Tag Archives: white mountains

Hiking the Pemi Loop – 3 Day Backpacking Trip

Posted on by
12

Come along for 3 Days of Hammock Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking on a classic Pemi Loop in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

The Pemi Loop, made popular by it’s distinction as one of “America’s Hardest Day Hikes” in a May, 2005 Backpacker Magaizine article, is not actually an “official” trail, but rather a series of AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) trails joined to create a 31.5 mile tear drop shaped loop in New Hampshire’s Franconia Wilderness Area.  GPS track data is available on the Trip Data page.

For this hike, I’ll be solo hammock camping with my Hennessy Hammock and the larger 12′ x 10′ Deluxe Hex Tarp, due to the threat of cold and wet late summer weather. In the White Mountains, weather can turn on a dime even with the brightest of forecasts, so when the weather report actually says things are going to be iffy, you’d better take it seriously. For this trip we’ll experience a wide range of conditions – from hazy summer heat, to gusty bursts of hail and chilling nighttime lows.

Sintax77 Pemi Loop Route

An aerial view of my 3 Day Pemi Loop route.

Gear List Highlights:
Hennessy Expedition Asym Hammock
Hennessy Deluxe Hex Tarp equipped with
Zing-it guy lines & Dutchware Wasps for quick, knot-free setup
Hammock Gear Incubator 40 underquilt
Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Topquilt
Osprey Hornet 46 Backpack
Fenix HL25 Headlamp
DIY Cookpot w/ DIY cat can alcohol stove
Ribz Front Pack for Carrying Camera Gear
Samsung H300 HD Camera (3 spare batteries), GoPro Hero 3 Black, RAVpower      10,400mAh USB battery pack, Garmin 650 GPS

Pemi Loop Direction:
Clockwise

Parking and Start Point:
Lincoln Woods Visitor Center N44° 03.820′ W71° 35.300′

Trails Used, Day 1:
Lincoln Woods Trail
Osseo Trail
Franconia Ridge Trail
Garfield Ridge Trail
Setup Stealth Camp
Summits: Mt Flume, Mt Liberty, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette
Mileage: 11.5 Miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 5,787′
Pemi Loop Day 1 Graph - Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 2:
Garfield Ridge Trail
Twinway Trail
Bondcliff Trail
West Bond Spur Trail
Bondcliff Trail
Lincoln Woods Trail
Setup Stealth Camp
Summits: Mt Garfield, South Twin Mountain, Mt Guyot, West Bond Mountain, Mt Bond, Bondcliff
Mileage:17 Miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 4,659′
Pemi Loop Day 2 Graph - Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 3:
Lincoln Woods Trail
Return to Car
Mileage: 4.5 Miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 62′
Pemi Loop Day 3 Graph - Sintax77

3 Day Pemi Loop Trip Totals:
Mileage: 32.5 Miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 10,508′
Pemi Loop Trip Total Graph - Sintax77

 

High Winds Hiking – Winter Camping in the White Mountains

Posted on by
6

Join us for some Winter Camping and high winds Backpacking in the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

For this backpacking trip, we’ll be hiking the Pemigewasset Wilderness, within New Hampshire’s White Mountains National Forest. Our primary summits of choice will be the Twin Mountains – specifically, North Twin Mountain, and South Twin Mountain.
Continue reading →

Solo Hiking the White Mountains – Backpacking the Presicat Loop

Posted on by
2

Join me for 3 days of hiking, backpacking, and stealth camping in the White Mountains.

For this late Summer trip (August), I’ll be going for the full range of White Mountains backpacking and hiking experiences. From the seclusion of rugged wilderness areas, to the tourist laded summit of Mount Washington. Encompassing both the western and eastern sides of Rt 16, the goal is to complete a 3 day loop comprised of the Presidential Range, Tuckerman Ravine, Wildcat Range, and the Carter-Moriah Range before returning to the car.

If you’re interested in the gear, you can check out my full Ultralight Backpacking Gear List Video

The 11lb base weight system seen in that video is identical to my system for this trip with the exception of the following changes which increased the base weight by about 2.5 lbs:

Fleece Sleeping bag (21oz) replaced with Suisse Sport 30 degree mummy bag. (3lbs)
Mont-bell Ultralight Down Parka (9oz) was brought for additional warmth.

I carried around 7lbs food and water (usually only 1 liter), so total pack weight was still around 20 lbs or so.

GPS Tracking Data for Entire Trip is Available for download on the Trip Data page.
**Tracks for each day end on the trail prior to picking a specific campsite. Recording is resumed on the beginning of each day, back on the trail from night before.

Parking: Imp Trail head 44°19’23.40″N 71°13’0.99″W
(**not starting on Imp trail, this will be the finish)

Trails Used (in order):

Day 1
Road Hike to Dolly Copp Campground
Begin on Daniel Webster-Scout Trail
Osgood Trail
Gulfside Trail (passing Madison Spring Hut on descent)
Mt Jefferson Loop Trail
Return to Gulfside Trail
Sphinx Trail
Stealth Camp towards bottom of Sphinx Trail in the Great Gulf Wilderness
Daily Totals: 11.40 Miles, 6,008 feet elevation gain

Day2
Back up Sphinx Trail
Gulfside Trail
Trinity Heights Connector (to Mt Washington Summit)
Tuckerman Ravine Trail
Lions Head Trail
Alpine Garden Trail
Tuckerman Ravine Trail
Grab a drink at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and cross Rt 16 to
Lost Pond Trail
Wildcat Ridge Trail
Stealth Camp before getting to Carter Notch Hut
Daily Totals: 13.80 Miles , 6,755 feet elevation gain

Day 3
Carter-Moriah Trail
Carter Dome Trail
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Totals: 8.77 miles, 2,471 feet elevation gain

Trip Grand Totals: 34 Miles, 15,234 feet elevation gain.


Summit’s for this Trip in order:
Mt Madison, Mt Jefferson, Mt Washington, Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat Mountain, Carter Dome, Mt Hight

Camera Used: Samsung H-300

Feedback! White Mountains Backpacking Trip Ideas – 2 Nights & 3 Days of Hiking

Posted on by
8

Planning for a hiking & backpacking trip to the White Mountains National Forest, in New Hampshire.

My plan is to do a 3 day, 2 night Summer loop hike somewhere in the White Mountain National Forest, hiking around 10 – 15 miles per day, depending on trail conditions and possible camping spots.

I’m looking for feedback and ideas if you’ve got ’em!