First time on Sept. 26th

[mathieu]

Hey guys ,

I'll be going next week for the summit with 3 friends of mine. We will be around from Sept. 26th to Sept. 28th. We're thinking about going up by Huntington ravine trail but we still don't know which one to take for our way down.

We're also looking for a campground to spend two nights. I'd like to spend the first night at base and I'd prefer to spend the second on the mountain.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you all.

Mathieu

[Steve M]

Hey guys ,

I'll be going next week for the summit with 3 friends of mine. We will be around from Sept. 26th to Sept. 28th. We're thinking about going up by Huntington ravine trail but we still don't know which one to take for our way down.

We're also looking for a campground to spend two nights. I'd like to spend the first night at base and I'd prefer to spend the second on the mountain.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you all.

Mathieu

I would think the best place to spend the second night would be at Hermit Lake Shelter. If you go up Huntington you can loop back down Tucks the same day and spend the night at the shelter and then hike back out.

[mathieu]

I would think the best place to spend the second night would be at Hermit Lake Shelter. If you go up Huntington you can loop back down Tucks the same day and spend the night at the shelter and then hike back out.

Thanks for your quick reply.

I still have some questions for you guys;

Do we have to register somewhere when we arrive and where?
Is there some camping fees ?
Where should we spend the first night ?

[Bill O]

There's not really any free camping for the purposes of this discussion.

First night I would suggest Dolly Copp Campground just down the road from Pinkham Notch. You have to pay there.

For your second night at Hermit Lake you need to register and pay at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. The good news is that you can leave your tent behind, if you like, and stay in the lean-to's.

It may be a little out of the way but you should drop your overnight stuff off at the shelters then head back up Huntington Ravine. No need to carry all that camping gear for the loop.

Now, are you looking for a suggestion on what trail to take back down from the summit or you have no idea what trail to descend? It makes a difference. If you have no idea then you need a map and a book. It will become immediately clear what your options are. If you are looking for a suggestion you might want to take Tuckerman Ravine trail back to Hermit Lake. This will give you both ravines in one day.

[Brad]

Also coming down Lions Head will put you back at Hermit Lake. This will give you awesome views as you head over to Lions Head to descend. It is more exposed above treeline for a longer time. So, use the weather as a guide.

[mathieu]

It may be a little out of the way but you should drop your overnight stuff off at the shelters then head back up Huntington Ravine. No need to carry all that camping gear for the loop.

I will consider it but is it really safe to leave our camping gear there ? I mean, I don't wanna come back and find out that all my gears have been stolen.

[Bill O]

I will consider it but is it really safe to leave our camping gear there ? I mean, I don't wanna come back and find out that all my gears have been stolen.

I've done it many times in that very spot. Your stuff is probably safer there than in your own home.

You are two miles and 2,000 vertical feet from the road. That would be quite a racket if that turned into a high crime area. I wouldn't leave my DSLR camera sitting out in the open but I would unload my sleeping bag, pad, etc and leave it neatly organized in the shelter.

To be honest I'd probably spread out my bag and pad to claim my space.

Just curious...where are you from?

[KD Talbot]

Huntington is considered the most difficult trail, not just on Mount Washington, but in the Whites, according to the AMC Guide. This is debatable, but that's not my point. I've only climbed Huntington twice, so I'm not an expert, but I have backpacked considerable distances with considerable elevation gain. Would I attempt to climb Huntington with a full backpack? No freakin' way! I carry my pack with warm layers and bad weather gear, food and water and some emergency stuff, but no way I'd lug my camping gear up there. I might try Tuck's or Lion's Head, but no way Huntington! There are long stretches of steep elevation gain where it is a scramble and you're literally hoisting yourself up over rocks with long drops if you lose your balance. I'm sure people have done it, but if a first timer asked me,"Should I try this?", my answer is no way! There's no return. Once you're half way up, you don't say, "This was a bad idea, I think I'll turn around and go back down." You could do that on Lion's Head or Tucks, but the getting down Hunts is worse than getting up it. Ask anyone who has tried.

If you want to do this and enjoy yourself, first do as Bill suggests and get a map, better yet, get the guide with maps.

http://www.mountwashington.org/store...ex&cPath=6_7_9


Study your options and learn ALL the possible trail combinations around the general route you plan to take, then take the map WITH you. Remember, coming down Hunts is not a plan.

You can get the guidebook cheaper at other places, but if you buy it here, it helps the OBS. There is a guidebook specific to the Presidentials available from the AMC that is cheaper than the White Mountain Guide.

KDT

[mathieu]

I've done it many times in that very spot. Your stuff is probably safer there than in your own home.

You are two miles and 2,000 vertical feet from the road. That would be quite a racket if that turned into a high crime area. I wouldn't leave my DSLR camera sitting out in the open but I would unload my sleeping bag, pad, etc and leave it neatly organized in the shelter.

To be honest I'd probably spread out my bag and pad to claim my space.

Just curious...where are you from?

I'm from Quebec, Canada. why that ?

The thing is, we would prefer to use our tents instead of shelters. We're looking for a backpacking trip and to use shelters would be for us just like to rest in a motel in the middle of a mountain. So I guess we'll leave our full backpack at Hermit lake on our way up by huntington, take a daypack for the summit, come back to Hermit by lion head, spend a night there, and finally leave with the full backpack the second day.

I'll also make sure that I leave home with a White mountains guidebook

[Bill O]

I'm from Quebec, Canada. why that ?

The thing is, we would prefer to use our tents instead of shelters. We're looking for a backpacking trip and to use shelters would be for us just like to rest in a motel in the middle of a mountain. So I guess we'll leave our full backpack at Hermit lake on our way up by huntington, take a daypack for the summit, come back to Hermit by lion head, spend a night there, and finally leave with the full backpack the second day.

I'll also make sure that I leave home with a White mountains guidebook

Just a social experiment. I feel totally safe leaving my gear, but if I was traveling to a foreign country I might have the same feeling as you.

You can use your tent at Hermit Lake. They have tent platforms. You still have to pay, but its worth it. Especially considering your currency is like gold down here.

Although, if you don't use a tent the shelters are fairly rustic. Just three sides and a roof. Plus a picnic table to eat at. Certainly more camp like than motel like.

Good luck with Huntington. Its a great route.