Suggestions for White Mountain Loop

[pattydivins]

Looking to hike for 3 days with my girlfriend in the White Mountains. Ideally the hike would be a loop, but I suppose we could take advantage of a trail shuttle if possible.

Also looking to potentially coordinate staying in a AMC hut at least one of the nights. However, this is not a requirement.

Any ideas on what the conditions would be like? Temperature highs and lows?

Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Thanks! :sun

[Humbuck]

My suggestion would be a three day from Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch, hitting the northern Presidentials. Leave your car at Pinkham Notch visitors center and get a shuttle back to Crawford. Our shuttle guy was Bruce "Golden Waldo" Feige and he only charged us $30 for the shuttle, but we tipped him a good bit extra. His # is (504) 615-9497 if you're interested.

I just did this stretch last week, as well as the Wildcats, Carters, and Moriah. The views were absolutely phenomenal.

If you want to pay to stay in a hut, better get on it. They fill us with reservations quick this time of year.

Have a good time!

[jakedatc]

1/2 pemi loop would have 2 options

Lincoln Woods > 13 Falls. then go north/west to liberty springs campsite then back out

or go 13 falls.. east to Guyot campsite and out across the Bonds out.

either way would be easy flat first day.. hard middle day and a moderate last day (little harder east)

a bit of info about your conditioning, mileage abilities might help too

[pattydivins]

How many miles is that? Is it a difficult hike?

[pattydivins]

I am a experienced hiker, capable of 20 miles a day I would say. However, I think hiking around 12 miles a day would be ideal for this trip. I am not sure how well my girlfriend would handle 3 big days in a row, so I would like to keep it in the 12mi range.

[jakedatc]

The full Pemi loop is like 35mi with a bunch of 4000 footers. i'm not sure what the half loops would be. do you have the AMC guide and/or the White Mountains 4000 footer map?(i really like this map since it has mileage on the trail sections)

[pattydivins]

I have the AMC white mountains map

[tdoczi]

1/2 pemi loop would have 2 options

Lincoln Woods > 13 Falls. then go north/west to liberty springs campsite then back out

or go 13 falls.. east to Guyot campsite and out across the Bonds out.

either way would be easy flat first day.. hard middle day and a moderate last day (little harder east)

a bit of info about your conditioning, mileage abilities might help too


in 3 days i think a fully pemi loop is perfectly reasonable actually. given your proclivity to long days i'm surprised youd recommend only doing half.

[jakedatc]

I'd do it in 3.. they didn't post what they and his gf could do so i gave easier options.

[pattydivins]

Any way to incorporate Franconia Ridge in a hike?

[tdoczi]

Any way to incorporate Franconia Ridge in a hike?

pemi loop includes franconia ridge

[tdoczi]

I'd do it in 3.. they didn't post what they and his gf could do so i gave easier options.


3!?!?! having done a 1 day presi traverse your next big challenge should be 1 day pemi loop. not saying i would ever attempt such a thing, but people do it. 2 days is something i may try one day. ive done franconia to crawford in 2 days, the loop would be 8 or 9 miles longer.

[jakedatc]

meh.. Presi in a day makes sense logistically with limited camping. Pemi loop in a day just turns into an ultamarathon type thing that i don't care about. the Pemi loop was one of my first backpack trips in HS so i've done it before as a 5 day with 1 day hike included. i have also done 13 falls for a weekend.

[pattydivins]

So after some research it turns out I have done the eastern half of this hike. Contemplating doing the western half. How far is it to Galehead hut on the first day going around either side?

[Slo-go'en]

Go up to Crag camp or Gray Knob or the Perch and spend a day or two day hiking up Madison, Adams and Jefferson. It's a stiff 3.5 mile hike to one of the three RMC camps, but once there you don't have to carry a full load around up above tree line. And at $13 per person per night, at Crag or Gray Knob is pretty reasonable and only $8 at the Perch.

Looks like this week will start out as being a bit on the warm and muggy side with chance of afternoon T storms.

[tdoczi]

galehead i'm pretty sure is almost exactly in the middle, so i'd say within a mile or 2 of 18 miles either direction.

[MamaBear]

You're right Galehead is about half way around Pemi Loop. It is not quite 17 miles from Lincoln Woods going clockwise (Fraconia Ridge, etc. first), and about 15 or so from LW going counterclockwise (Bonds/Guyot first, and depending on whether you do West Bond). I did a 2-day Pemi Loop, clockwise, and stayed at Galehead, and I'll say that facing the Garfield Ridge Trail with all its PUDS at the end of a long day wasn't easy.

I like Slo-go'en's ideas of going up to one of the RMC facilities - they're in such beautiful locations and he's right, you can leave the heavy stuff there and enjoy a wide variety of day hikes with amazing views and lighter packs. You get the benefit of having the choice to go above treeline or stay below and enjoy the many falls and cascades in the area.

[pattydivins]

I am thinking about going counter clockwise and staying at a small campsite on the hill leading up to Mt. Bond on the first night. Second night, hopefully being able to stay at Galehead. Third night we will likely stay at some halfway point between Galehead and the end of the trail. On the final day we will complete the hike.

[Driver8]

How about Franconia Ridge, up the AT routing past Liberty Spring tentsite, cutting over to tag Mt. Flume, back and up Franconia Ridge Trail over Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette, staying at the Greenleaf Hut? Down Greenleaf Trail, up Cannon, down to Kinsman Pond (there are a number of route options), then back to car. For day 3, you could do whatever you want - a Northern Presi hike, Washington - Tuckerman Ravine and Ammonoosuc Ravine are beautiful trails - Moosilauke.

[peakbagger]

Normal three day of Pemi loop is Lincoln Woods to Guyot first day, you will get in early, drop your gear then backtrack and do West Bond as a short hike near sunset bring headlamps and enjoy the show near sunset. Next day Guyot to Garfield Shelter, then last day Garfield to Lincoln woods (long day). If you do galehead hut then you are way to close to Garfield so you have a long walk to Lbierty Springs Shlter the next day and a short day out the last day.

[Tom Murphy]

I am thinking about going counter clockwise and staying at a small campsite on the hill leading up to Mt. Bond on the first night. Second night, hopefully being able to stay at Galehead. Third night we will likely stay at some halfway point between Galehead and the end of the trail. On the final day we will complete the hike.

Once you hit Bondcliff trail, about 6 miles in, there are few legal campsites before Guyot and they are not easy to see from the trail
Guyot fiils up quickly on the weekends.
Check availability of resevations at Galehead hut now, I suspect it may be full.
Between Galehead and LW trail head is Liberty springs site or down low on Osseo trail

One idea might be 13 Falls the first day, no real elevation but a nice forest walk.
Then up Twin Brook to South Twin and over to Guyot on day 2.
Final day is the hike out with a long long break on Bondcliff.