Backpacking a Southern Presidential – Dry River Loop

The Dry River Valley in New Hampshire’s White Mountains may be difficult to entry as a result of the paths main into it and thru it are distant, tough, and tough to comply with. Scarred by avalanches, washed out by floods, or ravaged by hurricanes, the paths are largely unblazed which may be intimidating in the event you’re used to following white blazes on closely traveled trails. However that’s to be anticipated if you hike within the Presidential Vary/Dry River Wilderness Space which is arguably the wildest of the six designated wilderness areas within the Whites. In fact, that’s the type of factor that I discover interesting which is why the Dry River Valley is my favourite place to backpack within the White Mountain Nationwide Forest. 

Sadly, the climate this summer season has been extra atrocious than regular within the Whites with heavy rainfall, unpleasantly excessive humidity and temperatures, and smokey haze from the Canadian forest fires. Water ranges all through the Nationwide Forest had been so excessive that it was inconceivable to hike many trails, particularly Wilderness Trails with stream crossings till it stopped raining and water ranges dropped. Issues have improved this August with much less rainfall and cooler temperatures, so I’m making up for misplaced time by getting ou ton as many in a single day journeys as I can.

So when a good climate window introduced itself, I jumped at an opportunity for a fast backpacking loop alongside the Southern Presidential Vary after which down into the Dry River Valley. I couldn’t have picked a greater two days for my journey, with cool dry air and clear sunny climate.

For this journey, I hiked as much as the Southern Presidentials under Mt Washington alongside the Edmands Path, a rocky path that reaches treeline simply north of Mt Eisenhower the place it meets the Crawford Path, the oldest repeatedly maintained mountaineering path in america.  From there it continues north, passing Mt Monroe and the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, earlier than climbing to the summit of Mt Washington.

I hoofed it up Edmand’s and continued onto the Crawford Path, heading north towards Mt Franklin and Mt Monroe. It is a very picturesque section of the Southern Presidential Vary, that’s all above treeline and extremely uncovered to the climate, with only a rocky path snaking by means of the sedge grass marked by scree partitions and cairns.

As I approached Franklin, I noticed a brand new spur path main from the Crawford Path to the summit that wasn’t there the final time I climbed the height, a number of years in the past, so I went out to research it. Trails change surprisingly regularly within the Whites, though admittedly, the adjustments are normally on a smaller scale. I used to be joined by a pair that had hiked up the Edmands Path concurrently me and we had a chew to eat and a companionable chat.

From Franklin, I continued to little Monroe after which lastly the Mt Monoe summit earlier than dropping all the way down to the Lakes of the Clouds hut on the foot of the height. I refilled my water bottles, ate some meals, and had a brief relaxation as a result of I knew the following section of my route could be difficult. I deliberate to descend to the Dry River Valley by dropping over the headwall of the Oakes Gulf Path and following the Dry River Path, which is notoriously laborious to comply with.

From the hut, the path runs alongside an alpine tarn (one of many lakes) earlier than dropping over the headwall and snaking its means by means of a boulder area and knee-high vegetation. It takes some focus to comply with the cairns marking the path however you additionally should be in your toes for areas the place the path runs however is unmarked. Having been down this path twice earlier than, I had the benefit of remembering most of those choice factors. However there have been nonetheless a number of new spots that required judgment calls about which means the path ran, notably in these spots lined with operating water!

My commonplace recommendation for anybody mountaineering the Dry River Path is to start out on the high and hike all the way down to the Dry River Valley, quite than going up. The route discovering happening is way simpler since you’re trying down on the options and may see greater than in the event you’re trying up. Imagine it or not, the path has gotten a LOT simpler to comply with since I first hiked it, due largely to the previous Path Adopter, Invoice Robichaud, who’s now sustaining the Shoal Pond Path one other infamous and muddy path within the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

After rigorously choosing my means all the way down to the valley ground, I emerged within the clearing the place the Dry River lean-to is positioned, means upstream. It’s in fairly fine condition and there are some midway respectable tent pitches surrounding it if you wish to use a tent.

I meant to camp a bit additional downstream at a delegated campsite alongside the river close to the Dry River Cutoff junction as a substitute, so I continued down the path towards it. I attempted to at the very least, as a result of the path appeared to have been washed away, judging by the sediment on the bottom and up into the bushes. It actually seemed like your complete space had been underneath the water sooner or later as a consequence of all of the rain we’ve gotten this summer season. Nonetheless, I knew the place the path was speculated to be and bushwhacked all the way down to the river crossing by following the river.

The primary crossing was a simple rock hop, however it usually isn’t, whereas the second crossing a bit farther downstream required a knee-deep ford. However I used to be steps away from my meant campsite and received myself organized, pitching my tent, filtering water, and cooking up some dinner. Then I used to be out like a light-weight, quick asleep till the morning. I by no means have any points falling asleep outside.

As I used to be packing up the following morning, a pair that had camped close by stopped to say whats up. We chatted for a couple of minutes earlier than they acknowledged me from my publication photograph. They had been spending their trip mountaineering the entire trails within the Presidential Vary/Dry River Valley Wilderness, a part of their quest to hike the entire trails in the entire Wilderness Areas within the White Mountain Nationwide Forest. They’d written to me for recommendation about backpacking within the Whites beforehand, however I assume I didn’t handle to scare them away.

I completed packing my issues and was off, climbing up the Eisenhower Path again to the Crawford Path, taking the Edmands Path off the ridge and again all the way down to the trailhead lot. Whereas this was a brief journey, I’d had magnificent climate above treeline and alongside some very tough trails. In different phrases, I’d had a blast!

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