halfmoon
New member
On Friday, August 20, 2010 at exactly 11:40 PM I touched the side of Carter Notch Hut, and began a 54 mile (~ 17,000’ elevation gain) traverse of the White Mountains that passed all 8 AMC mountains huts. At 8:09 PM on Saturday, August 21, 2010 I stumbled up the stairs of the Lonesome Lake Hut, completing a personal goal of mine in a time of 20 hours, 29 minutes.
Before I explain the details, I would like to thank a few people. A hike of this magnitude is very much a team sport, and I owe a lot of people a thanks. To Pam Bales, THANK YOU, for your shuttle support and assistance in transporting gear, and for joining in the initial part of the hike from Carter Notch. To Erica Khan, THANK YOU, for shuttle support, and leadership of the ascent up Mount Madison…I would not have been able to navigate the Osgood Trail above tree line in darkness without your knowledge of the terrain. To Rob Powers, supporter of a July attempt of this hike that was canceled due to weather…I was thinking about you on the hike. To my hiking and training partner Bob Terwiliger, a great friend and strong hiker…I missed you out there this weekend. And finally, to my wife Kathy (pudgy_groundhog on VFTT) and daughter Norah…you were unwavering in your support and understanding of my admittedly selfish and self indulgent goal to successfully complete this hike, which took me away from home many weekends for training, THANK YOU!
After departure from Carter Notch Hut and reaching the road, Erica took the lead position and set a blistering pace up Mount Madison. We broke out above treeline on Madison 3 hours and 10 minutes after leaving Carter Notch, and just 1 hour and 20 minutes after leaving NH 16 for the ascent. Above tree line on Madison, and in complete darkness, the Osgood Trail was difficult to follow, and the Parapet Trail was hopeless. After floundering on the Parapet for 20 or 30 minutes, Erica made the call that an ascent to Mount Madison’s summit would be necessary. Erica successfully navigated to the summit of Mount Madison, and we made an uneventful descent into the Mount Madison Hut, arriving at 4:40 AM, exactly 5 hours after departure from Carter Notch Hut. At the Madison Hut Erica and I said our good-byes, and I was off solo for the next 44 miles to Lonesome Lake Hut.
Madison Hut, 4:40 AM
Leaving Madison Hut solo and in darkness, while contemplating the challenges that lay ahead of me was intimidating at first. But I felt strong, and it’s only hiking….one foot in front of the other I told myself. Before I knew it the sun was rising big to the East, and my spirits and confidence was lifted as the day dawned cloudless skies.
Rising Sun, Near Mount Clay
With the rise of the sun, along with dry trails and cool temperatures the miles fell one-by-one with relative ease. One could not have pre-ordered more perfect conditions. I reached Lake of the Clouds Hut at 7:09 AM in the morning. I entered Clouds to fill my water bottle as the patrons sat down for a nice breakfast. I heard the hut staff make an announcement; clear skies, dry trails, increasing clouds afternoon with a slight chance of showers, PERFECT.
Lake of the Clouds Hut, 7:09 AM
I departed Clouds Hut quickly and made the 13 minute ascent to Mount Monroe, where the Presidential Range lay before me in all it’s splendor.
Mount Monroe Summit, 7:30 AM
I was feeling good, and I knew the easy miles from Monroe to Crawford would serve as a nice recovery period for my legs. I made Eisenhower at 8:03 AM, Pierce at 8:31 AM, Mizpah Hut at 8:46 AM, and Crawford Notch at 9:28 AM.
Mizpah Hut, 8:46 AM
At Crawford Notch I retrieved a pre-arranged cache of resupplies from Erica’s car containing one 20 ounce Mountain Dew, one bag of Funyuns, 6 Gu Packets, 3 Clif Shot Blocks, and a fresh pair of socks. I aired my feet for a few minutes, chugged the Mountain Dew, and departed Crawford Notch at 9:58 AM
Crawford Notch, 9:28 AM
I knew the next few miles to Zealand Hut would be boring, and it was, but it was also a time for recovery after reaching the spur trail to Mt. Tom. I was still feeling reasonably strong, and my optimism continued to grow as I maintained pace that exceeded my goal. After several miles of meandering I arrived at Zealand Hut at 11:55 AM.
Zealand Falls Hut, 11:55 AM
The sign at Zealand Hut indicated that it would be 7 miles to the next stop, Galehead Hut. There is nothing exciting to report on this 7 miles, it was just a steady slog. The terrain from Zealand to Galehead was surprisingly moderate, I made reasonable time, and arrived on South Twin Mountain at 2:24 PM.
South Twin Mountain, 2:24 PM
I knew the next 0.8 miles would be a knee pounder, but in 26 minutes it was over and I arrived at Galehead Hut. I went in to fill my water bottle and mix another batch of Gatorade, and that’s when I discovered chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven. I bought 2, and it was my first bite of real food other than Gu and Shot Blocks in over 14 hours, yummy! Those 2 chocolate chip cookies would carry me over the summits of Garfield and Lafayette.
Galehead Hut, 2:50 PM
Setting at Galehead Hut I knew that the next 3 hours would absolutely be the crux of the traverse for me. I had hiked Garfield before, and I knew that it had the potential to be demoralizing. Add in an ascent of Lafayette afterwards, and I had the making of my major bonking. I convinced myself to slow the place down, and try not to walk any faster than 2 MPH so as to save myself until I reached Lafayette summit. Staying true to my plan, I departed Galehead slowly and methodically, cresting hill after hill, and at 4:28 PM I arrived at Garfield Summit, 1 hour and 38 minutes after leaving Galehead Hut. Garfield felt like a big win, and I was glad to be done with it.
Unfortunately, the weather began to deteriorate by the time I reached Garfield, and the sprinkles began under heavily clouded skies. I got an uneasy feeling, and I knew I needed to summit Lafayette quickly in order to avoid potential white out conditions that would leave me floundering trying to find my way. In my urgency to quickly descend Garfield I made my one mistake of the day. One foot misplaced on one rock going down Garfield, and I was flying through the air. I didn’t know what had hit me. I laid sprawled on the ground for a few seconds until the adrenaline hit me. Two scuffed elbows, one scratched hand, but everything else was in tact. I narrowly avoided the face plant, whew! The sprinkles continued to come, but I decided I had to slow down or I was going to get hurt. One step at a time, I chugged down Garfield and the up Lafayette, and at 5:57 PM I arrived at the summit of Mount Lafayette.
Lafayette Summit, 5:57 PM
To me, Lafayette meant victory. Now that I had made it to the summit, all I had to do was bomb down to I-93, and then take the casual stroll up to Lonesome Lake. I made Greenleaf Hut at 6:22 PM. I walked through the pedestrian tunnel under I-93 at 7:22 PM, only 1.6 more miles to Lonesome Lake.
Greenleaf Hut, 6:22 PM
There is not much to say about the last 1.6 miles to Lonesome Lake, it was getting dark and I was tired. Arriving at Lonesome Lake I began to round the lake clockwise, 0.4 miles to the endpoint.
Lonesome Lake Hut & The End, 8:09 PM
Surprisingly, I was emotionless as I walked up the flight of stairs and placed my hand on the side of the Lonesome Lake Hut. This had been a project over a year in the making, and I had wanted to complete this hike in the worst way. I was happy to complete the hike as it had become my white whale. My plan is to dial things back from now on. I want to take 12 hours to do a 10 mile hike from this point forward, spend time napping on summits, practicing some photography, and perhaps helping others make their own attempt on this hike.
Before I explain the details, I would like to thank a few people. A hike of this magnitude is very much a team sport, and I owe a lot of people a thanks. To Pam Bales, THANK YOU, for your shuttle support and assistance in transporting gear, and for joining in the initial part of the hike from Carter Notch. To Erica Khan, THANK YOU, for shuttle support, and leadership of the ascent up Mount Madison…I would not have been able to navigate the Osgood Trail above tree line in darkness without your knowledge of the terrain. To Rob Powers, supporter of a July attempt of this hike that was canceled due to weather…I was thinking about you on the hike. To my hiking and training partner Bob Terwiliger, a great friend and strong hiker…I missed you out there this weekend. And finally, to my wife Kathy (pudgy_groundhog on VFTT) and daughter Norah…you were unwavering in your support and understanding of my admittedly selfish and self indulgent goal to successfully complete this hike, which took me away from home many weekends for training, THANK YOU!
After departure from Carter Notch Hut and reaching the road, Erica took the lead position and set a blistering pace up Mount Madison. We broke out above treeline on Madison 3 hours and 10 minutes after leaving Carter Notch, and just 1 hour and 20 minutes after leaving NH 16 for the ascent. Above tree line on Madison, and in complete darkness, the Osgood Trail was difficult to follow, and the Parapet Trail was hopeless. After floundering on the Parapet for 20 or 30 minutes, Erica made the call that an ascent to Mount Madison’s summit would be necessary. Erica successfully navigated to the summit of Mount Madison, and we made an uneventful descent into the Mount Madison Hut, arriving at 4:40 AM, exactly 5 hours after departure from Carter Notch Hut. At the Madison Hut Erica and I said our good-byes, and I was off solo for the next 44 miles to Lonesome Lake Hut.
Madison Hut, 4:40 AM
Leaving Madison Hut solo and in darkness, while contemplating the challenges that lay ahead of me was intimidating at first. But I felt strong, and it’s only hiking….one foot in front of the other I told myself. Before I knew it the sun was rising big to the East, and my spirits and confidence was lifted as the day dawned cloudless skies.
Rising Sun, Near Mount Clay
With the rise of the sun, along with dry trails and cool temperatures the miles fell one-by-one with relative ease. One could not have pre-ordered more perfect conditions. I reached Lake of the Clouds Hut at 7:09 AM in the morning. I entered Clouds to fill my water bottle as the patrons sat down for a nice breakfast. I heard the hut staff make an announcement; clear skies, dry trails, increasing clouds afternoon with a slight chance of showers, PERFECT.
Lake of the Clouds Hut, 7:09 AM
I departed Clouds Hut quickly and made the 13 minute ascent to Mount Monroe, where the Presidential Range lay before me in all it’s splendor.
Mount Monroe Summit, 7:30 AM
I was feeling good, and I knew the easy miles from Monroe to Crawford would serve as a nice recovery period for my legs. I made Eisenhower at 8:03 AM, Pierce at 8:31 AM, Mizpah Hut at 8:46 AM, and Crawford Notch at 9:28 AM.
Mizpah Hut, 8:46 AM
At Crawford Notch I retrieved a pre-arranged cache of resupplies from Erica’s car containing one 20 ounce Mountain Dew, one bag of Funyuns, 6 Gu Packets, 3 Clif Shot Blocks, and a fresh pair of socks. I aired my feet for a few minutes, chugged the Mountain Dew, and departed Crawford Notch at 9:58 AM
Crawford Notch, 9:28 AM
I knew the next few miles to Zealand Hut would be boring, and it was, but it was also a time for recovery after reaching the spur trail to Mt. Tom. I was still feeling reasonably strong, and my optimism continued to grow as I maintained pace that exceeded my goal. After several miles of meandering I arrived at Zealand Hut at 11:55 AM.
Zealand Falls Hut, 11:55 AM
The sign at Zealand Hut indicated that it would be 7 miles to the next stop, Galehead Hut. There is nothing exciting to report on this 7 miles, it was just a steady slog. The terrain from Zealand to Galehead was surprisingly moderate, I made reasonable time, and arrived on South Twin Mountain at 2:24 PM.
South Twin Mountain, 2:24 PM
I knew the next 0.8 miles would be a knee pounder, but in 26 minutes it was over and I arrived at Galehead Hut. I went in to fill my water bottle and mix another batch of Gatorade, and that’s when I discovered chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven. I bought 2, and it was my first bite of real food other than Gu and Shot Blocks in over 14 hours, yummy! Those 2 chocolate chip cookies would carry me over the summits of Garfield and Lafayette.
Galehead Hut, 2:50 PM
Setting at Galehead Hut I knew that the next 3 hours would absolutely be the crux of the traverse for me. I had hiked Garfield before, and I knew that it had the potential to be demoralizing. Add in an ascent of Lafayette afterwards, and I had the making of my major bonking. I convinced myself to slow the place down, and try not to walk any faster than 2 MPH so as to save myself until I reached Lafayette summit. Staying true to my plan, I departed Galehead slowly and methodically, cresting hill after hill, and at 4:28 PM I arrived at Garfield Summit, 1 hour and 38 minutes after leaving Galehead Hut. Garfield felt like a big win, and I was glad to be done with it.
Unfortunately, the weather began to deteriorate by the time I reached Garfield, and the sprinkles began under heavily clouded skies. I got an uneasy feeling, and I knew I needed to summit Lafayette quickly in order to avoid potential white out conditions that would leave me floundering trying to find my way. In my urgency to quickly descend Garfield I made my one mistake of the day. One foot misplaced on one rock going down Garfield, and I was flying through the air. I didn’t know what had hit me. I laid sprawled on the ground for a few seconds until the adrenaline hit me. Two scuffed elbows, one scratched hand, but everything else was in tact. I narrowly avoided the face plant, whew! The sprinkles continued to come, but I decided I had to slow down or I was going to get hurt. One step at a time, I chugged down Garfield and the up Lafayette, and at 5:57 PM I arrived at the summit of Mount Lafayette.
Lafayette Summit, 5:57 PM
To me, Lafayette meant victory. Now that I had made it to the summit, all I had to do was bomb down to I-93, and then take the casual stroll up to Lonesome Lake. I made Greenleaf Hut at 6:22 PM. I walked through the pedestrian tunnel under I-93 at 7:22 PM, only 1.6 more miles to Lonesome Lake.
Greenleaf Hut, 6:22 PM
There is not much to say about the last 1.6 miles to Lonesome Lake, it was getting dark and I was tired. Arriving at Lonesome Lake I began to round the lake clockwise, 0.4 miles to the endpoint.
Lonesome Lake Hut & The End, 8:09 PM
Surprisingly, I was emotionless as I walked up the flight of stairs and placed my hand on the side of the Lonesome Lake Hut. This had been a project over a year in the making, and I had wanted to complete this hike in the worst way. I was happy to complete the hike as it had become my white whale. My plan is to dial things back from now on. I want to take 12 hours to do a 10 mile hike from this point forward, spend time napping on summits, practicing some photography, and perhaps helping others make their own attempt on this hike.
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