One of the great hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is called a Presidential Traverse. It’s so-called because hikers climb all of the mountains in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in one continuous hike that’s nearly 23 miles long with close to 9,000 feet of elevation gain.
Presidential Traverses are usually hiked from north to south, climbing the following sequence of peaks, in order to get the greatest elevation gains over with early on, with hikers starting before dawn and often hiking into the night.
- Mt Madison – 5367 feet
- Mt Adams – 5774 feet
- Mt Jefferson – 5712 feet
- Mt Clay – 5533 feet
- Mt Washington – 6288 feet
- Mt Monroe – 5384 feet
- Mt Franklin – 5001 feet
- Mt Eisenhower – 4780 feet
- Mt Pierce – 4310 feet
- Mt Jackson – 4052 feet
While most presidential traverses are done in 3 season conditions during the course of a very long day, it’s also possible to do a traverse over the course of 2 or 3 days. This can be desirable, particularly in winter, when it’s harder to resupply water because you have to melt snow, and none of the huts along the route are open for shelter.If a 2-3 day Presidential Traverse is more your speed, check out the Backpacking a Presidential Traverse Trip Plan in my free guidebook, Backpacking the White Mountain 4000 Footers.
Regardless of the season, a Presidential Traverse is not a hike to take on lightly. Beside being physically strenuous, bad weather, including snow, lightning, hail, and whiteout conditions are a constant threat and one of the main reasons for bailing out part way through. This hike is also almost entirely above treeline (resembling a moonscape), so good compass and map skills are a must.
Hikers normally climb the first peak of the traverse, Mt Madison, via the Valley Way Trail, which is the ‘easiest’ ascent up to the Northern Presidential Ridge, often stopping at the Madison AMC hut to get fresh water and to check the morning weather forecast. This stretch is the toughest continuous climb of the day, gaining over 4,000 feet in 3.8 miles.
After climbing Madison, hikers head south along the Gulfside Trail to Adams and Jefferson. These peaks border a deep valley called The Great Gulf which is bounded by Mounts Clay and Washington to the west and south. After summitting Jefferson, hikers cross a grassy area on Jefferson’s southern shoulder called Monticello Lawn, where there is an enormous temptation to lie on one’s back in the grass and watch the clouds fly by.
Passing Clay (and the popular Jewell Trail bail out route), climbers scale the Mt Washington, the highest peak in the White Mountains which has a world-wide reputation for appallingly bad weather. This is caused in large part by the jet stream, which drops out of the atmosphere onto the top of the mountain, resulting in high winds and cloud, year-round.
Mt Washington has a snack bar at the summit which is open in spring, summer and fall, making it possible to grab a bite to eat and refill one’s water containers. There’s also an auto road and train that runs to the top, making it a busy tourist attraction (and place to avoid), most of the year. Still this can be a good place to bail or resupply if you have friends willing to make the very expensive journey to the top.
After Washington, there is very little ascent left to the trip, but the views along the southern Presidential range are too good to pass up. Leaving Washington, hikers descend by the Crawford Path, the oldest continuously maintained footpath in the United States, passing through a large boulder field to the Lake of the Clouds Hut, where water is also available.
Mount Monroe is just past the hut, with great views into deep Oakes Gulf and the Dry River Wilderness along its eastern flank. Once past Monroe, the miles fly by past Mount Franklin, Eisenhower, Pierce and Jackson. Having good weather or pouncing on it when it arrives is obviously the key to a successful traverse and spectacular views.
Lesson learned..never forget lip protection, on an adventure, like this. My lower lip got fried and major chapped, both. This is where a sponsor ad from a lip protection company would fit in.
2nd lesson learned. Do not put your $50-plus bike light, on the back of your backpack, because you thought it was a cool safety feature. It later came off, during the day, may I say, while butt scooting over a boulder. Needless to say, it is lost in the Whites. I did get a nice comment or two, while going up the 4 mile-4000 ft climb, in the early morning dark.
On the adventure. Let’s take a step back, first. Last year, I suddenly was extremely interested in the Presidential Traverse. I had never been to the New England area, other than a weekend trip to Boston..mostly a game at Fenway. I really wanted to experience the White Mountains, in a big way. I knew this was one of the most epic routes, in the country…and even the world. I researched it very thoroughly and decided I would play some things by ear, but I would drive up and back and get shuttled for the “run” hike. The whoke trip was an amazing adventure, but it was a tough one. It was not a complete success and iI learned a few lessons. DO NOT underestimate the weather here! Last year it rained on me, going up the first climb, so I was drenched. I should have put my rain jacket on earlier. It was cold, rainy, foggy, very low visibility and suoer windy. Once you are above the treeline, it is all exposed. Usually weather does not affect me, because I can stay warm running. Between the nasty conditions and not being able to move fast, on this super tough terrain, I was very cold and wet. I trudged on and on, anyway. Major lightning came and then it was even more of a safety issue. I finally summited Mount Washington, which is 10 miles and maybe around 7 hours. The hard headed and determined part of me, wrestled with the idea of going on, but I decided I needed to stop.
I then had another challenge of figuring out how to get to my car. I rode the Cog Railway down Washington and got an Uber type to pick me up, at the bottom. So, while doing a 10 mile trek, in the Whites, on the super tough Presidential course, and submitting four 5 and 60000 footers, I was not able to accomplish what I had set out to do…I was determined to go back, on a better weather day and finish.
EdgeofMountain 