advice for a n.e. rookie?

Hi all.

I'm relatively new to new england and haven't really done much trekking in about ten years. I was, at one time, a capable mountaineer and outdoorsman. I'd really like to get back into it, and am looking for a location within a few hours of boston to do some hiking, (non-site) camping, and climbing. Any advice would be most appreciated.

thanks much,
dave sweeny

hi sweeny! welcome to new england and welcome to this forum!

there's a couple of 'hot spots' for hiking/backpacking/camping in NE depending upon what you are looking for and how far you are willing to drive. i mainly hike in New Hampshire's white mountains; which except for spots in maine and vermont, tends to offer up the most rugged trails, interesting loops, and highest elevation.

if you are interested in learning more about the various regions and trails in new hampshire's white mountains, i strongly recommend you pick up the AMC's White Mountain Guide which contains topo maps covering the region and is considered the 'standard' trail description book. also of interest may be david metsky's White Mountain Server at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/whites/

southern NH has some interesting hiking such as along the M&M trail and cardigan. VT offers up the long trail, the Whites extend into Maine which also offers up some higher peaks and interesting locations. not much to be found in massachusetts and below. there's some interesting hiking out in the berkshires and blue hills is close to boston for mid-week metro hikers. also, the dacks' of NY are often overlooked (by myself included because of the drive, i live north of boston).

that's a pretty general intro to the usual areas of interest in N.E. feel free to fire away specific questions about the various regions. if you're looking for a spot 'a few hours of boston' the whites can't be beat, imo! 2-3 hours drive will get you to the highest peaks of NH. franconia notch, waterville vally, and the kancamagus highway are all 2 hours from boston and offer great hiking. the rugged presi's are just about 3 hours from boston.

steve:

thanks much for the info, amigo.

i wonder if you could suggest a specific location/trail/etc in the whites for me. i'm looking for a place to do do the following: hike a few miles in, set up a base, then hit a non-technical ascent - maybe get out my compass and a topo to see if i can still find my way around the backcountry. my experience is really limited to western u.s. locations, so i don't even know if this is realistic.

how are the summer conditions in the whites? what's the h20 situation: how hard is it to find potable water, and what type of treatment do you recommend?

any further advice you can give would be greatly appreciated: it's been awhile since i've been out there and i would imagine the topo, climate, etc. are much different than the west.

thanks again,
dave

while i don't have any overnight backpacking experience, i can most definately recommend where i would go if i was getting into backpacking.

the great gulf, dry river wilderness, and the pemigewasset wilderness are the three areas i would look into. all three offer fantastic backpacking and hiking opportunities. great gulf gives you the northern presidentials, dry river the southern presidentials, and the pemi offers many options.

regarding summer conditions, most all trails are cleared of problems such as blowdowns, etc and are generally dry except in normal muddy areas. you'll find lots of bugs during the summer months, so be prepared for them. if you've backpacked a lot out west, you should be good to go on pretty much anything out here. northern presidentials will be the toughest on the legs, but probably no problem for ya.

i don't think you'll find water supply to be an issue in those areas, as most man made trails in those areas follow, cross, or are near streams. AMC guide is GREAT at pointing out reliable water sources, so familiarize yourself with the trails and points of water you may need via map and guide book before you go. if you go off trail, just be sure to have a map to reference your nearest water source. all water in the whites should be treated to avoid viral infections (forget the name of the big one, someone else should pick that one up). most people either filter or use iodine tabs.

hope all that helps! hopefully you'll get some other suggestions too.

Below treeline, plenty of water, above it very little except at AMC huts. When I do filter I'm happy with my Pur Hiker. I agree with the other destinations. You will want to get a WMG or study Dave's Website carefully & check out the USFS rules for camping. (he has them linked)

The WMG has really good maps. Welcome to the NE.