Chris, your blog is awesome. Great info, photos and wisdom from experience. We are coming from Texas this summer 2014 and wanting to do a 3-4 day backpack in the White Mountains. We are fit and seasoned. We are hoping for prime scenery and no crowds. What do you think would be a good White Mountain experience for our trip?
You could do a three or four day Pemi Loop. There will be some parts of the trail where you'll run into hikers and other parts where you will not see anyone. But it's a popular summer loop and the thru-hikers will be on it in the summer, too.
You can head into the Pemigewasset Wilderness and hike Bondcliff, Bond, and West Bond and stay at the Guyot tenstsite. From there you can head over to South Twin, down to Galehead and down to 13 Falls Tentsite and then head over to Owl's Head or back out to your car. Or you can go from Bond and head over to Zealand Notch and head back through Shoal Pond or Thoreau Falls Trails (not a lot of people hike these trails even though they're right off the A.T.).
If you want big views and rugged terrain head into the Great Gulf Wilderness and set up a base camp somewhere in the woods about five miles in. Then, one day you can head up the Great Gulf headwall and down the Sphinx Trail. And head up the Six Husbands Trail and back around using the Buttress or the Osgood Trail on another day.
Those are just a couple of options. During the summer there are times where you will not see people and other times you will see quite a few, especially along the Appalachian Trail and Mount Washington. During the week there would be nobody in the Great Gulf in the Presi Range or the Shoal Pond - Thoreau Falls area of the Pemi Wilderness. The weather in the Presidential Range above treeline can be tame or wild in the summer, one day it can be 60 degrees and sunny and the next be just above freezing, no visibility and very windy. Both are a lot of fun!
If you have any other questions please email me at cdailey@hpearce.com
You're welcome, Wendy! Glad you could find some helpful things for planning out your trip up to the Whites in August. Hope you have a great time hiking :)
Beautiful pics. And beautiful dog. We have a doodle as well. Amazing dogs. Can you recommend a good loop in the Whites that would help us to bang out a few 4000 footers? We did the Kate Sleeper loop last year and we're looking for something 20-30 miles.
Off the top of my head you could do a Little River Valley Loop. Starting from the end of Haystack Road you hike North and South Twin, Zealand and Hale, then come down the old Fire Wardens Trail.
Another good Loop is to combine the Willey Range (Tom / Willey / Field) drop back down to Crawford Notch and add on Jackson and Pierce, and even Einsenhower if you'd like.
Hope you and your dooodle have some great hikes this summer!
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Thanks for the great pictures and hike descriptions. See you on the trails!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Owen! See you out there!
DeleteChris, your blog is awesome. Great info, photos and wisdom from experience. We are coming from Texas this summer 2014 and wanting to do a 3-4 day backpack in the White Mountains. We are fit and seasoned. We are hoping for prime scenery and no crowds. What do you think would be a good White Mountain experience for our trip?
ReplyDelete-thepathfindr
Hi thepathfindr!
DeleteYou could do a three or four day Pemi Loop. There will be some parts of the trail where you'll run into hikers and other parts where you will not see anyone. But it's a popular summer loop and the thru-hikers will be on it in the summer, too.
You can head into the Pemigewasset Wilderness and hike Bondcliff, Bond, and West Bond and stay at the Guyot tenstsite. From there you can head over to South Twin, down to Galehead and down to 13 Falls Tentsite and then head over to Owl's Head or back out to your car. Or you can go from Bond and head over to Zealand Notch and head back through Shoal Pond or Thoreau Falls Trails (not a lot of people hike these trails even though they're right off the A.T.).
If you want big views and rugged terrain head into the Great Gulf Wilderness and set up a base camp somewhere in the woods about five miles in. Then, one day you can head up the Great Gulf headwall and down the Sphinx Trail. And head up the Six Husbands Trail and back around using the Buttress or the Osgood Trail on another day.
Those are just a couple of options. During the summer there are times where you will not see people and other times you will see quite a few, especially along the Appalachian Trail and Mount Washington. During the week there would be nobody in the Great Gulf in the Presi Range or the Shoal Pond - Thoreau Falls area of the Pemi Wilderness. The weather in the Presidential Range above treeline can be tame or wild in the summer, one day it can be 60 degrees and sunny and the next be just above freezing, no visibility and very windy. Both are a lot of fun!
If you have any other questions please email me at cdailey@hpearce.com
Hi Chris - Thank you for all the trail descriptions - Planning out some hikes in August, this is very helpful. Great resource ! Wendy
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Wendy! Glad you could find some helpful things for planning out your trip up to the Whites in August. Hope you have a great time hiking :)
DeleteBeautiful pics. And beautiful dog. We have a doodle as well. Amazing dogs.
ReplyDeleteCan you recommend a good loop in the Whites that would help us to bang out a few 4000 footers?
We did the Kate Sleeper loop last year and we're looking for something 20-30 miles.
Hi Todd!,
DeleteOff the top of my head you could do a Little River Valley Loop. Starting from the end of Haystack Road you hike North and South Twin, Zealand and Hale, then come down the old Fire Wardens Trail.
Another good Loop is to combine the Willey Range (Tom / Willey / Field) drop back down to Crawford Notch and add on Jackson and Pierce, and even Einsenhower if you'd like.
Hope you and your dooodle have some great hikes this summer!