"Thousands of
tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to
the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.”
-John Muir
I’m very excited to announce that I will be visiting New
Hampshire and the White Mountains in just under a week! On the schedule is a
3-day backpacking trip across the Presidential Range. It will definitely be
nice to take a few days, get smelly and challenge my leg muscles again.
In many ways I do view this as going home. New Hampshire has
made me feel the most at home of all the places I have lived in the past few
years. And, although I don’t consider myself nerve-shaken, and very seldom
civilized, I do agree with Dear John that the wilderness is a necessity. There
is nothing quite like planning a foray into an area that few have truly
experienced. Part of the excitement of this trip is the unknowns. Last year I
was oblivious to many of the challenges involved with backpacking, but no
matter how well I plan, I expect I will still be learning over the course of
this hike. I believe there is an unending stream of knowledge in nature,
although many times we are too busy or too loud to notice it.
I am taking this trip solo; although not the original plan,
I think it will add to the adventure. When I last left you I had just had my first backpacking experience, hiking 9 more mountains on the AMC 4,000 footer list over the course of three days. The final count at the
end of Summer 2013 was 20 official 4,000 foot mountains, 3 unofficial. This
trip across the Presidential Range will add 8 more official mountains and 1
unofficial. Below is the list:
Mt. Jackson- 4052’
Mt. Pierce- 4310’
Mt. Eisenhower- 4780’
Mt. Franklin- 5001’ (unofficial)
Mt. Monroe- 5372’
Mt. Washington- 6288’
Mt. Jefferson- 5716’
Mt. Adams- 5799’
Mt. Madison- 5367’
My route will take me over the range from the South to the
North. Not many people do this direction, but I chose it because the elevation
gain is slightly less intense. My trip will also be different in another way:
I’m taking multiple days. I haven’t decided if it will be 2 or 3 days. Part of
that decision depends on weather and how my legs feel the first day. Many
people do the entire range in the course of one day, which is definitely a feat
to be admired, but considering I’m not crazy and not nearly as in shape as last
year this time, I am planning conservatively, leaving plenty of time for rests
and enjoying the scenery.
Depending on the exact trails I take, the estimated distance
is between 21 and 23 miles, not counting the distance needed to descend/ascend
for camping each night.
I got some very good advice from a hiking forum called Views
From the Top (VFTT.com) in regards to camping spots, one of the biggest issues
I realized in planning. Much of the route is on the ridgeline, which is great
for views if the weather is nice, but bad if the weather turns quickly, which
it is known to do. Being on the ridge also means I have to descend to tree line
(trees above 8ft) in order to camp per the Forest Service regulations. I will
be taking along my new camping hammock to help with the issue of finding flat
ground for a tent.
Drool worthy pictures to come after the trip!
