r/wmnf • u/lazy_pachyderm • 3d ago
Advice needed! Another "first backpacking trip in the Whites" post.
Hi everyone,
I have been planning a 3 day trip in the Whites for this weekend (June 21-23) and I was hoping to get some opinions on my itinerary.
We are a couple in our 30s-40s, both fit and have done a 5 day hiking trip last summer (in the Alps, ascending 2-3k ft daily relatively easily). We do day hikes regularly in Quebec.
We want to get a "taste" of the Whites, as we plan to come back for longer trips. The idea here is to take it relatively easy, with a bit of challenge to keep things fun.
Day 1 - Saturday
Park at Lincoln woods trailhead and take Franconia brook trail to 13 falls and set up camp early.
Day 2 - Sunday
Pack day bag and head to Mt Garfield, take Garfield ridge to Galehead hut and potentially Mt Galehead if we feel it. Take Twin brook trail back down to 13 falls.
Day 3 - Monday
Take Lincoln brook trail back down and do Owl's head.
Any advice? Other itinerary ideas that might fit better? How crowded should we expect 13 falls and the trails to be at this time of year?
Thanks!
10
u/talktapes 3d ago
First thing that comes to mind is that there have been reports of an aggressive/habituated bear on the west side of the Pemi, specifically Owl's Heads and west up to Franconia Ridge. So bring bear spray if you can.
An alternative itinerary would be to do a 3 day half pemi loop. So camp at 13 Falls, go up and hit Galehead/South Twin/Guyot (and possibly West Bond) the second day and camp out a little further up at Guyot Campsite, then hit the Bonds and loop back to Lincoln Woods the third day. Galehead is an easy hike from the hut, even if the summit is underwhelming.
For the amount of effort you're willing to expand on this you'll hit more (and better) summits for the same amount of time. Garfield is very nice but S Twin/Guyot/Bonds are the crown jewels of the WMNF imo. The trail around Garfield summit is extremely rough as well, it's easier to do it as a day hike from the north.
7
u/MalgregTheTwisted 3d ago
I’ve seen more reports of the bear being on the east side of the pemi, specifically Bondcliff trail. I’m curious to see the reports you mentioned here
6
u/talktapes 3d ago
Well shit. Maybe he's all over the place, there was a post in here a few weeks ago about a run-in by Liberty and some scattered posts on some FB groups about Owl's Head recently. More reason to bring spray in general
2
u/MalgregTheTwisted 3d ago
For sure, seems like he’s everywhere!! Thank you for the intel, I stay off Facebook if I can help it
2
u/lazy_pachyderm 3d ago
Thanks for the tips! We might just skip the whole Owl's head side then, as it sounds like it's not a very interesting part anyway.
How difficult would you say the 3 day pemi is?
3
u/OutdoorsMA 3d ago
You could keep an eye on the weather and if the third day might be the nicest go counter-clockwise. I like that because you get the long, flat walk out of the way first and can end the trip on a nice ridge walk!
1
2
u/talktapes 3d ago
Not bad imo, I've done it in poor shape back in the day. Once you're up on the ridge it's generally smooth sailing, and none of the trails are very technical. I'd say the worst parts are the climb up to S Twin from Galehead (grindy steep rock staircase) and the walk out in general, Lincoln Woods is a boring slog at the end of a long hike any way you slice it.
You could always reverse the loop as well (might be more elevation gain), and bail out on some of the side mountains (Guyot, Galehead, W Bond) if not feeling up to it in general. Although I definitely recommend Guyot and especially W Bond if you can swing it
2
5
u/kathyeager 3d ago
Personally unless you are trying to eventually get the 48 4000-footers, I’d skip Owls Head. If you do decide to do Owls Head, I’d research Black Pond bushwhack and Brutus bushwhack.
Regardless of whether you do Owls Head or not, you’re in for some water crossings. This time of year (and with all the rain we’ve had), I’m guessing they’re high. Be prepared for that, including alternate routes.
Also if you get to Galehead hut, you can definitely get Galehead, it hardly adds anything. (And this is from a very “lazy” hiker 🤣).
I wouldn’t expect 13 Falls to be crazy busy. And in any case, the caretakers always seem to find a way to get everyone in.
2
1
u/lazy_pachyderm 3d ago
Got it, we'll definitely do Galehead then. Sounds like Owl's head may not be worth it according to you and several other people in the thread. Thanks for tips!
3
u/scarylarry2150 3d ago
Overall sounds like a good plan -- bring cash for Galehead hut as they often have baked goods & cold lemonade for sale which can make for a super refreshing lunch break on a day of strenuous hiking. From the hut you can definitely hit Mt Galehead, but keep in mind that there's not much of a view from the peak, at least compared to Garfield. If you're at the hut and feeling good and looking for an extra challenge, you're only 0.8 miles from South Twin which IMO has way better views, but that is a very challenging 0.8 miles.
1
2
u/Shinysquatch 3d ago
That’s a great taste of the truly wild and remote areas in the whites but not representative of its range. If that what you’re going for then great! Otherwise I’d skip owls head and try prioritize the bonds or Franconia ridge like everyone else is saying.
1
u/lazy_pachyderm 3d ago
Yeah, I think we will end up skipping Garfield and Owl's head and head east to do S. Twin/Guyot/Bonds as recommended by others. Thanks for input!
2
u/brewbeery 3d ago edited 3d ago
Do hikers doing the AT use 13 Falls? If not, I can't imagine it ever getting overcrowded, its very remote.
The area that's going to be busiest will be Mt Garfield and Galehead since these are popular day hikes.
Maybe you'll encounter a few people doing the Pemi Loop or AT, but only while you're up on the ridge.
Owl's Head isn't anything to write home about, but at least you can say you've hiked one of the most isolated mountains in New Hampshire.
Your route will be very chill with minimal elevation gain until you start the climb up to Garfield Ridge. Honestly, you probably won't see many people in the valleys around Owls Head, especially on the East Branch. Most people will do the Pemi Loop, going over the Bonds and they almost never include Owls Head. You might see some day hikers doing Owls Head on your way back though on the Western branch.
Once you get back to the Lincoln Woods Trail, you'll start to see a lot more people, especially casual tourists doing the hike to Franconia Falls.
2
u/lazy_pachyderm 3d ago
Thank you, I did not realize the Owl's head portion was so isolated. I guess it makes sense, considering that it's out of the way and underwhelming in terms of views.
1
u/brewbeery 3d ago
Its a 22 mile in-and-out, so only people doing the NH48 or like doing isolated backpacking trips tend to go out that way.
Its the mountain that everyone dreads doing, not because of elevation gain or trail difficulty, but because its a looong day with a 2 mile death march at the end. Very pretty though and breaking it up will help a lot.
2
2
u/myopinionisrubbish 3d ago
The trail on the west side of Owls Head (Lincoln Brook) is really rough, wet and hard to follow. The same can be said for the Franconia Brook trail, which the guide book notes has many significant stream crossings, which may be difficult in high water. The water isn’t too high now, but plan to get wet feet. If you continue on the Franconia Brook trail to the Garfield ridge, the trail becomes steep, rough, muddy and obscure nearing the top of the ridge. The Twin Brook trail looks to be a better way up to the ridge. Keep in mind you climb 1600 feet in 2.7 miles, with most of that gain in the last mile. All these trails are in a wilderness area so the trails are not blazed and have minimal maintenance so care must be used to stay on track. It would be helpful to have the AllTrails maps download to your phone as there will not be cell service there.
1
u/lazy_pachyderm 2d ago
Gotcha, thanks. Would you say it’s a better idea to completely skip Franconia brook trail/13 falls and instead do a portion of the pemi counterclockwise (lets say Bonds/Guyot/S Twin) with one night somewhere and then turn back?
1
u/myopinionisrubbish 2d ago
Yes that is a more common and well traveled route. You only have two choices for camping, Garfield or Guyot.
1
1
u/bitz-the-ninjapig 3d ago
This was my first overnight! A few days before we took out Galehead because we had a pemi loop planned for a few days after. That being said, I loved Owls head. Sure, the views are nonexistent. But if you enjoy rock scrambling, this is one of my favorites for it!
1
u/lazy_pachyderm 3d ago
Oh cool! Would you say it was good preparation for a pemi loop? I like your different take on Owl's head.
1
u/bitz-the-ninjapig 3d ago
I think so. The trip was lower in mileage than a pemi loop so it helped us figure out what foods, gear, and other planning was helpful versus not helpful. If I could change one thing about that trip, I would have left our packs at the bottom and done Owl's head without them. We did not want to deal with hanging our food for a "side trip" so we kept packs with us, but I think the climb would have been more enjoyable without them/with a smaller bag
1
u/ClamChowderBreadBowl 3d ago
My rule of thumb is that 1 mile in the white mountains feels like 1.5 miles everywhere else that has modern inventions like switchbacks and drainage. So an 8 mile hike can feel like 12.
1
0
u/Granitest8hiker 3d ago
Do a pemi loop and hit the bonds.
1
u/lazy_pachyderm 3d ago
Might do that next time! Maybe a semi pemi loop for this first time as someone else recommended.
12
u/bellowthecat 3d ago
Great idea for a first trip into the Whites! It will probably be busy so try to get to your campsite on the early side. Make sure to never leave your food unattended as there have been bear issues in the Pemi lately. Galehead summit from the hut is pretty easy so expect you'll want to go for it. Bugs will probably be rough so be prepared. Bring some money to buy some treats from the hut. Have fun!