AboutWounded Knee Expertise I can advise on anything having to do with hiking and backpacking skills and equipment, including map and compass and orienteering skills. I cannot advise on the use of GPS devices. I cannot advise on car camping or group camping (10 or more people). My primary geographic expertise is in the US Northeast, but I know how to find information on hiking and backpacking just about anywhere.
Experience I've been hiking and backpacking for about 40 years, including ongoing section hiking of the Appalachian Trail (almost 1300 miles so far). I have hiked extensively in the New York Metropolitan Area, as well as various other areas from Virginia north, including upstate New York, New England, and Eastern Canada.
Publications New York Walk Book, 7th Ed. New Jersey Walk Book, 2nd Ed.
Education/Credentials Not applicable to this area of expertise.
Question QUESTION: Hi,
I am looking for a nice place to do a 7-night backpacking trip in the northeast. I am traveling from Michigan to Boston, so anyplace that is not too far out of the way would be great. I've thought about the White Mountains or Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, but I'd like advice on what would be a really splendid trip. I am 46 and traveling with my 17 and 19 year old sons. We have a lot of wilderness camping experience and are in good physical condition. We will be bringing our German Shepherd dog. We're leaving Michigan on Monday, so if you could give me a quick answer it will be helpful!
Thanks,
Jennie
ANSWER: You could have a great time in any of the three areas that you mention. The Green Mountains are probably the easiest, while the Whites are the hardest. Some areas of the Adirondacks are very challenging, while other areas areas are less so, even if you stay in the High Peaks region (Lake Placid and Keene Valley areas). A lot depends on what kind of distance you feel you can cover in a single day -- you, your sons, and the dog. Seven nights worth of food is a lot of weight, so you should plan on resupplying about half way through your trip.
I'm going to give a brief description of each of the three areas. Think about what you want out of the trip, then let me know which of the three you want to know more about.
1. Green Mountains: The only part above tree line is the area near the summit of Mount Mansfield. Mostly heavily wooded areas, with evergreens at the higher altitudes. Fewer summit views, unless you climb the summit fire towers, which are pretty common. They call them the Green Mountains for a reason: they're very heavily wooded. Some shelters/tentsites in high-use areas have per-person fees.
2. Adirondacks: Treeline at 4000 feet, so most of the major summits are above treeline. High, rounded summits, deep glacial valleys, lots of spectacular brooks and rapids. Camping mostly free, but parking fees are fairly high. Lots of bears, and use of hard bear-proof containers is required (they rent them out, I think, so you don't have to own one).
3 White Mountains: Treeline same as the Adirondacks, but the peaks are sharper and there are long ridges above treeline. Fierce, changeable weather -- high winds, rapid temperature drops, rain, sleet, snow, fog year round. The AMC has built a number of full service huts -- you can get dinner, breakfast, and a comfortable bunk for the night, but they're not cheap -- about $80/person per night, more on weekends. Most shelters and official tentsites have a $10/person fee.
Let me know your interest and capabilities, and I'll be able to respond with some specific suggestions.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: We think we could cover about 7 miles a day. Last year, our last day was over 12 miles, but that was a stretch and we didn't have to camp that night. We will not restock; we have dehydrated food and we've done this many nights for the last 2 years without any problems.
We don't like to see other people when we are out backpacking, so the places with huts and shelters are a turn-off. Having summit views would be nice, but not if we are in a group of strangers to view them. I was thinking about perhaps the West Central region of the Adirondacks, since the website I checked out told me it was still really nice, but much less traveled than the High Peaks region. The Whites sound really good, too, if there is a route you could suggest which would not be too heavily used and you wouldn't think would be too dangerous. I've only done one trip in the mountains - in Colorado near Boulder last summer.
Thanks a lot for the help!
Answer If it's isolation you want, you should avoid the Whites as well -- they're very heavily traveled. Same with the Green Mountains. As for designated campsites/shelters: in many areas you don't the option to choose otherwise. The park authorities like to limit the number of areas where people can camp in order to minimize human impact on the wilderness. That said, there are "stealth" sites practically everywhere, although you should use seriously Leave No Trace camping techniques if you spend the night in any of them. You just need to keep your eyes open for flat areas where you can pitch a tent. Even in the more heavily traveled areas, most of your time on the trail you'll be alone. It's almost entirely at the tentsites or shelters that you'll run into other folks.
Here are my recommendations:
1. If the Whites sound so cool that you want to go there regardless of the traffic levels, you should select campsites that are well away from the Appalachian Trail. It's OK to cross or even hike along the AT for brief stretches. Doing so will significantly decrease your contact with other humans. You can still hit many of the areas above treeline and get spectacular views. Get your hands on the AMC's White Mountains trail guide and study it thoroughly. Also, understand that 7 miles in the Whites is like 10-15 miles in other places. To give you a basis for comparison, I am a very experienced long-distance hiker. This year, I was hiking along the AT in Central Virginia, and I averaged 17+ miles/day. The year before, I hiked the Whites and was hard pressed to average more than 11 miles/day. Places you may want hike include the Franconia or the Kinsman Ridges, which have excellent views but are less traveled than the Presidentials. Also, the area to the north of the AT as it skirts the Great Gulf Wilderness would be worth looking into.
2. Your choice of the West Central region of the Adirondacks will enable you to avoid the crowds, but the scenery is less spectacular. Unfortunately, it's been a long time since I've been in the area (Boy Scouts, 40 years ago), and even then it was for canoe trips on the lakes, so I can give only the most general advice. My suggestion is that you take a close look at a couple of the better guidebooks. The ADK publishes a West Central Region trail guide that would be worth examining. If you can get your hands on Discover the West Central Adirondacks (it's out of print), that would be great -- I've used a couple of the "Discover the..." guides and been very impressed with them.
Some logistical concerns: Consider whether you want to hike a big loop or do an end-to-end. The loop approach enables you to toss your gear in the car and immediately head for civilization, while the end-to-end requires that you arrange for a shuttle back to your vehicle. The advantage of the end-to-end is that it's usually easier to lay out your route. As I mentioned in my initial reply, think about resupply if you're going to be out for 7 days. And keep in mind that cell phone service is very spotty in the wilderness -- you may get a signal at the tops of mountains and in some towns, but don't count on it.
If you have any other questions, feel free to send me another follow-up.
