Pemi Loop Rated 2nd Hardest by Backpacker Magazine

The May 2005 issue of Backpacker magazine rated the Pemi Loop located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire the 2nd Hardest Dayhike Trail in the United States.

It was rated just behind the Timberline Trail on Mount Hood in Oregon and ahead of Great Range Traverse in the Adirondacks of New York and Windham Peak in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

The artical states that in 32 miles the trail has 18,00-feet of elevation changes, and chugs over eight 4,000-foot peaks.

It's nice that our backyard mountains are recognized as something more than molehills compared to the mighty Rockies.

Charlie Schuessler said:

The artical states that in 32 miles the trail has 18,00-feet of elevation changes, and chugs over eight 4,000-foot peaks.

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Looks like they count both ups and downs! By my arithmetic there are 9,150 feet of elevation gain.

Mathematically it is tougher than a Presi Traverse. Not having ever done it I cannot compare them in reality, but I have received several emails suggesting that it is easier. By and large the footing is much better (there is no rock hopping). On the other hand, the idea of going up from Galehead to South Twin late in a very long day has little appeal for me.

i was wondering where the presi traverse would fall on that list. that seems to me like the ironman of new england hiking for a single day trip.

I did the Pemi loop in 2003 in one day, and that included the out and back summit climbs of both Galehead and West Bond. I did not go to North Twin and back. I started at 5 AM and finished just after 8 PM. I rested for 5 minutes on Lafayette, 15 minutes on Garfield, and 10 minutes at Galehead hut, otherwise I kept moving. I got a good "second wind" after summiting South Twin, and the hike over to the Bonds from there was easier than expected at that point of the hike. To be honest, the part that was the least enjoyable was the final 5 miles on the Wilderness trail at the end!

I've done a North to South Prezzie traverse, and I thought it was easier than the Pemi loop, perhaps because of so much time above treeline. 20 years ago I had tried a South to North prezzie, but had to bail out via the Sphinx trail when I got hit with a huge hail storm while climbing the cone of Jefferson. I'd like to try it again sometime.

Max

The Pemi loop definitley has more up-and-down than a Pressie traverse. The Pressies have more impressive elevations, but once you get out of Crawford Notch, you can kinda cruise all the way to Washington, with fairly mellow grades. Going up and down across Garfield Ridge, however, is laborious.
The last stretch on the Wilderness Trail definitely does drag on, especially when you're dragging your feet and stumbling on old railroad ties. Fortunately, there are some great swimming holes along the way! (Not to mention a good pizza place with ice cream shoppe next door in Lincoln!)
One time I did a loop on Katahdin, coming up the AT, circling around to Hamlin Ridge, down to Chimney, up Pamola, over to Baxter Peak, and down again. I can't remember details right now, but that was quite a hike, too. Brutal, but unbelievably gorgeous.

I think that trying to rate the top day hikes in the US is unrealistic. How do you define a day hike? Within 24 hours? The Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates Rainier by 100 miles was done last year in 24 hours (and 1 minute). Denali has been climbed in a day, which makes the Presi-Traverse and Pemi-Loop look like a walk in the park. There are so many things that one could do in a day...

I have done 4 Presi-Traverses, and 3 Pemi-Loops as day hikes (including both once in winter), and I feel that the Pemi-Loop is much tougher. Though the N. Presidential rocks are brutal, the rest of it is smooth sailing. The Pemi-Loop has so MANY ups and downs and it is also about 10 miles longer that it takes quite a toll. I personally don’t think that there is much of a comparison. Though you certainly need a lot more sunscreen for the Presi-T...

Weather is the big difference on Presidentials, a good day in winter where snow & ice has filled in the rocks you have to hop make it even easier than in summer.

Been all over the terrain but never in one day, best in Presidentials in one day has been up Jefferson & then south. Have done F-Ridge Two times & Bonds & Zealand (112 to Zealand)* thena trip from Galehead out to Bonds & then back to car at Garfield Trailhead but trip over Garfield & then up South Twin are the two mid-day grunts. From South Twin, the climbs of the Bonds is pretty easy as others mentioned.

How about the Mahoosuc Traverse?

Funny that so far no one has mentioned the Mahoosuc Traverse as another major beast. About the same distance as the Pemi Loop, but 1,500 more feet, and probably much more difficult going (yes, it includes Mahoosuc Notch and the climb up Mahoosuc Arm!!).

I am glad that Frodo agress with my initial assessment that the Pemi Loop is harder than the Presi Traverse. On my Death Marches page I put the Presi Traverse in the class of "Big Hikes" while the Pemi Loop, all-hut traverse and Mahoosuc Traverse are in a separate classes of "Biggest Hikes". But I have received several emails challenging that, so I wanted (in my first post on this thread) to bring this discussion up.

Note: I have edited the URL to correct the typo noted by BeanoNYC. Many thanks!

I almost always preview before posting, and click on any links I may have put in the post. When I forget to check I invariably find that I have made a typo

I believe this is the link Mohamed wanted to give

Great site!

I'm planning on doing this in September but not as a day-hike. The area is just to pretty to be rushing through it. Anytime that you can hit the Bonds on a clear day is an invitation to just sit back and enjoy the view. I don't think I could do the whole thing in a day. About 30 miles is my limit but with all those ups and downs, it is a true grind. My Hat off to you guys that can do it in a day! (Garfield Ridge Trail comes to mind as being quite pestersome)

Gee, now I'm feeling guilty letting my Backpacker magazine subscription expire in April. I missed the article. The Mahoosucs are as tough as any traverse in NH (or tougher!). I believe 10,500' of elevation gain ... and a lot of fun through that Notch and up the arm!

I actually miss it. Like not seeing an old friend for a long time. Yep, going to return again this year!

Anyone catch this logging article? Two more coming up these next two days. I'm concerned: http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=53452

Interesting article, according to information Boise Cascade shared with me the forest would ome back in either 40 - 60 years & that "a clear cut forest is a healty forest" (I kid you not, although a clear cut in CT = a new subdivision lot, not a forest) Other thing their pictures failed to say is that they clear cut hardwoods or mix & replant fir & spruce.

National Forest means a working forest so not only does that mean private land can be cut but they can on occasion cut in the USFS. People live around the USFS & changing it to a national park while in some cases would be lovely, you can't feed/clothe/shelter & save for college on a National Park concessionaire salary.

If all the private land is logged, would the Fed's open up more USFS land? What do events in ANWR led you to believe? Expeditions eat more gas than Subura's & 4000 square foot homes & condo's for tourist that are vacant more than they are used require wood.

N.Conway & Lincoln/Woodstock area already have a lot of development, can Berlin/Gorham be far off? When hiking & without the family, I prefer Gorham (Hiker's Paradise -I get plenty of meals at work & nice hotels) over the other towns but if the family is coming with me, they like creature comforts, if a developer gives hime the $$ for the land, he can always move a little further north or east.

Now back to the BP article, I have to think most of use would not consider at least 1/2 of these hikes as day trips. To enjoy the Pemi, I'm thinking two nights (Guyot & Garfield for sites or the huts) the joy of the loop is that you don't have to car spot or back track. I hope to do a Presi 1 day trip soon, not this year & I doubt I'll ever be in shape for Great Range Trip in a day either, geat scenery for those unfamilar with the ADK's (did it over two days, minus Marcy I had done 3x)

I started seeing the clear cut last fall in the Success Pond Road areas. Tree's so small most other loggers wouldn't waste time cutting are being cleared. Usually, to their credit, large corporations do re-seed. Mr Dillion could not care less, he is well known for his poor treatment of the land he buys up here -- clearcut, then sell the decimated land. If you believe ATV's destroy the soil, you should see what the Skidder tires with chains do. No wonder why 100 years ago, Thoreau said, "Thank God they can't cut down the clouds."

I think I will buy the May issue of The BP and resubscribe!

MtnMagic,
...You're so right about the damage from the huge, power tires/drivetrains....and especially clear cutting without the replanting.

I did the Mahoosucs last summer, it was a brutal hike. I remember hiking towards these open areas that you see from afar, hoping to finally come to the end of climbing...only to find another set of rocks to boulder over.

The Pemi Loop is difficiult. I also found it harder than the Presi Traverse. I've never done either in a single day.

I must say the Presis and Pemi are wonderfully beautiful, spectacular and more than forfilling. I absolutely enjoy them. Yet as I think about it, there is some kind of deep inner feeling of mystery hiking up the Mahoosuc Trail, whether from the new Centennial (1976) Trail or the original AT via the Peabody Brook Trail.

To me, the entire Mahoosuc Trail is like entering a forbidden mountain range, struggling to hike up it, never wanting to quit, viewing it, enjoying it, and completeing it. Like an addiction, the more I do it, the more I want to do it. I believe of all the hikes in the North East, the Mahoosuc Trail is truly like an old friend -- one I do miss if not seen for a while!

Our trip report during the early snow of last October is: http://alpinezone.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2085

I think it would be fun to do the loop, but is there a preferred route to do it - like a good starting point or direction?

I sheepishly admit I don't know what the exact trails of the 'Pemi loop' are...the AMC guide doesn't refereence it. Would anyone clarify this? Is it wilderness-bondcliff-twinway-franconia ridge-osseo-wilderness? or does it hit Zealand too? thanks

cbcbd said:

I think it would be fun to do the loop, but is there a preferred route to do it - like a good starting point or direction?

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I much prefer clockwise...going in via the Osseo Trail, Franconia Ridge, Garfield, South Twin, Bonds, and out the Wilderness trail. That slog at the end of the day is not fun, but I'd rather do it like that.

To answer the next post, I guess it would be up to you as to how many extra summits you'd want to hit. Technically, you can cover the "loop" without doing Galehead, North Twin, Zealand, or West Bond. I did Galehead and West Bond because they added to little to the route. Going to North Twin AND Zealand would really put you in the Ironman category! :beer:

A pretty brutal hike that probably won't show up in any magazines is the loop: Chocorua to Mt.Paugus to Mt.Passaconaway from the Kanc highway. I've done both the Pemi loop and Presi traverse N to S and that "little" bump over Paugus still sticks in my mind. I don't know why.