Need advice: Presidential range day-hikes

[MAD777]

I will be taking some visitors (not accustomed to hiking) to see White Mountain scenery in mid July. While there are many mild day-hikes to waterfalls and even to scenic ledges that they can handle, I also want them to experience above-the-treeline alpine environment.

I know they would never make it up Franconia Ridge, much less the Presidentials but there's always the Mt. Wash. auto-road and a day-hike from the weather station.

The advice I am looking for is your opinion of which direction should we go? I think they can make it to either Mt. Adams to the north of Mt. Monroe to the south. Tell me which one of these routes do you think would give them a better sence of "top of the world" feeling and scenery. (Don't wory, I'll take them on a clear day).

 

[threecy]

Do you think they could handle Chocorua? It's barely in the Whites, but the views are awesome and it has an excellent above-treeline-top-of-world feeling. You're still talking a good 3-4 miles each way with over 2,000 vertical, but if they're in half way decent shape, I imagine they could do it in a day with some breaks.

 

[threecy]

I should add another possibility would be to take them first on a hike up Great Hill in Tamworth to the fire tower (easily hiked in less than an hour, roundtrip, has excellent views of Chocorua/Passaconaway/Whiteface/into Maine/Ossipee Range/etc.), then do a drive up Washington or a scenic gondola/tram/chairlift ride at one of the ski areas (Wildcat/Cannon/Loon/Attitash).

 

[thetrailboss]

Adams is a short hike, but it is a bear.

Maybe Caps Ridge up to Jefferson and back down is an option. 5 miles RT. Not a bad trail, just exposed.

 

[David Metsky]

Adams is a short hike?! There's no way up Adams that doesn't involve climbing 4000' over some of the roughest terrain around. It's 4 miles from Washington and still has 1500' feet of elevation gain each way, more if you go over Jefferson. You might be thinking of Jefferson, or possibly Clay. Clay is much more reasonable from Washington, but Jefferson is quite a ways and still has lots of elevation gain.

If you take the Auto Road up Mt Washington your best bet is to park at the Nelson Crag trail junction, around mile 5, and do a hike starting there. You can cross the Alpine Garden to Tuckerman Junction, summit Washington from there, then return to your car on the Nelson Crag trail. That is a reasonable short hike, and you can lengthen it by going to Lakes of the Clouds from Tuckerman Junction.

From Lakes of the Clouds Mt Monroe is a just a short trip, maybe 30 minutes. It's still 1.8 miles from the summit of Washington, so that's still not a trivial hike.

If you want to hike up something my advice would be Eisenhower via the Edmands Path. It's the easiest trail up a Presidential, with the best footing and grade. Caps Ridge up Jefferson is short, but it is steep, rough, and involves a lot of scrambling that probably isn't what a casual hiker is looking for.

-dave-

 

[thetrailboss]

Adams is a short hike?! There's no way up Adams that doesn't involve climbing 4000' over some of the roughest terrain around.

As I said, "short" as in distance-wise....the mileage is relatively short compared to others. My comments about it being "a bear" refer to the incredible verticle and rough terrain. Sorry I did not make that so clear...

 

[thetrailboss]

If you want to hike up something my advice would be Eisenhower via the Edmands Path. It's the easiest trail up a Presidential, with the best footing and grade. Caps Ridge up Jefferson is short, but it is steep, rough, and involves a lot of scrambling that probably isn't what a casual hiker is looking for.

-dave-

Good idea.

 

[Mike P.]

If I read MAD777 right, his guests, he believes are not up for a Franconia Ridge trip (maybe the best above treeline hike outside of BSP) so he is looking at driving up the Auto road some & then heading out for an above treeline hike.

Mid-July could be T-Storms so I would not want to venture out to Adams, that's a ways both in mileage & tim away from your car & Madison Hut is the opposite way setting up a potential get out of teh afternoon T-storm & get back to the car in the dark type trip. To get there, it's a pretty long trip for non-hikers over rock fragments, for Adams you have a 500 foot or so acscent up the side of Jefferson & then to the col & then 800 feet to Adams. Then back down 800, up the five again & then 1200 back to the top of Washington. That's 3300 feet & about 8 miles.

The Alpine Garden Trail is a nice trip, a walk down to lakes nnot bad but 1200 feet that has to be descended & then reclimbed. The Crawford Path footing is better overall than the Gulfside. (parts of the Gulfside are nice but parts are pretty rough, I'm tempted to say Edmands did not finish it before his death but I may be wrong on that historical fact)

I think driving up is kind of cheating so my preference would be to take them on an easier hike from a regular trailhead. Ike, Pierce or Jackson would be my choices. Eisenhower probably the best, Pierce offers the ability to stop in at Mizpah for more water & a snack (& maybe a Souvenir).

If they can get out to Adams & back they could do Franconia Ridge - & I'd try & get them there, there is a reason why it's crowded.

IMO Non-hikers would find the rock fragments & steeps on Cap's Ridge unappealing. IMO Lowe's or Valley way the "easy" way up Adams & 4400 feet of elevation gain in under 5 miles is not easy. (Some of the easiest hikes are the longest-outside of the Slide, Owl's head is easy, 16 miles of easy two miles moderate)

 

[MAD777]

Thanks folks for mentioning alternative day-hikes like Chocorua, etc.

One hike I had considered is up Baldface from the south on Slippery Brook Trail. There is a trailhead on Town Hall Road near Mountain Pond, (NE of Glen on Hwy 16). It's about 8-9 mile roundtrip but less than 10% grade. Nice views of Carter Dome and Maine. I haven't done that one in a long time and not sure of the current trail conditions.

I read my own post and realized I meant Mt. Clay as a northern terminus of a hike from Mt. Washington.

I personally agree that the auto-road is "cheating" but I figured that would be the one way to guarantee "above the treeline" experience even if they got tired after 1/4 mile!

 

[thetrailboss]

Jackson and Pierce are also excellent options.

Very short, not too hard, great views.

 

[montvm]

Strictly WM?

What about Mt. Cardigan or Monadnock in Southern NH. Both are above treeline. Or for an easy hike in Crawford notch you could always take them to Mt. Willard.
While not above tree line, it has strong views of Jackson and Webster and the notch. This may be the best effort to view ratio in the Whites.

Hope this helped. If not i concur with those before me who mentioned Pierce via Crawford Path or Jackson Webster loop.

 

[MAD777]

Thanks for more ideas. You are absolutely right about Mt. Willard. That is one heck of a view for a little climbing.

 

[awf170]

As I said, "short" as in distance-wise....the mileage is relatively short compared to others. My comments about it being "a bear" refer to the incredible verticle and rough terrain. Sorry I did not make that so clear...

Huh? It is still quite long distance wise. Longer then Jeffferson, Madison, Washington, and Lafayette.

 

[Mike P.]

the shortest route up Adams would be comparable with the shortest routes up Washington, Madison & Lafayette (4 to 4.5 miles one way) but in most cases the shortest routes would not be kid friendly, steeper trails, not to say kids have not done them.

Washington short route - TRT & Lion's Head
Madsion - Valley Way & Watson Path
Lafayette - either OBP & Greenleaf or just the Greenleaf trail from near Cannon

Now if I was taking kids (who I thought were ready) up these peaks my choices would be

Washington - from the Cog, prefer classic loop, up Ammo, down Jewell
Adams - either Lowes of Valley Way & Gulfside
Madison - Valley Way & Osgood
Jefferson - maybe Cap's Ridge if they can scramble or Jewell trail
Lafayette - if ready for the above trips, any trail would be okay, would shoot for the loop though