Mt. Washington> Jefferson> Adams> Madison

[BobbyNoel]

Hi:
I'm about to go from Pinkham Notch to Lakes of the Clouds then to Madison Hut and back to Pinkham in three days. Any suggestions about trail? I did the 70+ mile AT through the Smokys in May and have planned the Mt. Washington thru Madison section two weeks from now. Trail suggestions or anything else to note?

Rob
Fort Lauderdale

[Appalachian Tater]

Gloves might come in handy for hanging on to the cheese-grater rocks if it's windy. Seriously.

That's a beautiful section of trail--enjoy it.

[big_muddy]

I just got done with a section hike, Hanover to Pinkham Notch. I would say the section you are planning on doing is quite difficult. Pinkham Notch to Osgood is good trail. After that you will be above treeline and doing mainly hard class 2 bouldering the entire time. Are you doing Pinkham Notch to Lakes via a blue blaze or the white blaze? If white you're looking at a very long and hard day that may be impossible if the weather is bad. If you are blue blazing, to Lakes, then if the weather is descent you will be able to easily do the 6-7 miles from Lakes to Madison. Croo at Madison is very nice, I didn't get to meet the Lakes croo but have heard they are really good to AT hikers.

[Peaks]

It's a popular trip. There are several trails possibilities. Perhaps my best suggestion is to go to the trails information desk when you arrive at Pinkham and discuss your options with the volunteer on duty. They should be able to explain the options and help you select ones that are best for your abilitiy.

Gear? As always, be prepared for cold, wind, and wet, and hope for the best.

[oldbear]

Just adding my $.02 worth .The Boott Spur Trail from Pinkhmam to Lakes is a really great trail that almost nobody uses. Once you leave the Tucks trail a short distance out of Pinkham there is no more water enroute but that's the only negative .

[Kerosene]

I like oldbear's suggestion to take Boott Spur Trail up to LOTC. If the weather cooperates you should be able to get Madison Hut the next day, and then back down to Pinkham Notch the following day along either the Osborne Ridge or Madison Gulf trails. Here is a link to my AT journal (see Days 6-9). Don't underestimate the difficulty of this hike, or the impact of the weather. Signage and blazing is lacking in some areas; bring a map to avoid what happened to this guy, or worse.

[Mr. Clean]

I was going to suggest Boott Spur as well, but Lions head would be another option. Lotsa trails to hike. I'd also look at the 3-D model of the Presidentials in the AMC store before you decide.
Again, this is an aggressive hike. Pray for good weather.

[Tobit]

Again, this is an aggressive hike. Pray for good weather.

Pray for the best, expect the worst.

- T