Madison), descended to Rt. 16, then up to Cata (Carter) before crossing the Wildcats to Pinkham, then up the Tucks headwall to Lakes, and west to Zool (Zealand), which adds another four miles or so, I think. The traditional goal has been to complete the H2H in a calendar day, and the FKT remains Alex MacPhail's 12 h, 11 min on the above version in the early 1960s, which may have pre-dated Pah (Mizpah), so a direct shot down the Crawford Path would have been a bit quicker (there is an old thread here somewhere).

Congrats to Cath, Larisa, Pam, Tim M. and son, and others; the H2H in a calendar day is a very fine achievement.

 

[Silverfox]

excellent montage of a terrific adventure

the sunrise shots are spectacular

well done!!!!

 

[PETCH]

Wow, great job Larissa and Cath. Incredible stuff. A few other sicko's (fellow hikers ), I know did this a few weeks ago. They did it in just under under 24hrs.....crazy stuff.....

Petch

 

[LRiz]

Thank you to all of you for the kind words and congratulations!

As Cath mentioned, this hike has been almost 2 years in the planning for us. After having to put it off on more than one occasion due to time constraints and injuries, we were both thrilled to have the opportunity to give it a shot. Completing the traverse (and within our time goal at that) will always stand out as one of my best memories of 2011.

The topic of mileage and elevation gain has already been covered, but I'm happy to share some details on my attire and nutrition/hydration strategy for endurance events.

Footwear
My shoe of choice was the Brooks Cascadia 6 paired with Darn Tough socks.

The Cascadia 6 is an incredible running shoe, especially for folks like me with ankle issues - comfortable, stable, breathable, and extremely durable (I've got over 500 miles on my first pair and they are still going strong). From Pemi Loops to 100 mile races and everything in between, the shoes have never failed me. The only downside to them is the rubber compound on the outsole. I tend to favor a "stickier" rubber that grips well to wet rock, and unfortunately the Cascadias are not great in that regard. Nevertheless, I'm willing to live with that given all of their other amazing features.

I've been a die-hard Darn Tough fan since I started hiking. I find that wool socks really keep my feet happy and blister-free, much more so than the Drymax socks that a lot of folks seem to be wearing (though I do like them, too).

One other odd thing that I do - but that I swear keeps my feet from blistering - is spray up my toes, ankle and heel with liquid bandage product (such as New Skin). It's a bit of a peculiar strategy I guess... but I'll take anything that makes it possible for me to go an entire 55 miles without changing shoes or socks once!

Gaiters
http://dirtygirlgaiters.com

Nutrition/Hydration
I try to consume around 200-300 calories/hour to maintain a steady energy flow. When doing an all-day hike, my fuel is usually in the form of gel and bars. I'm a big Honey Stinger fan (both bars and gels), and also really like GU Chomps when I'm in need of an immediate boost. Additionally, I try to eat a real meal at some point in the middle of the trip (we stashed a cooler at the Highland Center with burritos, wraps, and other resupplies).

Two supplements/food sources that people tend to overlook on longer hikes are salt tabs and protein. When it's humid and hot out, I take 1-2 salt tabs/hour to prevent dehydration and cramping. For distances of 50 miles or more, I also find it very helpful to consume an endurance fuel with protein and amino acids - such as Hammer Perpetuem or Succeed Clip 2. Endurance fuels are not cheap, but I've had great results using them in all of my ultramarathons. I find that they keep my stomach happy, provide consistent energy, and also (perhaps most importantly) assist greatly with my recovery after the event. For the H2H, I'd switch between Perpetuem and NUUN (calorie free electrolyte drink) each time I refilled my water bladder.

Please note that these are all strategies and products that have worked well for me. I'm certainly no guru when it comes to endurance fueling and supplementation, but if you're interested in exploring the subject more there are some great articles here.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Thank you to all of you for the kind words and congratulations!

As Cath mentioned, this hike has been almost 2 years in the planning for us. After having to put it off on more than one occasion due to time constraints and injuries, we were both thrilled to have the opportunity to give it a shot. Completing the traverse (and within our time goal at that) will always stand out as one of my best memories of 2011.

The topic of mileage and elevation gain has already been covered, but I'm happy to share some details on my attire and nutrition/hydration strategy for endurance events.

Footwear
My shoe of choice was the Brooks Cascadia 6 paired with Darn Tough socks.

The Cascadia 6 is an incredible running shoe, especially for folks like me with ankle issues - comfortable, stable, breathable, and extremely durable (I've got over 500 miles on my first pair and they are still going strong). From Pemi Loops to 100 mile races and everything in between, the shoes have never failed me. The only downside to them is the rubber compound on the outsole. I tend to favor a "stickier" rubber that grips well to wet rock, and unfortunately the Cascadias are not great in that regard. Nevertheless, I'm willing to live with that given all of their other amazing features.

I've been a die-hard Darn Tough fan since I started hiking. I find that wool socks really keep my feet happy and blister-free, much more so than the Drymax socks that a lot of folks seem to be wearing (though I do like them, too).

One other odd thing that I do - but that I swear keeps my feet from blistering - is spray up my toes, ankle and heel with liquid bandage product (such as New Skin). It's a bit of a peculiar strategy I guess... but I'll take anything that makes it possible for me to go an entire 55 miles without changing shoes or socks once!

Gaiters
http://dirtygirlgaiters.com

Nutrition/Hydration
I try to consume around 200-300 calories/hour to maintain a steady energy flow. When doing an all-day hike, my fuel is usually in the form of gel and bars. I'm a big Honey Stinger fan (both bars and gels), and also really like GU Chomps when I'm in need of an immediate boost. Additionally, I try to eat a real meal at some point in the middle of the trip (we stashed a cooler at the Highland Center with burritos, wraps, and other resupplies).

Two supplements/food sources that people tend to overlook on longer hikes are salt tabs and protein. When it's humid and hot out, I take 1-2 salt tabs/hour to prevent dehydration and cramping. For distances of 50 miles or more, I also find it very helpful to consume an endurance fuel with protein and amino acids - such as Hammer Perpetuem or Succeed Clip 2. Endurance fuels are not cheap, but I've had great results using them in all of my ultramarathons. I find that they keep my stomach happy, provide consistent energy, and also (perhaps most importantly) assist greatly with my recovery after the event. For the H2H, I'd switch between Perpetuem and NUUN (calorie free electrolyte drink) each time I refilled my water bladder.

Please note that these are all strategies and products that have worked well for me. I'm certainly no guru when it comes to endurance fueling and supplementation, but if you're interested in exploring the subject more there are some great articles here.

Great report and adventure. Congratulations.

Which one was using the Ultimate torso pack with straps and what was your opinion of that?

Keith

 

[Cath]

Keith ~ the Ultimate pack is mine. I've owned this one since 1995 and it is my all time favorite pack. It can carry a ton of gear and balance it well.

The two belt zip pockets are very roomy (I'll stuff 4 gels - 4 bars - extra batteries - tissues - lip balm - camera - car keys at the very least) There are 2 straps at the base of the bag which easily accomodates a rolled up shirt / jacket. There is a very roomy zip pouch on the front (stuffed a hat - gloves - tights - first aid "kit" - headlamp (or 2)). Inside there are 2 pockets that 2 hydration bags could be stored in (it actually is designed for just that). I'm not a hydration bag fan, as I would rather carry a H2O bottle. It can carry 2 24 oz bottles inside the roomy inner compartment, with 2 Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Smoothies stacked on top of each other, or one bottle with 2 Liberte Yogurt cups stacked on top of each other. However, on this hike, I only carried one bottle, as the Huts are so close together, and I looked to carry more bars & gels (9 bars and 9 gels for each side of Rt 302).

There are also 2 horizontal straps that connect across the front, where another acticle of clothing / gear can be strapped on. I don't think I ever get any style points for the amount of gear I have attached to the pack, but it all carry's so nicely I don't care ~

 

[eddie]

Footwear
My shoe of choice was the Brooks Cascadia 6 paired with Darn Tough socks.

The Cascadia 6 is an incredible running shoe, especially for folks like me with ankle issues - comfortable, stable, breathable, and extremely durable (I've got over 500 miles on my first pair and they are still going strong). From Pemi Loops to 100 mile races and everything in between, the shoes have never failed me. The only downside to them is the rubber compound on the outsole. I tend to favor a "stickier" rubber that grips well to wet rock, and unfortunately the Cascadias are not great in that regard. Nevertheless, I'm willing to live with that given all of their other amazing features.

I've been a die-hard Darn Tough fan since I started hiking. I find that wool socks really keep my feet happy and blister-free, much more so than the Drymax socks that a lot of folks seem to be wearing (though I do like them, too).

Larissa, I bought the Brooks Cascadia 6 and tried the Darn Tough socks and I can vouch for your review. Logged at least 100 trail running miles and I love them both and have been blister free since. They are very stable although I did roll an ankle once, but that's what happens when you step into a rut covered with weeds . The shoe is as you described and with a nice roomy toe box and it is shaped for my foot. The socks are comfy and do keep my feet drier than regular synthetic socks. The laces are a cool blue color too. Highly recommended shoes and socks.

 

[Tom Rankin]

What kind of pack is that?

 

[mirabela]

Good for you!

My feet ache just thinking about it.