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Surridge
03-06-2014, 13:45
I am planning a trip to the whites for late june. I am planning on 6 full days of hiking and 1 1/2 for travelling. Plan to fly into Boston and take public trans to a trailhead and back. Would like to do a combo of pemi wilderness with a presidential traverse and hopefully either franconia ridge or mahoosuc on either end. I am a fit, light backpacker planning on spending all daylight hours on trail. Most of my experience is out west. Any info on the whites or links to trip reports would be great. Thanks so much.

rafe
03-06-2014, 13:50
For NH and White Mountain trail reports etc. check out vftt.org (views from the top.)

Slo-go'en
03-06-2014, 16:50
The only place you can get to easily by public transportation from Boston is the Concord bus to either Pinkham Notch (AMC facility) or Gorham NH. The bus arrives in Gorham at about 8:30, so plan on getting a hotel for the night. Chances are you'll be a zombie from all that traveling anyway.

Staying a Pinkham Notch (get reservations) would be the best idea, since from there you have a number of options. One is to just start hiking, another is to get the AMC shuttle to one of a number of different trail heads. Keep in mind camping is limited and using only offical campsites is encouraged, most which require a fee. If you do a presidental traverse, the best way to do that is by paying the big bucks to stay at the AMC huts. Trying to avoid the huts is just too much hassle, especially if your not intimately familer with the area. Your spending a lot of money to come out here anyway, so no sense trying to be cheap once you get here.

Doing the Mahoosucs on is likely out of the question. It takes at least 3 days for a very fit hiker to get from Gorham to Grafton Notch and then there is no way to get back to Gorham except for hitch hiking, which could take a few hours to all day.

What I would do is start at Pinkham and do the hut to hut hike through to Franconia Notch. Yes it will be expensive but that way you can carry a light pack, take your time and enjoy the trip.

If you don't want to pay for the huts, then head north from Gorham and skip the Whites. Hike to Andover, ME where you can get shuttled back to Gorham (the shuttle may cost as much as $100). Gorham to Andover would be about 5 days for a strong hiker.

rafe
03-06-2014, 18:03
There's a side trail to the southern/western end of Mahoosuc Notch as I recall. Via AT, the notch is tough to get to -- northbound from Gorham probably 2 days in, or sobo from Grafton Notch, up over Speck and then down South Arm -- one long day.

Lots of slackpacking / lodging opportunities near Andover ME, at least there used to be. The stretch from Grafton Notch to ME Rte. 17 is very pretty. As is the stretch from Gorham to Grafton Notch, for that matter.

Curious why OP is coming to the Whites to hike? There's some beautiful stuff out in OR and southern WA. Mt. Adams, South Sister, etc. Unless it's to get a taste of east coast vs. west coast hiking.

Surridge
03-06-2014, 18:26
I am coming out for a wedding in Western Mass. Will definitely be spending the rest of the summer hiking in OR/WA. Thank you for suggestions.

Slo-go'en
03-06-2014, 23:20
I am coming out for a wedding in Western Mass. Will definitely be spending the rest of the summer hiking in OR/WA. Thank you for suggestions.

Vermont is pretty nice too and you don't have all the hassels of the camping restrictions in the Whites. If you arrive a week before the wedding, you could take a bus from Boston to Willimstown, MA which is right on the MA/VT line and 2.5 miles from the AT, hike north for the 6 days and have someone from the wedding party go pick you up and shuttle you back. Logistically, that would be a lot easier - and a lot less expensive if that is of any concern.

rafe
03-06-2014, 23:48
Franconia Ridge on a good day is worth checking out, though. For sure. It's easily done as a day hike. Easy access, right off I-93.

To follow slo-go'en's suggestion -- if you're looking for something to compare with the Whites, the Long Trail from Camelback northward is a serious kick, and for sure less crowded than the beauty spots in the Whites. Email the GMC directly for names and phone numbers of LT shuttlers. They respond quickly with good info. Good folks.

The AT in southern VT is not the most exciting stretch of trail, especially the first couple of days heading north out of Williamstown (North Adams.) If you're used to Oregon hiking views, it might be a letdown.

Slo-go'en
03-07-2014, 11:46
The AT in southern VT is not the most exciting stretch of trail, especially the first couple of days heading north out of Williamstown (North Adams.) If you're used to Oregon hiking views, it might be a letdown.

The whole AT could be a let down compared to Oregon views, but hiking through the northern borial forest has its own rewards too. I was going to suggest Mt Mansfield down through Mt Abraham as this streach has the best views, but it would be a little harder to get to without arranging for a shuttle.

FarmerChef
03-07-2014, 12:47
I second the opinion to hike Vermont instead of the whites if money/complications are an issue. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the weather. I booked it through the whites in 6 days doing big miles most of those days. BUT, and it's a big one, if rain was forecast for the day. We stayed put. Visibility is cut severely at altitude where the next blaze could be several hundred yards away on open terrain with no visible trail to follow. Not to mention some of the climbs/descents are very steep and can become dangerous in the rain. In actuality, we were in the Whites for 9 days total but only hiked 6 of them due to the weather. If you really want to get out and enjoy the trail without necessarily needing to stop, that's another vote for the AT in Vermont or the Long Trail.

We stayed at a time share and had friends shuttle us up for 2 day sections at a time allowing us to go notch to notch (off), notch to notch (off) and so on. It also allowed us to cherry pick which days we hiked what, especially Mt. Washington. If something like that is an option for you, it might be another great way to see the Whites. You can check out my trailjournal here (http://trailjournals.com/geigers) to read how we did it. Look at the entries for August of this year.

Finally, if you're not a thru and can't work for stay it is possible to make it through the Whites on campsites (and their associated fees) alone. Not easy but possible. Don't overlook hostels near some of the road crossings either for more logistical options.

Surridge
03-07-2014, 14:32
Thanks everyone. Very helpful. I hiked 500 miles of the AT in 2012 so do understand the differences in "scenery" which is what draws me to the whites. How are the bugs in late June? Anyone know the furthest south stop the amc bus would drop off, or at least south of franconia ridge?

Slo-go'en
03-07-2014, 15:01
I'm pretty sure you can find the AMC shuttle schedule on thier web site, which would be better then hearsay. They only make two loops a day so you'll need to get the schedule for figuring that out. The shuttle is primarly to service the trail heads up to thier huts, so keep that in mind too.

As far as bugs in late June, won't know until it happens. They could be mostly gone or they could be at thier peak, or most likely somewhere in between. It all depends on how the spring weather goes. It would be wise to have a tent and a head net, just in case.

Surridge
04-07-2014, 13:36
Just curious of water availability on the pemi loop. I have the AT mileage breakdown but curious how readily water is available on the remainder of the loop. Thanks,

Slo-go'en
04-07-2014, 16:27
Since much of that hike is above tree line along the ridge line, water will be primarly found at the shelter sites. You'll need to carry enough to get you through the day. Don't count on finding any along the way, although that might be possible in a few places. Weeps can pop up in strange places early in the season just after the snow has melted.

cabbagehead
04-08-2014, 22:25
I don't know how this helps, but Dartmouth College has a cheap buss that goes from Boston to Hanover NH. I guess you could go to Nawford's Crotch.

Surridge
06-23-2014, 14:32
Thanks for all the BETA guys. Great trip. Started in Gorham heading south on the AT. Stuck the AT, hitting the summits of the presi's. Had great weather for Washington. From Mt. Guyout I headed south on the Bondcliff trail, traversing the Bonds in high wind and rain. Epic hike. Went back up Frnaconia brook trail to Garfield Ridge. Finished the hike up with Franconia ridge into Lincoln. The Whites are incredibly fun, engaging hiking. Highly recommend.