Presidential Traverse Question.

[swantekkie]

I am looking to traverse the Presidential range late summer, early fall and would like to know what routes other people have taken and what shuttles they used, if any. I would like to try to get all the Presi's if i could. I will most likely tent but may stay in the Lake of the clouds hut one night. Also I am going to take my time so i wont be doing a ton of milage each day. Just curious what others would recommend, and favorite trails/landmarks i shouldnt miss.

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[hikerboy57]

I am looking to traverse the Presidential range late summer, early fall and would like to know what routes other people have taken and what shuttles they used, if any. I would like to try to get all the Presi's if i could. I will most likely tent but may stay in the Lake of the clouds hut one night. Also I am going to take my time so i wont be doing a ton of milage each day. Just curious what others would recommend, and favorite trails/landmarks i shouldnt miss.

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not sure what routes you mean-its the at. there are a gazillion awesome trails throughout the whites, a hundred around madison and adams alone.you can ent at neuman before lakes, then you can tent at either osgood campsite, or one of the rmc sites around madison,like crag camp. if youre looking to traverse the presis, its the at,period(crawford path on the signs though).amc runs shutlles to different trailheads out of pinkham notch. you can get more information here:www.outdoors.org. or pick up a copy of the white mountain guide.
the whites are spectacular, but the huts fill up early in the season, and you're looking to go prime season, so you want to make your reservations as soon as you know the dates, which you can do online at www.outdoors.org.

[LIhikers]

My wife and I did the Presidential traverse a couple of summers ago.
We hiked the AT except for side trails to take us to places to tent.
The first day we stopped at the campground adjacent to Mizpah (spelling?)Hut.
Second day we stopped at an RMC site northbound of Mt. Washington.
Third night we stayed at Valley Way camp site. When you get to Madison Spring hut make a left and hike down hill.
Fourth night found us at a camping site called Osgood, or Osborn, or something like that.
And then we finished at the AMC visitor center in Pinkham notch.

While we didn't stay at any of the huts we got water at Mizpah ,bought lunch at Lake Of The Clouds, and scored free breakfast at Madison Springs.
Our first day it was pouring rain. The second day of the trip was the same so we took a zero day at the campsite. Third day was perrrrrfect weather to go over Mt. Washington. Next 2 days were OK with small rain showers in the afternoons.
Enjoy your trip, it's jaw dropping beautiful!

[MDSection12]

I'm trying to plan this for the Summer as well. So am I understanding correctly that I will need reservations even if not staying in the huts?

[Tom Murphy]

The first day we stopped at the campground adjacent to Mizpah Hut.
Second day we stopped at an RMC site northbound of Mt. Washington.
Third night we stayed at Valley Way camp site.
Fourth night found us at a camping site called Osgood.
And then we finished at the AMC visitor center in Pinkham notch.

While we didn't stay at any of the huts we got water at Mizpah ,bought lunch at Lake Of The Clouds, and scored free breakfast at Madison Springs.

This is a very good itinerary.

I would suggest the first night of the trip you stay at the Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch and take the AMC shuttle to Crawford Notch so you are hiking back to the car.

[Tom Murphy]

I'm trying to plan this for the Summer as well. So am I understanding correctly that I will need reservations even if not staying in the huts?

AMC huts - YES

RMC huts and AMC campsites are first come first serve and they fill up quickly on the weekends.

[peakbagger]

No reservations required or accepted at the tent sites or RMC facilities. AMC requires paid reservations at the huts and most weekends ware probably full by now.

Many folks do it as one day trip with day packs. Its long and rugged. The main route is Gulfside from Madision Hut to the top of Mt Washington then the crawford path to the Hihgland center. Some folks add in Mizpah Springs hut, Mt Jackson and Mt Webster.

No camping above treeline except at the AMC huts, so you inevitably need to drop 1000 feet in elevation and about a mile to get to below treeline. The camping option on the east side of the ridge are slim to none as it drops off steeply. There are some spots on Jewell trail and Edmunds path to the west of the ridge (Non camping on Amonusuc Ravine trail.

There is a lot to be said for day hiking sections of it if you are not in shape and arent used to the rocks on the ridge. Its an acquired skill and taste. Hauling a full pack makes it even more of a challenge, thruhikers are in shape but the average weekend warrior from out of the region will have a high likelyhood of bailing. with two cars you can day hike the ridge and camp down in the valleys and if the weather is bad you can go hike waterfalls as a bad day on the ridge is dangerous and no fun at all.

[Driver8]

One small point is that the A.T. portion of the Presi Traverse only goes over three of the summits named for presidents - Pierce, Washington and Madison. The Gulfside Trail and the Crawford Path skirt around Adams, Jeff, Monroe and Ike, and the A.T. takes a left, southbound, off the Crawford Path on the Webster Cliff Trail - it's a 0.1 mi. side trip to Pierce, each way, or you can traverse Pierce in order to stop by the Mitzpah Spring Hut and/or camp out at Nauman tentsite.

Each of the peaks that the A.T. skirts around can be reached by side trails that connect with the A.T. on each end. Adding these summits adds something like 2500' elevation gain and loss to your trip.

[Driver8]

PS: If your trip is going great, southbound, and you have extra time, I highly recommend the traverse of Pierce and a trip over to Jackson - not named for President Jackson but part of the range - it offers great views for not much extra effort. Easy side trip if you stay at Mitzpah/Nauman. Pierce's west peak, as well, has a very nice southerly ledge overlook just south of the summit on the A.T. and the hut's great.

Also, if you go down via the Crawford Path, a side trip about half mile from Rt. 302 to look at Gibbs Falls is nice for about 50 steps each way.

[Dogwood]

I'm feeling at Whites trip in the fall.

[Feral Bill]

In case you were wondering, camping above treeline is not just illegal, it's a really bad idea. I learned the hard way, back when it was legal.

[jeffmeh]

I highly recommend hitting the summits not on the AT. You definitely want real maps for this that show you all the trails. I also prefer the SOBO traverse. One itinerary for a 3-day trip that I have done quite a few times would be:

Day 1, Lowe's Path from Route 2 to RMC (Crag Camp or Gray Knob). Lighten you load and summit Adams and Madison, returning to camp for the night.

Day 2, head up onto the ridge over Jefferson, Clay, Washington, and then either stay at Lakes of the Clouds (if you are willing and able), or continue over Monroe and head down Edmand's Path to find a tentsite (what I used to do when leading groups of kids), or continue over Eisenhower and Pierce to Mizpah Springs or Nauman Tentsite (that would be a pretty long day).

Day 3, head up onto the ridge and summit whatever you did not get to on Day 2, then over Jackson, Webster (if you have time), and out to 302.

That does not pick up the section of the AT from Pinkham Notch to Madison, so if that is important to you would have to modify the itinerary, perhaps starting at Pinkham and either getting as far as Valley Way on Day1, or adding an extra day.

[tdoczi]

if youre looking to traverse the presis, its the at,period(crawford path on the signs though).

thats mostly true but not really. at either end there are multiple options for beginning or ending. and also the crawford path is only in the southern presis. and also the southern most part of the crawford ain't the AT.

[swantekkie]

I'm trying to plan this for the Summer as well. So am I understanding correctly that I will need reservations even if not staying in the huts?

You wont need Reservations to tent, but most places are first come first serve.

[swantekkie]

thats mostly true but not really. at either end there are multiple options for beginning or ending. and also the crawford path is only in the southern presis. and also the southern most part of the crawford ain't the AT.

This is what i was getting at. Obviously i know its the AT that traverses but i was looking for insight on trails heading up and spurs trails i might not want to miss. This isnt my first big paper route.

[tdoczi]

This is what i was getting at. Obviously i know its the AT that traverses but i was looking for insight on trails heading up and spurs trails i might not want to miss. This isnt my first big paper route.

my impression is that most people who arent AT obsessed (excludes most everyone around here) who do the traverse start at the crawford path trailhead in crawford notch and leave the AT at the summit of mt madison, taking the most direct route down the hill to rt 16. i forget the name of the trail but i believe it ends at the dolly cop campground.

google presi traverse youll find plenty of variations. and dont let these guys convince you the AT is the only trail that exists in the whites.

[peakbagger]

THe normal route is Valley Way from the Appalachia trailhead to Madison Hut then up Madison and back to the hut, from there either Star Lkake Trail to Adams or GUlside to upper airline to summit Adams, then Lowes off of Adams to Thunderstorm Junction. THen pikc up GUlside to Edmonds Col, then mopst head up Jefferson off of GUlfside (can remeber the spur trail to the Summit, then Down another spur trail back to Gulfside, then MT clay Loop over Mt Clay, then back on Gulfside to summit of Mt Washington. Then its Crawford Path to Lake of the Clouds hut then the Mt Monroe spur over both Monroe summits and back to Crawford Path to the junction with Edmond Path,. Then the Mt Eisenhower spur up and over Eisenhower and back onto Crawford Path. At the Junction of WebsterCliffs trail you have choice, head down Crawford path to RT 302 (AMC Highland Center or head south on Webster Cliff trail past Mizpah Spring hut and onto MT Jackson, then over to Webster. At webster you have choice head down the webster Jackson trail down to 302 (near where Crawford path come down) or keep going south on Webster Cliffs trail to 302 where you wll have to hitch back to the Highland center.

Some folks add on Pine Link or the Daniel Webster scout trail at the beginning in place of valey way, this adds 1 to 2 hours to the beginning.

If you are using the AMC shuttle it drops you off at Appalachia, the Cog Railroad and the Hihgland Center, make sure you look at the schedule as they run to service the huts and may not be convient for your schedule.

Given the number of trails and spurs I listed, you now know why you need a map.there are a couple of junctions folks miss frequently. There is also some long stretches where finding water is tough, most tank up at the AMC huts but there is at lease one srping whihc can be usefull on a hot day near Sphynx col.

[speedbump]

AMC has lots of shuttles. The campsite near Mitzpah is nice, other than that you are at the mercy of the hut, very expensive. There is a nice campspot at the end of Madision Trail (if you are going North) bring a very warm sleeping bag. Have fun !

I am looking to traverse the Presidential range late summer, early fall and would like to know what routes other people have taken and what shuttles they used, if any. I would like to try to get all the Presi's if i could. I will most likely tent but may stay in the Lake of the clouds hut one night. Also I am going to take my time so i wont be doing a ton of milage each day. Just curious what others would recommend, and favorite trails/landmarks i shouldnt miss.

​

[hikerboy57]

thats mostly true but not really. at either end there are multiple options for beginning or ending. and also the crawford path is only in the southern presis. and also the southern most part of the crawford ain't the AT.

my apologies tdoczi, you're right.i had really meant to say the at isnt marked as such through the whites.
regardless, the White Mtn guide along with the accompanying maps might be a good investment.

[redseal]

For a shuttle, you might want to try Golden Waldo who is listed on the AT Shuttle List. He was very reliable when I used him.