White mountain trip

[Surridge]

Hi, new to the forum. I am heading to a wedding in western Mass late June. Planning to spend a week in the whites before hand, hopefully do 80-100 miles. Flying into Logan and then bussing to Gorham. Looking forward to the presidentials and the pemi wilderness. Looking at a map I see one can get close to Lincoln, nh outside franconia where there is am track service to Springfield mass. So I guess I'm looking for any info on this route. Should I stick the AT? Could suggestions for side hikes or alternate trails in the area? How should weather and/or bugs be mid June? Thanks for the help!

 

[jniehof]

There is no Amtrak service from Lincoln. There is bus service back to Boston (where you can then pick up the train, or a different bus, to Springfield); Amtrak has it listed but it is probably the Concord Coach service. The bus schedule does make it fairly awkward to get in much hiking on that day. The AMC hiker shuttle may also be of use to you.

You don't say where you're coming from or if you have experience in the Whites. Most people will find 10-15 mile days with a full backpack load in the Whites to be pretty stiff. Also bear in mind that you can't camp above treeline (there are huts/cabins which usually require reservations), which can be a bit of a logistics issue.

Assuming a trip mainly on the AT, the most obvious side trip is the Bonds. If you stay at Guyot shelter you'll be most of the way there. You can go out over Bondcliff to the Lincoln Woods visitor center (or reach the same place via the Osseo trail from Franconia Ridge instead of descending the AT to Franconia Notch), which is a shorter walk into Lincoln than from the Notch, if you have poor luck thumbing a ride.

Give us an idea of your experience and you'll have zillions of suggestions

 

[peakbagger]

Mid June, there will still be bugs, black flies tend to move up with elevation near the end of the season. Mosquitoes tend will be near any water body around dusk. If you are bussing it plan on two lost days. No matter what starting in Gorham (actually Shelburne) at the Rattle River trail AT crossing on RT 2 or at Pinkham Notch (another bus stop) is a very steep first day. The AMC huts are open June 4th but to most the price is too high. They are a reliable source of water.

 

[Surridge]

Thanks. Planning on 5 days hiking plus 2 travel days. I hiked a 500 mile section of the At (Shenandoah to high point state park, NJ. Last summer I hiked the oregon section of the pct. I am in shape and plan on 15 mile days on the short end.
No a track service from Lincoln? Damn, their website has it listed. Too easy to be true I guess... Am planning at staying at tent sites. So yes the Bonds sound cool. Maybe heading southbound go from guyout over the bonds and then complete the pemi loop at Zealand hut and catch the amc shuttle... So many off trail logistics...

 

[David Metsky]

The AMC Shuttle runs only limited times - it's designed for hut patrons, not really for backpackers. Make sure you check the times before you plan your route.

 

[RollingRock]

I think your best bet is to take a bus from where you live to Lincoln, NH. Since you are an AT section hiker, you might as well get a private shuttle to the AT into Franconia Notch and head north on the AT with as much time as you have. Plan your return with using the AMC Shuttle by becoming familiar with the time it will arrive to pick you up at your exit trail head.

 

[tomcat32]

Having thru hiked the AT and sections of the PCT. 15 miles from the gate is still a lot starting in the Presis with a full pack. Yes there are rocks in PA but the trail through PA NJ, MD, and SNP sees not too much elevation change. An average day on the PCT has more switchbacks than the entire AT, (not an exaggeration) especially in northern New England. The climb to the AT from 2 gains steeply with many ups and down in between especially around Carter Notch. The drop into Pinkham and back up is more of the same. Then again in Crawford and Pinkham Notches with lots of ups and downs. Just so you're not surprised and just so you know it is a little different than the mid Atlantic's long ridgetop walking and PCT which is graded for horses much of the way. The other factor is inconsistent weather. Especially in the Presi's which are often socked in the clouds

The AT doesn't go over all the Presidential peaks and I would make the side trips from the AT to hit Adams, Jefferson, Monroe and Eisenhower. They are all within .3-.4 from the AT.

 

[Maineman]

Despite of other comments to the contrary, your plan to do 15 miles a day is certainly doable in the Whites.

While training for my PCT thru I did many multi-day trips in the Whites with my full pack (including my carbon fiber guitar!) doing 20+ a day, and I am certainly not an elite athlete. (which made doing 20's on the PCT seem like going for a nice stroll!)

Yes it is considerably more challenging than the AT & PCT sections you mentioned, but certainly possible for a fit, motivated person carrying a modern, reasonably lightweight pack.

Often people come here from other places planning to do "big miles" and then they end up having to make bad choices (camping above treeline, pushing on into bad weather to make their intended campsite, etc) and this causes our New England cautionary nature to kick in, hence the warnings.

 

[peakbagger]

The nice thing about the whites is if you have the maps and can read contour lines you can modify your trip on the fly. AMCs shuttles are oriented to the needs of hut visitors but they do run from the big three notches, Pinkham (RT 16), Crawford (rt 302) and Franconia (I 93). I expect few folks would voluntarily skip the presidential ridge between Pinkham and Crawford Notch. One shortcut is to drop down Crawford Path directly to RT 302 (Highland Center and take the AtoZ trail to Zealand hut this cuts out one day, about 2/3rd woods walking through an area (ethan Pond to Thoreau Falls that can be wet in June. Then at Guyot the option of going out the Bonds to Lincoln is available as well as dropping down to Thirteen falls and out via the Pemi from Galehead in place of the Lafayette ridge if the forecast is marginal when you stop by Galehead.

AMC costs a lot less than the Shuttle Connection and many other private shuttle firms but the trade off is time on trail and money. If you want to maximize time on trail use a private shuttle. if you dont mind losing a day on either end of the trip use the AMC.

As for conditioning, the PCT is setup as horsepacking trail in Oregon and is set up with switchbacks and sidehilling, granted you may cover as much elevation in a day on the PCT, but it is lot more gradual. As a visitor from out west commented once when seeing Webster Cliff trail (the AT) in Crawford Notch" if this trail was out west it would be closed off with yellow safety tape as being a rockslide". There are no switchbacks and almost no sidehill in the whites on the AT and very little elsewhere (the south face of Bondcliff and the Osseo trail are exceptions). The rocks of PA, NJ and NY are a PITA due to footing issues but the only spot in PA that resembles much of the AT in the whites is the Northbound climb up from Lehigh Gap through the area that was denuded by a smelter. In some spots, in the whites, this type of terrain can go on for 1000 feet vertical. Sure fit folks can and do long days right out of the box but many dont and end up changing their plans. Heck even thru hikers complain about the climb up from Pinkham to the top of Wildcat.

 

[Surridge]

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate the trail descriptions and am aware of the vertical differences between the whites and the pct. I will be bringing my maps which do offer a lot of options for bad weather, and early exits, etc. my base weight is 10 lbs and I am pretty fit (will be doing some conditioning trips in the Columbia river gorge here in Oregon). Tomcat, thanks for the recommendations for the other presidential peaks off the At. Are these out and backs to the peak generally or trails that loop off the AT. Thanks everyone.

 

[billski]

as a visitor from out west commented once when seeing webster cliff trail (the at) in crawford notch" if this trail was out west it would be closed off with yellow safety tape as being a rockslide".

lol...too funny! :d

 

[iagreewithjamie]

If you want to do 100 miles and are going to Western MA... just start at Cannon and hike the AT south all the way down to the Berkshires in MA.
If you need Springfield, you could hike the Monadnock-Sunapee greenway to get there.

Tons from trails cross the whole state N/S.

 

[IQuest]

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate the trail descriptions and am aware of the vertical differences between the whites and the pct. I will be bringing my maps which do offer a lot of options for bad weather, and early exits, etc. my base weight is 10 lbs and I am pretty fit (will be doing some conditioning trips in the Columbia river gorge here in Oregon). Tomcat, thanks for the recommendations for the other presidential peaks off the At. Are these out and backs to the peak generally or trails that loop off the AT. Thanks everyone.

Yes, the peaks on the Presis can be visited via loop trails ,for the most part, that return to the same trail. Are you section hiking the AT or out to see the sights? I didn's see you mention that as others have speculated.

 

[IQuest]

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate the trail descriptions and am aware of the vertical differences between the whites and the pct. I will be bringing my maps which do offer a lot of options for bad weather, and early exits, etc. my base weight is 10 lbs and I am pretty fit (will be doing some conditioning trips in the Columbia river gorge here in Oregon). Tomcat, thanks for the recommendations for the other presidential peaks off the At. Are these out and backs to the peak generally or trails that loop off the AT. Thanks everyone.

Yes, the Presi peaks have loop trails returning to the original trail, for the most part. Are you section hiing the AT like other have speculated or out to see the sights?

 

[tomcat32]

Jefferson, Monroe, and Eisenhower have obvious loops. Adams can be done as a loop from Madison Springs Hut up the Starr Lake Trail and come back out on the AT. Starr Lake require some scrambling and is steeper and is slightly longer than the other loops on these peaks. With a full pack it can be a little cumbersome on this trail If weather foggy or wet, I wouldn't recommend Starr Lake and opt for a quick out and back up the Airline or Lowes Path.

And yes 15 miles can be done on these trails, I do it regularly as well as many others on this forum. I as well as others are just trying to keep you from being surprised of the trails in the White's if you have never been here.

Stealth camping is very difficult, particularly in the Presi. Even below treeline, the trees are so thick, it is very hard to find a spot to camp. Via the AT, I think Osgood tentsite is the last free site you encounter in the range. Besides the pricey huts there are cheaper options below Madison and Adams with Valley Way tentsite being most convenient. the RMC huts and shelters are much cheaper than AMC but are often steep drops off the main trails. on the ridges. Naumann Tent site my Mitzpah Hut is the next inexpensive option that is convenient to my knowledge. I'm not sure if they allow the Lakes of the Clouds dungeon to be used by the general public or just thru hikers. Although from what I have seen of it, I'd rather not stay in there.