Gorham NH to Woodstock in August

[DLANOIE]

Hey everyone!

I'm hiking where I left off the trail back in 2006 this August. My plan is to hike from Gorham to Woodstock(Franconia Notch SP) in 8 days. I'm doing it SOBO and I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself.

Someday, when my 13 month old son is old enough, we'll thru the AT together. Until then I'm going to section hike when I can. I've done the 4,000 footers in New England over my lifetime, but nothing more than weekend excursions!

Any advice on what to expect on my hike would be greatly appreciated here. It's been about 5 years since i've been able to venture into the WMNF Area, so it's gonna be a blast I know it.

Thanks again.

[Blissful]

Someday, when my 13 month old son is old enough, we'll thru the AT together. Thanks again.

Wow, starting early. Good for you. :) I said that when my son was three years old. And it came to pass last year...

As for that section, it's pretty tough going for sure. Some of the hardest stuff on the trail, for the most part. Going up Mt Madison will be really tough. Some of the Carter Moriah range is tough as well. I didn't think it's too bad at all from Mt Washington to Mizpah Hut. You'll have some tough descents on rocks (like Wildcat and one section off Webster Cliff is kind of nasty) . Except through the Pemigawasett (sp?) wilderness (Ethan Pond area) which is basically flat . But if you can hit the whole section in good weather, it's spectacular.

[burger]

I did this section last fall (oddly enough, after getting off the trail at Franconia Notch in August of '06, too), and I had a blast. Just make sure you're in shape for it--I trained a bunch, and I still pushed my limits to do this section in 6 1/2 days.

Echoing Blissful, you might think about going NOBO. Going SOBO, the climb up Madison is brutal--the people I passed doing that climb looked like they were really suffering. But either way, it's an awesome hike.

[Roland]

DLANOIE,

You say you've done the 4K's, so this section will be very familiar. You will see very little new terrain.

In the northern Whites, August is a transition month -- spanning from some of the hottest, most humid days of summer, to September, which offers some of the best hiking conditions of the year. If your schedule doesn't allow you to hike in September, I would do this section as late into August as possible.

In early August, chances of hazy, hot, and humid conditions are high. Views are filtered by the moist air. Afternoon thunderstorms are common. Heading into September, the northerly component of the wind begins to increase. Cooler, less humid conditions become more prevalent. Views improve dramatically. Of course, this is not a linear transition, but a gradual shift. Mother Nature likes to mix things up, to keep us on our toes.

By August, bug season is mostly over. You will encounter a few hardy mosquitoes in low, wet areas, but on the ridges bugs won't be a problem.

AMC huts will be open, and busy. You can avoid them if you want, by planning your stops. RMC (http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/) offers some alternatives, in the Northern Presidentials. Even if you choose not to stay at the huts, you may want to stop-in for water and inexpensive lunch. Most huts offer soup and light snacks, for a few bucks.

Limited resupply is available at Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. But, it's an easy 8-mile hitch to Gorham, if you prefer to resupply at Shaw's or Walmart. If you've hiked ol' George, you're aware of the snackbar in the summit building. Continuing south, there are a few resupply options as you cross RT 302. Go east a few miles to a campground store. A few miles beyond, you can find groceries in Bartlett. If you go west, you can get limited supplies at the AMC Highland Center. This will be your last road crossing until you reach Franconia Notch. However, limited supplies can be purchased at Zealand Falls hut.

I may be a bit bias, but I've long believed this is the prettiest section of the entire Trail. Have a great time!

[modiyooch]

Last August I got caught in snow on Mt Washington. I did not underestimated the weather last year, but I did underestimate the terrain. I learned that I could only do 1 mph at best. I agree with Roland with the beauty of the views. After the snow cleared that day, I had the most awesome views. I'm glad that I pushed onward, even when my pal did not.

[Undershaft]

Continuing south, there are a few resupply options as you cross RT 302. Go east a few miles to a campground store. A few miles beyond, you can find groceries in Bartlett. If you go west, you can get limited supplies at the AMC Highland Center. This will be your last road crossing until you reach Franconia Notch.

The campground store Roland refers to doesn't have a lot of options for resupply. Most of what I saw there last Sept. was geared towards car campers with coolers full of ice. Not much in the way of backpacking food aside from snacks and junk food. Bartlett is more than a few miles from the trail crossing. It's a pretty long hitch to the dollar store and grocery store.

If I were you I would take advantage of all the places to buy a meal along your route, like the afore mentioned snack bar on Washington. There is also a snack bar in Crawford notch at the Willey House site. As you descend the AT near the road crossing at Rt.302 (before you reach the river) you will see the Sam Willey Trail on your right(it's marked). You can hike this (flat) trail straight to the snack bar. Directly behind the parking lot at the snack bar is the Kedron Flume Trail which links up with the AT on the other side of the notch. You won't miss anything of interest on the AT and will bypass a short uphill road walk.

Along your route you will pass seven(I think) AMC huts right next to the trail. They generally have something for sale, like soup or bread. Sometimes they have meal leftovers for a dollar or two. Have a great hike. It's an awesome section of trail.

[DLANOIE]

My plan is to hammock camp the whole time. Those huts are slightly out of my price range! Do plan to take full advantage of the food offered by the croo as often as possible. Any advice on best spots to tent figuring 8-10 mile days would be appreciated.

[Undershaft]

I usually tent at the AMC campsites. They are located in convenient spots, have good water, and $8 is a reasonable price. There are plenty of stealth sites if you keep your eyes open, though few of them are legal. Hanging a hammock might be a problem in the presidentials. A lot of the trail is above treeline and the woods are very dense spruce. At the lower elevations you shouldn't have much trouble finding a good spot to hang. The beauty of a hammock in the Whites is that the ground doesn't have to be flat, and seldom is.