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  1. #21
    Senior Member sparky32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rhody Seth View Post
    I have yet to spend any time in the Great Gulf Wilderness unfortunately but yes I've also heard the Sphinx trail is rough and steep. All the Northern Presidentials are basically just massive piles of boulders which can slow you down considerably depending on fitness level, pack weight and comfort on that sort of terrain. The Great Gulf Trail is a fairly defined path punctuated by these boulder areas you have to deal with. The shuttle drops you off at 10 AM? Personally I think you're better off planning to camp at Perch, Crag or Gray Knob rather than heading into the unknown of the Great Gulf. It could be really rough descending into the gulf with big packs and tired legs. But a lot also depends on how fast you guys get over Adams and your tolerance for Type 2 Fun.
    Thanks for the info. It initially sounded like a possible alternative until I looked at the map and the distances and took into consideration what one or two other people said about the improbability of reaching the Jewell Trail... which is just about as far.

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  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by sparky32 View Post
    Okay, so just when I thought all of my questions had been answered, I have one more. I hope someone can provide some sound advice.

    My buddy and I are being shuttled (AMC shuttle) to Appalachia. We were going to hike up Valley Way to the ridge and then hit the summits of Madison and Adams. After that I figured it would be late enough in the day (we probably will not be able to hit the Valley Way Trail until roughly 10:00 am) that we would need to call it a day and head down to The Perch or Gray Knob or Crag Camp.

    Just yesterday, Sintax77 posted a new video ( Hammock Camping the Six Husbands Trail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp4ZHxRPjv8&t=3440s ). He began at Pinkham Notch, hiked north on the Madison Gulf Trail, west on Great Gulf, crossed the Peabody River at the Wamsutta Trail and went north a ways toward the Six Husband's Trail where he found two unofficial but legal camp areas (they had tent symbols on a post). Anyway, he mentioned that he has used similar unofficial but legal camp areas at the intersection of the Sphinx and Great Gulf trails.

    My buddy suggested we hike up the Valley Way and hit Madison, Adams, as originally planned but then continue on to Jefferson. Then we would make our way south to the Sphinx Trail, descend to where it meets the Great Gulf Trail and then attempt to find one of those legal camp areas. He said the next morning we could simply take the Great Gulf Trail up to Mt. Washington and continue south from there.

    Initially I posted about trying to make it to the Jewell Trail on our first day and then descending to find the very limited off-trail camping area. But, someone said that would be a very ambitious goal (meaning, probably not a good idea) to make it that far on the first day, especially since we were getting such a late start at Appalachia.

    So, here are my questions. Looking at my trail map, it appears that the route from Appalachia to the intersection of Sphinx and Great Gulf is roughly 10 miles. Considering the terrain and our 10:00 am start at Appalachia, is that just as "ambitious" as trying to make it to the Jewell Trail (it appears to be roughly the same distance as Jewell)? I have read that descending the Sphinx is quite rough, the rocks can be wet and slippery and the trail is easy to lose in certain areas. Has anyone used one of those camp areas near the Great Gulf Trail? What is it like hiking up to Washington on the Great Gulf Trail? Should we attempt this way or stick to the original plan of spending the night at Perch, Crag or Gray Knob?
    Those are official sites, the reason they are signed. They're all over that area
    https://www.youtube.com/c/AnthonyFerrantem/videos
    https://wordpress.com/view/trailslippah.wordpress.com

  3. #23
    Senior Member Rhody Seth's Avatar
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    How'd your trip end up going, Sparky?

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rhody Seth
    How'd your trip end up going, Sparky?
    Inquiring minds would love to know... I'm headed there in a few weeks!

  5. #25
    Senior Member sparky32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rhody Seth View Post
    How'd your trip end up going, Sparky?
    Not good at all!
    Not good because I had to cancel our trip about 36 hours before we were due to leave my house for the drive out to NH. I had to cancel for a family emergency. Thankfully things are okay now. We were more than disappointed but my buddy reassured me that everything happens for a reason.

    Then there was a family emergency on his side on the Wednesday we most likely would have been hiking our last several miles. If that had happened there would have been no way we would have known. And, when we did get a cell signal we would have had an 18-hour drive home.

    So, it was a major disappointment because this has been a bucket list hike for both of us for several years and about 6 months of methodical research and planning.

    My wife and I were on the way home from a trip when I got the news and subsequently had to call my buddy from the car and cancel. I had such little turn-around time between our trip and the White Mountains trip that all I had to do was grab my pack and get in the car; it was completely loaded (including two filled water bottles).

    At least all the planning was complete so it will be easier to make it happen in the future. Besides, I kept watching the forecast and listening to the Higher Summits broadcasts and it looked as though the weather would have been okay to dicey as it included rain and fog and the views may not have been all that great. I guess God had reasons for our trip not working out this year, but we will definitely not be defeated by this… we plan to try again next summer!

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  6. #26
    Senior Member sparky32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by schwad View Post
    Inquiring minds would love to know... I'm headed there in a few weeks!
    Sorry, schwad... I guess you'll have to blaze the way for me this time.

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  7. #27
    Senior Member Rhody Seth's Avatar
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    Wow, sorry things fell apart but hopefully everyone is okay and you'll be able to put this planning to use in the future. There has been a spat of rescues in the Great Gulf Wilderness recently which made me wonder how you fared. Now I know!

  8. #28
    Senior Member sparky32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rhody Seth View Post
    Wow, sorry things fell apart but hopefully everyone is okay and you'll be able to put this planning to use in the future. There has been a spat of rescues in the Great Gulf Wilderness recently which made me wonder how you fared. Now I know!
    Um, yeah, and that is exactly why I asked so many questions AND heeded everyone's advise about the GGW. If I lived in the area and could hike on a moments notice when weather was good or experience those types of areas of the Whites a little bit at a time to "cut my teeth" in those areas, it may be different, but I live so far away and don't have a lot of personal experience in the area, especially the Great Gulf. To me, that is one of many ways to help reduce the possible dangers... listen to people with more experience.

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  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by sparky32 View Post
    Not good at all!
    So sorry to hear that! I guess the silver lining is that the family emergencies didn't happen while you were out on the trail.

    Quote Originally Posted by sparky32
    Sorry, schwad... I guess you'll have to blaze the way for me this time.
    I'll see what I can do!

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rhody Seth View Post
    There has been a spat of rescues in the Great Gulf Wilderness recently which made me wonder how you fared.
    Where can I read about these rescues, and the situations that led to them? I'll need to be the voice of reason and caution in my group. My hiking buddy is a gung-ho masochist.

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