Hut-to-Hut Hiking the Spectacular High Peaks of the White Mountains, Pemigewasset Wilderness, New Hampshire

The Trip

Join us on a spectacular and challenging traverse on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. This 6-day/5-night hut-to-hut hike in the White Mountains mostly follows the Appalachian Trail and takes hikers up and over many iconic peaks, including Mount Lafayette, Mount Garfield, Galehead Mountain, South Twin Mountain, Mount Guyot, and the Zealand Ridge. Along the way we will stay in four of the Appalachian Mountain Club's high huts.

This hike will take us through one of the most gorgeous areas in the Appalachian Mountains, with magnificent views including panoramas from high mountaintops, waterfalls and cascades, huge rock formations, and alpine plants and flowers.

We will utilize the services of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), sleeping in the backcountry "High Huts" (which are actually fairly large lodges). While at the huts, we will sleep in dorm-style bunk rooms on mattresses and be served fresh, home-cooked dinners and breakfasts.

Some of the most spectacular scenery and challenging hiking in the eastern United States is in the White Mountain National Forest, one of America's most popular public lands, registering more visitors annually than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined. For parts of the hike, we will be above treeline in the Alpine Zone, where you may see the "krummholz" (gnarled and stunted trees that survive wherever there is a bit of shelter from the violent winds). The area features many natural wonders, including magnificent rock formations, Flume Gorge, waterfalls, swimming holes, vast forests, spectacular open vistas, and high peaks and ridges.

The Sierra Club National Outings department is always mindful of our nation's history, and we want to acknowledge the indigenous lands on which we recreate for our trips. The Abenaki people are believed to have been the most recent inhabitants of the area of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. They are a Native American tribe of Algonquian-speaking people who traditionally lived in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.

Day 1: We meet at the Appalachian Mountain Club's (AMC) Highland Center by noon for a meet and greet and light lunch. Here we will check gear and discuss trip details, including equipment, clothing, Leave No Trace principles, trail etiquette, our itinerary, and safety issues. Time and weather permitting, we might enjoy a warm-up hike to Mount Willard for spectacular views of Crawford Notch (estimate ~2.5 hrs round trip). Before dinner, we will spot a few cars (~ 45 minute round trip) at the Wiley House Station Parking Lot where we will end our trip on Friday (your cooperation and flexibility is needed to accomplish this). We expect to check into our accommodations at the Shapleigh bunkhouse by ~ 3pm. Dinner is at 6:00 p.m at the Highland Center followed by an after-dinner discussion. We will turn in at the Shapleigh bunkhouse with lights out by 10 p.m.

Day 2: We will rise and shine early (~6:30), have breakfast, and prepare packs for the trail. We will then catch the 9 am AMC shuttle for a ~ 90 minute ride to the Liberty Springs trailhead lot, where we will begin our ~4 mile (1,300 ft elevation gain) hike on the Cascade Brook/Appalachian Trail to Lonesome Lake hut.  After lunch, we will hike to summit North Cannonball, with a 2.2 miles RT (650 ft), with alternative, more challenging routes possible Once returned to Lonesome Lake Hut, we will enjoy dinner and spend the night in our bunks. Lonesome Lake Hut sleeps 48 in co-ed rooms that accommodate 4-7 people.

Hike info: 6.2 miles; 1950 feet elev. gain.

Day 3: We will wake up early for breakfast to begin a more substantial hike down from Lonesome Lake Hut and up the Old Bridle Path trail to reach the Greenleaf High Hut nestled atop Greenleaf Knob; elevation 4,189 feet above sea level. Greenleaf Hut is co-ed and accommodates 48. After a superb hut-prepared homemade dinner we will turn in early to prepare for a challenging Day 4.

Hike info: 4.5 miles; 2,485 feet elev. gain.

Day 4: After breakfast we begin our hardest day and hike up the Greenleaf trail to the top of the Franconia Ridge and rejoin the Appalachian Trail. We anticipate awesome views from the summit of Mount Lafayette [elevation 5,249 ft] before continuing on our longest day. The Garfield Ridge Trail/Appalachian Trail, steep and rocky, will lead us up and over Mount Garfield [elevation 4,413 ft] to reach the Galehead High Hut (3,766 feet above sea level), the most remote of the AMC High Huts with gorgeous views of the Pemigewasset Wilderness Area. Galehead Hut sleeps 38 people in four co-ed bedrooms. We will have a short hike option to walk up to the summit of Galehead Mountain [4,006 ft; 0.5 miles, 250 ft, elev. gain, 30 min.].

Hike info: 7.8 miles; 2,980 feet elev. gain.

Day 5: After another hearty breakfast, we head out to hike up and over South Twin Mountain [4,892 ft]. Then, begin a downward trend summiting a series of gorgeous peaks along the way in Mount Guyot [elevation 4,580] and Mount Zealand [elevation 4,265 ft]. Note; South Twin and Guyot offer 360-degree views from the summits. We then continue on beyond the summit to enjoy views from the Zealand Cliff, finishing our day at the Zealand Falls High Hut (2,645 feet above sea level), spectacularly situated on the side of Zealand Valley near Zealand Falls at the Northern end of the Pemigewasset Wilderness area. Zealand Falls Hut sleeps 36 in two co-ed 18-person bunk rooms.

Hike info: 7.3 miles with 1,810 feet of elevation gain.

Day 6: Today we wake up for our last breakfast at the huts and day on the trail. We will depart the Zealand Falls Hut and hike down the Ethan Pond/Appalachian Trail. Along the way we expect impressive views of Zealand Notch, Thoreau Falls, and Ethan Pond. We will finish our outing at the historic Wiley House Station site where we left cars for our transportation home. Some participants will need a ride in participants’ cars back to the AMC Highland area where their cars have remained.

Hike info: 7.4 miles; ~500 ft elev. loss.  Running total; ~33.2 miles, ~9,000 ft climbed

PLEASE NOTE: routes and itinerary are subject to change according to the judgement of the leaders, considering weather, trail conditions, and group progress. Safety on our outing will be our first priority.

Getting There

We meet at noon at the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Highland Center for our pre-trip meeting and dinner. Detailed driving instructions will be provided to participants. The AMC Highland Center is located about 2 hours and 40 minutes (165 miles) from Boston’s Logan Airport; 5 hours and 45 minutes (360 miles) from New York City’s major airports; and 1 hour and 50 minutes (120 miles) from Manchester Airport in New Hampshire. The best way to get to the Highland Center from the airports is to drive. Note: we do need participant cars for carpooling during the trip. That said, public transportation may be an option. For public transportation information and driving directions to Highland Center at Crawford Notch and Shapleigh Bunkhouse, go to: http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/highland/before-you-go.cfm.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader. We anticipate a pre-outing zoom meeting in which participants will be encouraged to consider ride sharing to minimize our carbon footprint and split transportation costs.

Accommodations and Food

Sunday will offer a light lunch during the initial meeting.  Hearty dinner with vegetarian and vegan options will be had at the AMC Highland Center. Sunday night night will be spent in the AMC Shapleigh bunkhouse.  The shared bunkrooms are adjacent to showers and bathrooms, and a small kitchen and meeting room. In any shared bunkroom, plan to bring earplugs.  All bedding (pillows/sheets/blankets) are provided in the bunkhouse.  Plan to provide your own towels. Monday morning we will have breakfast at the AMC Highland Center before leaving on our outing. Monday through Thursday nights we will stay in four of the Appalachian Mountain Club's (AMC) beautiful High Mountain Huts (Lonesome Lake, Greenleaf, Galehead, and Zealand Falls), a highlight of the White Mountains. Each hut offers coed bunkroom accommodations, dinner and breakfast, bathrooms, and one-of-a-kind views! Lights in the common areas run on propane gas or solar power (bring flashlights or headlamps). Please note there will be no opportunity to recharge devices while we stay at the huts so plan to bring storage batteries if you wish. There are no linens, heat, or showers, but there are inside composting toilets, and sinks with running (cold) water.  Two blankets and a pillow are provided for each guest at their bunks. You should bring a sleeping bag liner and pillowcase, or a sleeping bag if you wish. Enclosed gender-neutral washrooms have cold running water -- you may want to bring a camp towel or washcloth.

The breakfast and dinner meals in the huts, prepared by experienced cooks, are exceptional -- hearty, plentiful, nutritious, and delicious. Vegetarian and vegan options are always available. Participants will supply their own lunches and snacks for the hiking days; the leaders will be happy to offer suggestions.

Trip Difficulty

This is a challenging outing with a difficulty rating of 4 (with 5 most challenging) due to steep rocky terrain with long climbs. Experienced hikers in good physical condition will be best prepared to thoroughly enjoy this incredible experience. The trip leaders STRONGLY recommend a targeted base pack weight limit of 15 pounds. This includes all of the hiker's personal items plus the pack itself. A suggested packing list to achieve this target will be provided. Once lunches and snacks (provided by PARTICIPANTS) and water are added, the on-trail pack weight should approximate 25 pounds. Hikers are encouraged to use trekking poles while on the trail. The trail has areas of wet, muddy, and/or large rock surfaces that could potentially be slippery. The group may also be crossing streams with significant current. Trekking poles add safety to these situations and increase the body's overall endurance at the same time. Both of the leaders are certified in Wilderness First Aid and will be carrying a wilderness medical kit and emergency satellite communication devices at all times.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need comfortable hiking clothes for a wide range of temperatures (temps in the White Mountain peaks can go below freezing and present high winds), well-broken-in boots, a full rain suit (including jacket and pants for high winds and rain), a sleep sack or sleeping bag liner and pillowcase (or light sleeping bag), personal toiletries, and a large sturdy day pack and pack cover (we recommend packing gear in plastic bags as well). We will provide a detailed clothing and equipment list to confirmed participants. Please note: only man-made fabrics or wool should be used on this trip; please don't pack cotton. Hiking poles are also highly recommended.

References

Log on to www.outdoors.org or www.fs.usda.gov/whitemountain for information about the White Mountains. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) White Mountain Guide is

considered “the Bible” and offers the most detailed trail descriptions and maps.

The USDA Forest Service link to White Mountains information is here; United States Forest Service White Mountains Info

The following videos highlight the AMC White Mountain huts:

• A Summer at AMC's White Mountain Huts: Episode 3

• Meet AMC’s Hut Croo

• Experience lodging through the Appalachian Mountain Club

Conservation

Discussion of conservation issues will focus on public lands, the ability of land to recover from injury, and the impact of climate change on northern forests. We will discuss what some conservationists view as "overuse" of the Appalachian Trail and what we can do to responsibly recreate in this pristine area. We will teach and practice Leave-No-Trace wilderness principles at all times.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.