[at-l] Trip Report: White Mountains July 20 - 26, 2003

[papabear.nyc at verizon.net (Papa Bear)]

I have been procrastinating for weeks as well as being genuinely busy, but I've finally got my report of my July Hut-to-Hut trip in the White Mountains down.

I've put it up on the web, and I suggest that's the best way to read it, but I know some of you can get to email but not the web, or actually prefer email, so I'll post it on AT-L as one report per day.  So there will be 7 postings coming.  Sorry if you don't like long emails.  Can't make everyone happy.

Here's the Web address for the full report:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2h6gy/papabear/Whites_2003.html

I  previously posted the link to the pictures, but here it is again:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/papabear_2003_Whites



Regards
Pb

Now to the report.This is just an into, day 1 is the next posting
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The idea for this trip was last year's AT section hike through the White Mountains.  Fresh Air and I started in Kinsman Notch and hiked hut to hut to Rte 2 in Gorham.  See 
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2h6gy/papabear/AT_section_4.html
For the "centerpiece" of that trip, the Presidential Range, I invited members of my running club to join us.  After a few injuries and cancellations, I was joined by Gary  and his daughter Beth.  The 4 of us experienced a wonderful 3 day traverse of the AT across the Presidentials with blue sky and sun for all 3 days.  Fresh Air and I then went on through the Wildcats and Carters to Gorham.

This year I wanted to repeat the experience, but not as an AT section hike (that section being already finished), but as just a great time in the Whites with some peak bagging thrown in.  In the end 3 friends (Ed, Jerry and Jim) came along and in addition, Ed's friend Laura.  We spent 4 days crossing the Franconia Range from Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch, and I continued on solo 2 1/2 more days across the Presidentials.  We stayed in huts each night.

I had laid out a long hike and a short hike for each day to account for different hiking goals and capabilities, but in the end we stayed together since the group was really too small to split up

On Saturday, we drove up in two cars and stayed the night in Gorham at the Hiker's Paradise Hostel.  We stopped for lunch in North Hampton, MA and then proceeded up I-91 all the way to US Route 2 (in Vermont) and then drove down to Gorham.  This was a bit longer then some routes but it may have been the fastest given the potential Saturday traffic conditions on the narrow New Hampshire roads. Several of the group thought they would like to move up to "higher class" accommodations, so next time I'll let them make the arrangements.  The Hiker's Paradise was fine with me.  We had a nice dinner at the Pizza place (which we closed!  Boy, now we knew we were not in Kansas, I mean NYC).

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