My two companions and I were carefully navigating from one cairn to another, keeping the last rock pile in sight until the next was located. Stooping away from the wind with heavy packs on our backs, we paid particular attention to the placement of each step to avoid falling on wet, jagged rocks. Despite the obstacles, we steadily ascended toward the summit.
“We must be getting close,” I counseled myself when we encountered another line of cairns converging with ours, remembering that three trails joined near the top. Marking the last cairn on our trail with a scarf, we memorized the immediate area to avoid accidentally following the wrong trail on our descent.
Persevering upward, almost magically, there were no rocks above. No panoramic vistas today, just rugged granite boulders at our feet and dense, moisture laden clouds swirling unrelentingly around and above us. Yet in spite of brutal conditions, we had an exhilarating, collective sense of accomplishment having reached the summit of Mount Adams, second highest peak in the northeastern U.S.
After a blustery, abbreviated stay on the summit, we quickly sought lower elevation while our recollections of the route down were still fresh. Locating the scarf, we carefully inched our way down the summit cone reminding one another that most mountain accidents happen on the descent. After a half mile, we reached a mammoth cairn marking aptly-named Thunderstorm Junction on the Gulfside Trail.
3-day tour
The three of us were on a strenuous three-day backpacking trip in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. This was the second day of our expedition; we had climbed Mount Madison, the northern-most Presidential peak the previous day. So far, we’d experienced a complete contradiction of the weather forecast, which called for abundant sunshine, seasonal temperatures and light winds. Instead, we’d endured continuous cloud cover, cool, damp air and high winds. We later learned the original forecast had held for the valleys below with beautiful fall weather. Signs at the treeline warning that some of the “world’s worst weather” occurs in the alpine region of the Presidentials are there for a reason.
Departing from Appalachia Trailhead on our first day, we ascended the Valley Way Trail on the north side of Mount Madison for a little more than three miles and 3,000 feet of elevation gain to the U.S. Forest Service Valley Tentsite. Two tent platforms are available at the site, but the closest source of water is about a 10-minute hike further up the trail. (All water in the Presidentials should be treated, boiled or purified prior to drinking). The Valley Tentsite provides an excellent base camp for a hike to the summit of 5,344-foot Mount Madison. Earlier, we encountered several climbers who had been turned back from their summit attempts by 100 mile per hour winds. Fortunately, the winds subsided to a manageable level for us, but we still had an exciting, challenging climb on the boulder-strewn peak in thick clouds with withering winds that made hiking upright problematic.
The following day, we negotiated a nearby spur trail to the Airline Trail, which ascends an exposed, attenuated ridge toward 5,799-foot Mount Adams. At the apex of the ridge, we joined the Gulfside Trail and trekked southwesterly in clouds and wind to the giant cairn at Thunderstorm Junction. After returning from our climb to the summit of Mount Adams, we huddled in the lee of the huge mound of stones, studied our trail maps and devoured a much needed lunch.
Continuing southwest on the Gulfside Trail to Israel Ridge Path, we enjoyed some breaks in the clouds but gusty gales persisted. Descending the path steeply for about a mile, we arrived at The Perch, a Randolph Mountain Club shelter.
The Perch has a large Adirondack-style lean-to, plus four tent platforms and a readily available water supply. An RMC caretaker lodging at Gray Knob Cabin about a mile away collects a nominal camping fee.
Our third day was punctuated with glorious sunshine, colorful fall foliage and moderate winds. Since the mountain gods had finally rewarded our patience and persistence, two of us decided to climb 5,716-foot Mount Jefferson. We quickly ascended Randolph Path to perpetually breezy Edmands Col, named for one of the regions mountaineering pioneers. Leaving the col, we climbed abruptly on the craggy north slope of Mount Jefferson to the imposing summit, where we enjoyed spectacular views of alpine-like Mount Adams to our northeast and towering Mount Washington in the south.
Returning to The Perch, we gathered our tents and gear and descended the Randolph Path to ancient, historic Lowe Path near the RMC shelter called The Cabin. After an elongated, precipitous drop, we enjoyed an easy two-mile hike north to the trailhead on US 2. Parking options are available for a small fee across the highway at Lowe’s Store.
The route we traveled provided us with steep, challenging hikes, spectacular views, majestic summits and turbulent weather conditions.
The Northern Presidentials truly are one of New England’s premier mountaineering adventures.
What you need to know
The two most important considerations when planning a backpacking trip in the Presidentials are fitness and safety. The Presidential Mountains constitute the highest range east of the Mississippi and north of the Carolinas. Trails are steep and boulder-strewn, and many exceed 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Figure a normal pack will weigh 50 pounds or more. Weather conditions frequently change dramatically and can be extreme, even during the summer months. It is not unusual for a warm summer day to quickly become arctic-like and dangerous. Would be backpackers should have a high level of fitness and carry clothing and gear for the full spectrum of potential weather eventualities. A map and compass and the ability to use them is essential.
There are restrictions on camping in the Presidentials. The rules are promulgated and administered by the USFS, which has an office in Laconia. The RMC, a nonprofit mountaineering club located in NH, operates two cabins and two shelters in the Northern Presidentials in partnership with the USFS. The RMC also maintains trails, publishes contour maps and a guidebook. More information about the RMC can be found at www.randolphmountainclub.org.
The easiest way to reach the Northern Presidentials from Portland is to drive west on Rte. 302 for about two hours to Glen, NH. Take Rte. 16 north for 31 miles to Gorham and travel west on Rte. 2 through town. The Appalachia Trailhead and parking area are on the left, 4.4 miles west of Gorham on Rte. 2.