New Hampshire's White mountains in Septe mber

“My new job is going to cut my trip short. The college I'll be teaching at starts classes early (August 28th). I told them I would likely have to miss a day or two after labor day.

I'm still planning on joining everybody late Friday (8/31). The classes I teach are in the morning. I'll probably get off the trail on Tuesday (9/4) or Wed (9/5).

How are other people's plans shaping up?”

“If you can still pick me up at the Airport, I recon I'm on your schedual Ped.”

“No big changes for me. In late Friday night and a week off. Dude pick your return flight for whenevfer you feel like it. I can make sure that you are taken back to the airport. It is the least that I can do for all the great hospitality that you showed me during the Savage gulf trip.”

“I'll plan on picking you up dude, Friday Manchester 12:48? Mebbe you can give me an update on the flight info when we get close to the time.

I'm glad Sirpete can take you back.”

“ok folks were back. M&M it would be great to see you with us in September. Uphill I hope you are going too! Now that I have reminded myself of what the Whites are like I think we will better be able to plan this trip. Pedxing, Madriver and AmyG will be able to give great input also.”

“cool - keep us posted”

“FYI - I'll be coming up from NJ - Can swing by Boston Airport for fly ins”

“m&m
I might take you up on that. I was going to have to fly into NJ and then go to Manchester. If I can catch a ride with you that would eliminate a chance of loosing my pack at the airport.

Sirpete
WHAT ABOUT RICKY RUDD!!!!!! YOHOOOOOOO!!!”

“oh yeah buddy!!!!!! nothing like beatin the boy who just beat you the week before.”

“We need to lock down some dates for this trip so I can plan for Vacation time & book a flight.”

“WD I thought the dates were set. Aug 31-Sept7,8.
My plans are to do this hike and then head up north and see what Nova Scotia has to offer, then mosey back south most likly along the coast and eat seafood! I am pumped for the WHITES Yo bear!”

“I think the Friday Aug 31 start date is set. We'd talked about 9/6 being the final day. I know I'm leaving by Wed or Tuesday, but Sirpete is staying longer.”

“jerbear, I did the trip you are talking about last year that time frame, and it was great, but I needed two weeks, not one. In Nova Scotia I stayed at a B&B in Mahone Bay between Lunenberg and Peggy's Cove, called Bayview Pines Country Inn. Very nice, sits up high on a hill overlooking the bay, has 44 acres of woods behind it. The southern coast of the island is very blah. The middle to upper reaches is craggier and has more interesting beaches. Cape Breton Island and the Bay of Fundy near the land bridge are very scenic.

I loved Maine too, around Belfast, Rockland, Penobscot Bay, Boothbay Harbor and Monhegan Island. Acadia is great but still a bit crowded that time of year. I didn't camp on this trip, stayed at midpriced hotels with indoor pools for the kids. Belfast has a Comfort Inn that was very new and on the bay. We spent a lot of time hunting down lighthouses and hiking out to them.”

“We're hoping to go to NH and Maine that same week, but I'm afraid we are not up to the experience levels the rest of you are. We will not try to join the TT hike.”

“If its alright with you guys, I might ask my hiking partner to go. She's real low key - expierenced - has done the Whites before. Likes Merlot.”

“Och!”

“heheheh...Mad, yer bringing the Merlot again, right?
;o)”

“Merlot - yes; water, food, tent, stove -no!”

“LyndyS- I may stay a month! Who knows!”

“Everyone is certainly invited to go but keep in mind that these mountains are steep! I think that we should start on Saturday morning Sept 1st at Franconia notch and hike over to Crawford in about 3 days. We can park one or more cars there and resupply ourselves with food and clean clothing etc. that way we don't have to carry so much with us. Anyone who wants to cut it short can bail out there. From there I think we should head north up towards Mt Washington. We can go over Washington and head down the Great gulf Wilderness trail and camp our last night just below the Sphinx trail. The next morning we can head out to Pinkham hotch and leave from there. This should take about 6 days. what are your thoughts folks.....amount of time....where we are going...what do you think?

I will start going over the milage tonight and see what it adds up to I don't think we should plan days longer than 7-8 miles up there, what do you think Amy..Ped..Telemark where are you?”

“Your gonna make us wait 3 days to do Mt Washington?!?!
What about Jefferson, Adams, & Madison. We are going to hike them too....Right?”

“I love da plan as long as we get to make it all the way to Madison. We could take the AT down to Pinkham Notch for there.”

“According to the 2001 AT Data Book, if we go from Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch sticking to the AT, that will be 53.7 miles. Not counting side trips. How many days will we need to cover this?
Taking into consideration the ups & downs and rough terraine, I figure I could do it about 4 days. What about yall?”

“WD that is doable but it is going to take all 6 days to do it. It doesn't seem like a lot of ground to cover in a day now and on paper but it will when you get up there. Especially with others. You may be able to do it yourself but that doesn't mean that those with you will. Fortunately there are many bailout trails up there and we don't have to all go that far to end up in the same place. lets consider the Plan that you spoke of. As far as saving Washington for later in the trip...it may be the Tallest Mt on the trip but once you get up there the summits are all spectacular, Washington is overrated and overcrowded with tourists coming up by walk, train and by car. That Northern section has about a dozen or more trails that lead down to Pinkham....good plan but plan on 6 days and we can get it done for sure”

“Have you studied which campsites we'd be staying at yet? I looked over it and some look about the right distance but others look either too close or too far apart. Lets try to hammer out an intenerary.”

“"...53.7 miles. Taking into consideration the ups & downs and rough terraine, I figure I could do it about 4 days. What about yall?"

bwaHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA! 4 Days?!?! You are CRAZEEEEEE, Dude!

I'm skeert!
>8-P


BTW, Pete et al, I posted some pics from Lonesome Lake and the baths...the link is on the other whites thread. Just in case you missed it.
:o)”

“Sounds like a plan to me! I'm down and ready, Now a new backpack.......Kelty cloud 4500!!! Will be sellin my new gregory wind river!”

“LOL by all means Amy let your feelings out....don't hold back please!”

“I'm in for whatever. I'll suck it up. Picking up maps at Campmor this Saturday. Study up on whats what.

Mileage 4/53.7 is fine - but whats the elevation gain?? That's what gets me down. We usually do 6-12 miles in the catskills with no problem - Devils pass or Whittenburg- Cornell- Slide routes. I know the Whites are harder. About the same in Philmont and Colorado. Sounds like 5-6 days seem better in case of weather / time with elevation.

You guys will know best - I'm in for the ride.”

“I think we need to build in options in our itinerary. I think Sirpete and some others will be pleasantly surprised by the mileage we can make when we aren't doing 4500 feet of elevation gain in a day.”

“I completely agree with ya Ped about that. I have no concerns about the milage and how long it takes to get there. The only restraint is getting down off the mt to get people back to the airport. If we park cars at Crawford Notch and Pinkham it really doesn't matter how long it takes to get accross the top. If we do get there early we can do something else, camp out and peak bag a couple other pts, but I don't see us getting there early.”

“Yo sirpete
Amy don't think I could do it. You've seen me. What do you think?
I believe Miss G underestimates my uphill ability.
Only one person has EVER outdone me on a hill and that's Naked Ape.”

“(Speaking with gun to my head)


Hey Amy now that I think about it I think Walkindude can do that trip in 3 days!!!!!!!!”

“Good job. I'll put the gun up now. LOL”

“WD- This aint no eco-challange it is a backpacking trip! Smell the roses, relax. I will teach you how to enjoy the hike. Perhjaps I need to load you down with MY gear and let you Go to camp and set it up for me and have coffee and hostess cupcakes a waitin! LOL”

“ROTFLMMFAO!!!!!!!!!!
Jer, You da man!!!!!”

“WD-40 is getting a little defensive, eh? LOL!!!!”

“At my average rate, the trip Dude is talking about would take me four days. I'd be hustling to do it in three (17+ is a lot of daily miles for me) especially around the begining of September when the days aren't as long as they are now. I'd rather slow and do it in five than speed up and do it in three.”

“Dude -- read from this site to get a practical idea of times and distances:”

“Sorry --

Forgot to do my primtive cut and paste first:

http://www.lexicomm.com/trail/nh/index.html


It is clear that you can do the WHOLE presidential range in one day. Starting at 5 or 6 am and finishing at 7:30 pm. With LIGHT daypack (or less), in trail runners. There are a couple of college kids who regularly post their exploits on the website i just gave you.

The thru hikers who hit the Presidentials regularly skip a hut (ie hike from Madison to Mizpah instead of stopping over at Lakes) . . .of course, they have been trail conditioned for a few months and are packed very light.

I am NOT suggesting the Presidentials will kick your ass, they won't . . .but I think you do need to have a realistic appreciation for what can be done with a full backpack on, in a group.

I hiked Madison hut to Lakes last year. Carried about 55lb (all of my parents wet gear and extra clothes, plus mine). After Adams I left my parents on the Gulfside trail (circumnavigates the peaks) and was on my own for the day for the rest of the peaks. It was a great, but long day. And i was staying ON the ridge at Lakes of the Clouds. I did NOT have to descend from the ridge to a tent platform, set up camp etc etc.

I was 35, run 25 miles/ week and lift. Have little extra fat (5'8" 150 lb) and am in pretty good shape.

Set practical goals”

“Ooops somehow I had it in mind that Walkindude was talking about 3 days! I think 5 days is a reasonable goal.

I do like Sirpete's idea of prepositioning a car with supplies in the trunk. Maybe we can start posting itineraries.”

“Until someone posts a better plan (and I'm sure someone will), I have two alternate itineraries posted on 4/11/01 around 11PM. If anyone wants to scroll up, it might give you a basis for proposing alternative suggestions.”

“Until someone posts a better plan (and I'm sure someone will), I have two alternate itineraries posted on 4/11/01 around 11PM. If anyone wants to scroll up, it might give you a basis for proposing alternative suggestions.”

“I talked to sirpete on the phone last night. We're working on a plan and compiling milages that would work for everyone.
When I said I could do that distance in 4 days I was serious. I did not mean that that's what the plan should be. I can be a mile munching freak. Not bragging too much either but I can cruise up an incline with little effort. I suck wind just like everyone else at the start but once the lungs are open 100%, it's just a matter of nonstop pace.”

“ignore first post and try this link:

TELEMARKS PRESIDENTAIL TRAVERSE”

“thats better. check out these 2 links for a view of the trip and get a grip where we are going. Good night”

“AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!”