Find solution
How do you go about hiking Mt. Rainier?

Back-country camping and hiking near Mt. Washington?

  • I really enjoy hiking and being outside and living with nature. I've always wanted to go back-country camping for a vacation and I recently had the idea of doing this near Mt. ...show more

  • Answer:

    I completely agree with Cody. My mountaineering club used to go up to climb the trails to Mt. Washington to train for tough alpine climbing expeditions. It is NOT a beginner backpacking trip. You need really good gear, to be in exceptional shape and know what you are doing. Even in the summer months you can have ice storms and some of the highest winds ever recorded on earth have been measured at the summit -- over 230 mph! In fact, 2 out of 3 days the mountain has gale-force winds (over 60 mph). It is possible to get lost in fog or a whiteout and walk over a cliff or slip on ice-slicked rock and be seriously injured and die. Not to mention hypothermia, which can also be deadly. It really sounds like you don't have enough experience to attempt this. Relying on "fire" to cook your food is one hint you are to unfamiliar with what to do. Backpackers generally bring along a compact gas-fueled cookstove. Besides fires being a highly impractical way to prepare your food there are regulations on building fires in most backpacking areas in the Northeast, both for forest fire reasons and because many tree-damaging pests like bark beetles are spread by hikers gathering firewood. Do you know how to safely dispose of your waste in the wilderness? Yes, you do have to know how to sh1t in the woods, too. As to "off the beaten path" -- it is not safe or environmentally responsible to bushwhack (go off the established trails) in most park and wilderness areas in the Northeast. Where you are wanting to go is some steep and rocky terrain. Besides getting yourself in trouble you can damage vulnerable wildflowers and create erosion problems. Do you also know about registering in advance for campsites and signing in and out at trailheads so the authorities know if you are lost and need to be rescued? Sorry, not trying to completely dampen your enthusiasm for backpacking as it is a terrific activity. But is really is one you need to be properly prepared for and you need to know the rules and realities of the wild country you are planning to visit. I would advise you to buy a hiking guide-book or two from a bookstore and read up on the area. There are many lower level hiking trails in New Hampshire that would be better to start on. If you really want to get to the summit of Washington, you can drive up on the weather station access road during the summer months. Stick to that until you've got some less extreme trips under your belt for practice.

4G3LWBROWLWOCZPIBQZREWG65Q at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Snow :Sorry about the thumbs down , my mouse slipped As others have said if you do what you intend to do ;you're going wind up as a statistic When you do the Presidentials you throw out go light go right and adopt go heavy go right and always be prepared to spend the night above timber You haven't lived until you've lost trail in zero viz above timber and you just know that one mis-step in a 75 mph breeze is going to send your butt plunging off into a lot of space If you got the gear ,then you just find shelter in the lee of and/ or under one of the many big car or school bus sized rocks , have lunch and see what happens next If you don't have the gear then you become a victim of E & E aka exhaustion and exposure aka hypothermia aka the killer of the unprepared Since I came with 400' of dying from it once while coming into Hermit Lake using the emergency link from Botts Spur I can tell you that it's very nice way to die Beyond all of the flaws in your plan from a strictly hiking technique POV is the immorality of it All wilderness is inherently fragile But the area above timber in NH is an extremely fragile resource that is equipped to handle what Nature throws at it But not what Man throws at it Old school hikers are damned near Jainists when it comes to following the dictates of Leave No Trace and what you are suggesting will leave a huge and long lasting negative environmental impression So find something more moral and less ambitious to do

mr danger

A 4-5 day trip in the Presidential Range is probably not the bet idea for a beginning hiker without someone more experienced along. The entire area surrounding the range is contained in the White Mountain National Forest, so you need to know the camping regulations involved with this area. Order the "White Mountain Guide", published by the AMC. It has tons of info on regulations and what you need to be prepared for in the Whites. It also has info on the hundreds of trails in the area, as well as the AMC-managed cabin system and several topographic maps. If you stay at the huts, you will have to pay, and its not cheap (like $70/night/person if I remember correctly), and they will prepare your meals. However, it may be difficult logistically to camp in tent sites due to regulations, but it can probably be done. I would also recommend hooking up with a hiking club in the area, as the Presidential Range is not a place to learn the ropes of hiking on your own. Many people have died on Mt. Washington during the summer months due to weather, falls, and exposure, so you need to have a good idea of what you are doing before you pack up and head out there.

Cody

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.