Presidential Range Traverse

Hike Name: Presidential Range Traverse Location: north NH Length: 25+ Submitted by: Mario Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more New Hampshire trail reviews New Hampshire national parks New Hampshire state parks
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Description
Considered to be among the finest hikes in New England: a traverse of 11 mountain peaks - Mt. Webster, Jackson, Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin, Monroe, Washington, Clay, Jefferson, Adams and Madison. Above-timberline views for miles, exposed to the fiercest weather in the Northeast. On the way up, you pass through 5 different biomes, from the hardwoods to strange krummholz and diapensia. For the intermediate hiker in search of a challenge, do it in 2 days in the summer.

1. Reserve for a hut in Lakes-of-the-Clouds ($70/person), just after Mt. Monroe. Believe me, it's worth every penny after a long day of hiking.

2. Start off from Crawford Notch, by the Elephant Head marker. Hike up along the Webster Cliff Trail to hit Mt. Webster. Don't miss the side-trip to Bugle Cliff!

3. Loop out of the Webster Cliff trail to connect to Mt. Jackson. It is a STEEP climb, more like non-technical rock-climbing!

4. You may encounter severely bad weather at the top, particularly in the Crawford Path. Be prepared to retreat back down if the mountains are fierce. With that said, make sure you have winter-clothing, even in the summer! In the event of a fog, be religious about following the cairns.

5. Coming back down from Mt. Madison, take the Valley Way Trail. It's more protected, and affords a cool view of cascades coming down from Snyder Brook.

some pics:

http://community.webshots.com/album/46097631WiJvXt

Directions to Hike
It's a 3 hr drive from Boston to the quaint town of Gorham, NH. From there, take Hwy 2 to the Appalachia Trailhead.

To do the 2-day traverse, have 2 cars, or take the hiker shuttle (603-466-2727), which should take you from Appalachia to Crawford Notch, where the hike begins.

Contact Information
On the ground, Sugarloaf I is an awesome place to car-camp. Reservations can be made on the web: www.reserveusa.com.

The White Mountains NF information: 603-528-8721.

The highly commendable Appalachian Mountain Club provides hut shelters and shuttles: 603-466-2727.

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