Pemi Loop & Presidential Traverse

**schwad** · 09-29-2021, 22:00

Hitchhiking

After we arrived at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center we knocked some dirt off and used the restrooms. When it looked like Dave was almost ready to go, I started walking out to the parking lot to see if I could find someone to give us a ride to Conway. As it happened, someone else was walking to the lot at the same time. He said hi to me, and we started chatting. In short order I asked for a ride to Conway and he said “sure, it’s the Expedition right over there.” Well, that was easy! He drove us the 35 minutes south to the Saco Ranger Station, just south of Conway and at the East end of the Kancamagus Highway (Rt 112).

We got out and thanked him, and then walked out to the road to hitch the second leg of our ride back to our car at Lincoln Woods Trailhead, which was another 40 minutes down the road. The 3^rd vehicle that passed us stopped and offered us a ride. I was floored. Even if we’d had a car staged at Pinkham Notch, to drive ourselves directly back to our starting point, it would have saved us less than 10 minutes of waiting for hitches.

Hitchhiking worked out extremely well for us!

**cmoulder** · 09-29-2021, 22:02

Great report! You guys were really 'charmed' to have encountered such a string of nice days.

**schwad** · 09-29-2021, 22:02

Aftermath

I’d originally planned to do another 1-night backpacking trip in the Whites as a victory lap for our trip (see thread here). The idea was to hitchhike back to our car, grab some more food, and head straight back into the woods. But we were a bit delayed getting back to the car due to staying at Valley Way instead of Osgood tentsite (putting us about 4 hours behind the “ideal” schedule), and the forecast was for rain overnight, so we decided to eat dinner in town and get a hotel room so we could get drier instead of wetter. When we woke up the next morning, my knees demanded another ibuprofen, Dave’s Achilles tendon was inflamed (as it had been for days), and we faced a forecast of 0.5-inch to 1-inch of rain for the day. So we decided to call the trip a victory and start driving home a day early.

What a trip!

**schwad** · 09-29-2021, 22:15

Originally Posted by cmoulder

Great report! You guys were really 'charmed' to have encountered such a string of nice days.

Yes, indeed. It was wonderful!

**psyculman** · 09-30-2021, 03:36

Thanks for the great report. Yes, your first day was perfectly clear and calm and warm, pretty rare indeed. Good to see a trip from a hammockers perspective.

**Rhody Seth** · 09-30-2021, 04:37

Awesome, sounds like you guys had a great trip. That's an impressive amount of backpacking. Despite all my time in the Whites I've only strung together two nights in the mountains. That's a long and incredible trip you guys put together. Glad your hitchhiking worked out!

**sparky32** · 09-30-2021, 09:37

Originally Posted by schwad

Aftermath

I’d originally planned to do another 1-night backpacking trip in the Whites as a victory lap for our trip (see thread here). The idea was to hitchhike back to our car, grab some more food, and head straight back into the woods. But we were a bit delayed getting back to the car due to staying at Valley Way instead of Osgood tentsite (putting us about 4 hours behind the “ideal” schedule), and the forecast was for rain overnight, so we decided to eat dinner in town and get a hotel room so we could get drier instead of wetter. When we woke up the next morning, my knees demanded another ibuprofen, Dave’s Achilles tendon was inflamed (as it had been for days), and we faced a forecast of 0.5-inch to 1-inch of rain for the day. So we decided to call the trip a victory and start driving home a day early.

What a trip!

Wow! What a great trip report; a lot of good detail. Thanks for sharing it. We had to cancel our August 2021 Presidential Traverse at the last minute so we ar planning to try again next year. I can't wait!

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**lorazepam** · 10-04-2021, 16:58

Great report! Man, that is some beautiful and rugged country.

**schwad** · 10-10-2021, 07:51

Originally Posted by sparky32

Wow! What a great trip report; a lot of good detail. Thanks for sharing it. We had to cancel our August 2021 Presidential Traverse at the last minute so we ar planning to try again next year. I can't wait!

I hope it goes well for you! The way has been "paved"!

I mean, not really -- it's still pretty rugged.