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Archive for July, 2011

White Mountain National Forest Adventure

Posted in Travels, tagged , , , , , , , on July 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 This is the itineray I designed for a 20 day Hiking Visit to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine. As much as possible I have avided the Appalachian Trail Route as I believe it to be over-crowded.

Phase One: Sandwich to Waterville Valley (3 days)

  1. Mead Base to Mt. Israel Summit via Wentworth Trail: 2.1 miles, 2 hours (pg. 367)
  1. Mt. Israel Summit to Guinea Pond Trail via Mead Trail: 1.7 miles, 1 hour 25 mins (pg. 366)
  1. Guinea Pond Trail to McCrillis Trail via Flat Mountain Pond Trail [Whiteface River water source): 3.6 miles, 4 hours 15 mins (pg. 362) CAMP
  1. Flat Mountain Pond Trail to Mt. Whiteface Summit via McCrillis Trail: 3.2 miles 3 hours (pg. 417) Lower part lightly used, follow with care
  1. Mt. Whiteface Summit to Tripyramid Trail via Kate Sleeper Trail [Water source on Downes Brook Trail north of its junction with Kate Sleeper Trail]: 3.3 miles 2 hours 15 mins (pg. 419)
  1. Kate Sleeper Trail to Livermoor trail via Mt. Tripyramid Trail [Water source at cold brook after 1.5 miles]: 2.3 miles 1 hour 30 mins (pg. 353CAMP
  1. Livermoor Trail to Waterville Valley via Livermoor trail (0.8 miles pg.352), Norway rapids trail (0.5 miles), Cascades Trail, service road above cascades down to Greeley ledges trail and on to Waterville. CAMP in Waterville camp ground. Restock.

Phase Two: Waterville Valley to Bartlett (5 days)

  1. Waterville Valley to Kancamagus Highway via Livermoor trail (0.3 miles from parking on Livermoor Road) then Greeley Ponds Trail: 5.4 miles 3hours 15 minutes pg. 349
  1. Kancamagus Highway to Cedar Brook Trail via Highway (to hairpin bend) then the Hancock Notch Trail [lots of water here]: 1.8 miles 1 hour (pg.232)
  1. Cedar Brook Trail to Hancock Loop Trail via Cedar Brook Trail: 0.7 miles 30 mins.
  1. Make Camp at junction of Cedar brook and Hancock Loop trail [water source here], then hike loop trail over Mt. Hancock via Hancock Loop trail: 4.8 miles 3 hours 30 mins (pg. 233)
  1. Hancock Loop trail to Wilderness Trail via Cedar Brook Trail: 5.4 miles, 3 hours (pg.230)
  1. Cedar Brook Trail to Bondcliff Trail via Wilderness Trail: 0.7 miles 30 mins (pg. 200)
  1. Wilderness Trail to Goyout Campsite via Bondcliff Trail [from wilderness trail 2nd brook crossing at 1.9 miles is last reliable water – there is water at the campsite supposedly]: 6.3 miles, 4 hours 50 mins (pg. 211) CAMP
  1. Boncliff Trail to Ethan Pond Trail via Twinway trail: 4.4 miles, 2 hours 30 mins (pg. 183)
  1. Twinway trail to Thoreau Falls Trail via Ethan Pond trail: 2.1 miles 1 hour 15 mins (pg. 194)
  1. Ethan Pond Trail to Wilderness trail via Thoreau Falls trail [plenty of water]: 5.1 miles 3 hours. 0.4 miles before wilderness trail junction is a bridge, consider retracing steps to make camp as camping not allowed along wilderness trail or within 0.25 miles of Perigewasset River. If energy levels good follow wilderness trail 2.9 miles to Stillwater Junction and make camp there.
  1. Thoreau Falls Trail to Stillwater Junction via Wilderness trail: 2.6 miles 1 hour 30 mins (pg. 200)
  1. Stillwater Junction to Desolation Trail via Carrigain Notch trail [water here]: 08. miles 30 mins (pg. 228)
  1. Carrigain Notch Trail to Mt. Carrigain Summit via Desolation trail: 1.9 miles, 2 hours 30 mins (pg.228)
  1. Mt Carrigain Summit to Sawyer Pond Road via Signal Ridge Trail: 5 miles, 4 hours. CAMP 0.2 miles north of road near Whiteface Brook – nice cascades
  1. Sawyer River Road to Sawyer River Trail via Sawyer River Road; 1.5 miles (approx.), 1 hour
  1. Sawyer River Road to Brunel Trail via Sawyer Pond (1.5 miles) Sawyer Pond Trail: 4.9 miles, 3 hours (pg.237)
  1. Sawyer Pond Trail to Mt. Tremont Summit via Brunel Trail: 3.9 miles, 3hours (pg. 239) May be hard to follow – if impossible then head down Rob Brook trail and camp in Jigger Jonson campground Passaconway and rethink.
  1. Mt Tremont Summit to US302 via Mount Tremont Trail; 2.8 miles 2 hour 40 mins CAMP – try to get all way down trail and turn left on highway to find Fourth Iron Tentsite. If not camp on Tremont trail and head down in the morning
  1. Rest day. Go to Barlett and get supplies

Phase Three Bartlett to Gorham (5 days)

  1. Bartlett to Mount Parker Trail via Mt. Langdon Trail: 2.5 miles 2 hours (pg. 66)
  1. Mt. Langdon trail to Davis Path via Moutn Parker trail and summit [Water close to Mt. Resolution Shelter – possibly the last source]: 4.3 miles 3hours (pg. 67)
  1. Mount Parker Trail to Isolation Trail (East)  via Davis Path Trail [possible water before Mt. Davis, and between Davis and Isolation]: 6.9 miles 4 hours 20 mins (pg. 58) CAMP If possible camp down Isolation trail at water source


  1. Davis Path to Rocky Branch Trail via Isolation Trail: 2.6 miles 1hour 50 mins (pg. 65)
  1. Isolation Trail to US 16 via Rocky Branch Trail: 3.7 miles 2 hours 50 mins (pg. 64) Crossing river at Isolation/Rocky junction may be difficult. Might be possible to backtrack up isolation and cross to the east and bushwack down to meet Rocky trail.
  1. US 16 to Carter Notch Road via Hall’s Ledge Trail (follow road east a short distance): 3.3 miles 2 hours 25 mins (pg. 467)
  1. Carter Notch Road to Wild River Trail via Bog Brook Trail 2.8 miles 1 hour 45 mins (pg. 464) CAMP
  1. Bog Brook Trail to Rainbow Trail via Wild River Trail: 0.7 miles 30 mins (pg. 446)
  1. Wild River Trail to Carter Dome Summit via Rainbow Trail: 2.5 miles 2 hours 30 mins (pg. 464)
  1. Carter Dome Summit to Highwater Trail via Carter-Moriah Trail (0.4 miles) to junction with Black Angel Trail, then Black Angel Trail: 4.8 miles, 4 hours (pg. 450)
  1. Black Angel Trail to Moriah Brook Trail via Highwater Trail: 2.6 miles 1.45 mins Moriah Brook may be hard to cross. CAMP in or near Wild River Campground (pg. 448)
  1. Highwater Trail to Carter Moriah Trail via Moriah Brook Trail: 5.5 miles 3 hours 45 mins [get water for the day] (pg. 449)
  1. Moriah Brook Trail to Mt. Moriah Summit via Carter-Moriah Trail: 1.4 miles 1 hour 20 mins (pg. 439)
  1. Mount Moriah to Gorham via Carter-Moriah Trail: 4.5 miles (pg. 439) CAMP near Mt. Surprise and head to Gorham in the morning
  1. Gorham Rest Day. Restock. May need to re-camp at Mt. Surprise unless I can get a ride to the Rattle River Trail.

Phase Four Gorham to Conway (6 days)

  1. Gorham to Mt. Mariah via Carter-Moriah trail (unless ride available to Rattle river): 4.5 miles, 4 hours (pg. 439)
  1. Carter Moriah Trail to Shelburne Trail via Kenduskeag Trail: 4.1 miles 2 hours 30 mins
  1. Kenduskeag Trail to Highwater Trail via Shelburne Trail 3 miles 1 hour 30 mins (pg. 445) CAMP near river.
  1. Shelburne Trail to Wild River Road via Highwater Trail: 5.3 miles 2 hours 45 mins (pg. 448)
  1. Follow road south approx 3 miles (ride if possible) to Haystack Notch Trail: 1 hour 30 mins
  1. Wild River Road to Miles Notch Trail via Haystack Notch trail: 5.4 miles 3 hours (pg. 487) CAMP if possible to reach Miles Notch then follow 0.9 miles South to the WMNF otherwise stop after 4.4 miles (1 mile after Pleasant River crossing) near brook before entering private land. Water at brook.
  1. Haystack Notch Trail to Red Rock Trail via Miles Notch Trail: 2.4 miles 1 hour 15 mins (pg. 491).
  1. Miles Notch Trail to Speckled Mt. Summit via Red Rock Trail: 5.6 miles 4 hours [spring 0.1 miles east of summit] (pg. 497)
  1. Speckled Mt. Summit to Blueberry Ridge Trail via Bickford Rock trail: 0.5 miles 20 mins (pg. 492)
  1. Bickford Brook Trail to Blueberry Mountain via Blueberry Ridge Trail: 2.2 miles 1 hour 30 mins (pg. 493).
  1. Blueberry Mountain to CAMP via Stone House trail (not as far as private land), make camp then walk down to Rattlesnake Pond for water and swim.
  1. Stone House Trail to Shell Pond Loop via Stone House trail (pg. 498), Shell Pond Trail (pg. 500) 1.5 miles, then Shell Pond loop (pg. 501) 1.9 miles to Road. 2 hour 30 mins
  1. Shell Pond Loop to AMC Coldwater Camp via road (west) then south on Leach link trail (0.6 miles), west on Dear Hills Connector Trail (0.2 miles) cross road.
  1. AMC Coldwater Camp to Slippery Brook Road via Slippery Brook Trail after 0.7 miles of Baldface Circle trail): 6.6 miles 4 hours 15 mins {water in slippery brook] (pg. 460)
  1. If feasible follow road south 1.5 miles and bear left on Mountain Pond Loop to Mount Pond and CAMP
  1.  Spend day at Mountain Pond
  1. Hike Down Slippery Brook Road to Conway.

      

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