[at-l] Best Blue Blazes

[jon@outland.net (Jonathan Hartford)]

On Mon, Mar 25, 2002 at 12:54:22PM -0500, rick boudrie wrote:
> How about retracing on's steps over the Presidential or Franconia Ridge if 
> you hike them in the fog on your first pass. Or even if the weather was 
> spectacular?  Once a NOBO comes down to Pinkham notch, there are some 
> absolutely amazing trails back up Mount Washington that far surpass that 
> which you came down.  I mean there is some really cool hiking to be had on 
> anothe summit.  You could add a bit of a loop to your to you line.  Whats 
> the rush?

I could run around in the whites for weeks, esp. with good weather!

> No, thats not going to happen.  Not sure why since that is such a unique and 
> wonderful part of the Trail, but its not.

Aw...

> On the otherhand, the relatively short blue-blaze to the RMC camps (the 
> Perch or Gray Knob) do allow you to spend more time above treeline in the 
> Presies, and are not much of a drop in elevation at all.  It is a good 
> stretch of trail.  It also allows you to avoid a stay with 90 paying guests 
> at Lakes of the Clouds.  But even if you do stay at lakes, why not check it 
> out.  It looks like a bit of drop in elevations, but since you are abouve 
> tree line, it really doesn't feel like it.

I dunno about distance, I'd guess a mile or so from Edmand's Col.  I think
its about 1200ft down?  or so?  So I guess a roundtrip of 1M/1k ft. it 
not too unreasonable.  However, most thru's will be passing over the 
whites in the middle of the good weather season, and you're likely to
find The Perch crowded fairly early in the evening.  The perch is operated by
the Randolph Mountain Club, not the AMC.  

http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/shelters/aboutourshelters.html

BTW, I have stayed at the perch before, and it was great.

> BTW, the National Geographic will publish a map in the next month or teo 
> that covers the entire AT in NH.  It will show more great blue-blazes than 
> you can imagine.  I think the best might be the ones that return to the AT 
> where they left off, since the AT is so cool there that it is really not 
> something you want to miss.

Where did you see this?  I tried to find some reference to it on the 
National Geographic website, but couldn't find any.

> Rick B
> 


-- 
Jonathan Hartford				jon@outland.net