[Mike P.]

If fitness is an issue & getting to the top the goal, (as opposed to seeing Tuckerman’s as some type of skiing pilgrimage or because you’ve never seen the ravines up close, then I’d go up the Ammo trail.

It starts 500 feet higher, the footing is better & the steep section is down below while getting up either Lion’s Head, Boott Spur, the headwall is later in the trip when you are more tired. Getting up from the plateau (either from Lake of the Clouds or Tuckerman Jct.) while longer from Lakes is more gradual & on a trail with much better footing than all the irregular rock hopping that you do on the upper section of Tuckerman’s & the upper part of Lion’s Head.

Now fitness (or better yet, the lack of fitness) comes in many shapes. For me, in the days I was unfit (I’m no triathlete now either) I was able to walk 10-15 miles flat but elevation gain was the big factor so a longer trip gaining less elevation & at a more gradual rate was easier than a 4 mile trip with 4,500 feet of gain. Something like Mt. Marcy (15 miles RT but 3300 feet (or so)of gain took about as much time as a trip up Mt. Adams (9 miles, 4500 feet of gain from the typical trailhead – Appalachia)

Now back to the question, how much water to bring? Depends on your route but you can refill going up ammo without a filter at Lakes of Clouds Hut (do you need a filter at hermit Lake? I don’t know) you can also refill at the top so you only need enough (with extra for margin of error) to get to the top. I’d probably carry three liters as a force of habit, heading up Ammo I’d look at two liters. (Carrying a filter to me while lighter equals carrying a liter or I might consider 1 liter & the filter since on the Ammo trail there is no shortage of opportunities to fill up.