Pemi Loop
Where: Pemi Loop
When: August, 1985
With: Solo
A new tent, a new stove, and my first White Mountain Guide...time to go hiking. This was the end of my first MEDITECH vacation and a solo walk seemed in order. I packed homemade spinach pasta and headed north.
I'm not sure how I picked the route, though I can see the attraction. A big circle on a ridge. I didn't realize that I was about to hike the Pemi Loop, a bucket-list hike for many, and begin what would turn into a multi-decade quest to climb all 48 of New Hampshire's 4000' peaks. This hike would be a good start, ticking off eight of the peaks on the list (I would later go back and tag three more that are commonly summited on The Loop - West Bond, North Twin, Galehead). But I didn't know about the list, or the Loop. It just seemed like a good route for a hike.
The trail head was the Wilderness Trail (now Lincoln Woods) parking lot on the Kancamagus Highway and I headed in on the WT to the Bondcliff trail, which I followed up into the woods. It was a pretty trail, pretty constantly uphill. It followed a stream for the first part, past some very nice campsites down low. Finally it climbed up and crossed over the stream bed high on the hillside. I stopped for a bit of "encouragement", then continued on. Some campsites near here had beautiful views south.
The trail continued on around the side of the mountain for quite awhile, then abruptly turned right and headed up. The trees thinned and soon I was up on top of Bondcliff. What a view! South the way I came, West over Owls Head to Lafayette, East to Washington. And cliffs. It was an amazing place. I rested a bit and spoke with another hiker about water. He said there was some at the shelter up ahead.
The trail crossed the top and descended to a narrow ridge over to Bond. A little exposed but not too bad. Then up again and over Mt. Bond. The trail descended the other side into a col, where the trail to shelter went right. I went down and found a caretaker asking for money to stay! I had none, so I just got water and went back up and went off into the woods on the other side of the trail. Best move I made. I found a small open spot, pitched the tent, and got dinner going. A perfect little spot. I watched the sun set through the trees and went to sleep.
During the night I heard some animal near my tent and made some noise to scare it off. Next morning I found that it had punctured my water bag. The holes were on top, so I tried to pack it upright. Then I was on my way.
The maps show I climbed several peaks [Guyot, South Twin, Garfield] and descended into an equal number of valleys, but I only remember one climb. It started straight up and never let up. Finally I saw the top and soon I was there, only to find it was a false peak...a ridge that looks like the top from below. Above me was the true top, or so I thought. That turned out to be another false peak. This happened three more times, by which time I had renamed this mountain Soulkiller. Fortunately, just about this time the true peak came into view (I could tell by the people sitting on top) and I trudged up Lafayette. Another beautiful view.
I rested a bit then continued along the ridge [Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack] to a side trail to a shelter [Liberty Springs], where I headed down in search of water. I filled my leaky water bag and ascended to the ridge again on what was now the Osseo trail. Night was approaching as I neared the end of the ridge and I set up camp right on the trail. Unfortunately, my precautions with the water bag didn't work and I found all the water I had was in my pack. I dried what I could and ate bagels for dinner.
When: August, 1985
With: Solo
A new tent, a new stove, and my first White Mountain Guide...time to go hiking. This was the end of my first MEDITECH vacation and a solo walk seemed in order. I packed homemade spinach pasta and headed north.
I'm not sure how I picked the route, though I can see the attraction. A big circle on a ridge. I didn't realize that I was about to hike the Pemi Loop, a bucket-list hike for many, and begin what would turn into a multi-decade quest to climb all 48 of New Hampshire's 4000' peaks. This hike would be a good start, ticking off eight of the peaks on the list (I would later go back and tag three more that are commonly summited on The Loop - West Bond, North Twin, Galehead). But I didn't know about the list, or the Loop. It just seemed like a good route for a hike.
The trail continued on around the side of the mountain for quite awhile, then abruptly turned right and headed up. The trees thinned and soon I was up on top of Bondcliff. What a view! South the way I came, West over Owls Head to Lafayette, East to Washington. And cliffs. It was an amazing place. I rested a bit and spoke with another hiker about water. He said there was some at the shelter up ahead.
The trail crossed the top and descended to a narrow ridge over to Bond. A little exposed but not too bad. Then up again and over Mt. Bond. The trail descended the other side into a col, where the trail to shelter went right. I went down and found a caretaker asking for money to stay! I had none, so I just got water and went back up and went off into the woods on the other side of the trail. Best move I made. I found a small open spot, pitched the tent, and got dinner going. A perfect little spot. I watched the sun set through the trees and went to sleep.
During the night I heard some animal near my tent and made some noise to scare it off. Next morning I found that it had punctured my water bag. The holes were on top, so I tried to pack it upright. Then I was on my way.
The maps show I climbed several peaks [Guyot, South Twin, Garfield] and descended into an equal number of valleys, but I only remember one climb. It started straight up and never let up. Finally I saw the top and soon I was there, only to find it was a false peak...a ridge that looks like the top from below. Above me was the true top, or so I thought. That turned out to be another false peak. This happened three more times, by which time I had renamed this mountain Soulkiller. Fortunately, just about this time the true peak came into view (I could tell by the people sitting on top) and I trudged up Lafayette. Another beautiful view.
I rested a bit then continued along the ridge [Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack] to a side trail to a shelter [Liberty Springs], where I headed down in search of water. I filled my leaky water bag and ascended to the ridge again on what was now the Osseo trail. Night was approaching as I neared the end of the ridge and I set up camp right on the trail. Unfortunately, my precautions with the water bag didn't work and I found all the water I had was in my pack. I dried what I could and ate bagels for dinner.
Note: Reviewing maps many years later, I find that after I filled up with water at the Liberty Springs campsite and returned to the Franconia Ridge Trail, I summited two 4K peaks (Liberty & Flume) before I got to the Osseo Trail. Based upon my recollection that I was near "the end of the ridge" when I stopped to camp, I believe I set up my tent near the Flume Slide Trail.
The next day I headed down off the ridge for good. After a bit I started to hear water running. I started moving faster and soon I was running full tilt down the trail. I reached the bottom right at a stream and a campsite with a woman and a small boy. She looked at me and said something about having a lot of energy so early in the morning. I smiled and headed to the water. A long drink and I was on my way. It was a short walk to the Wilderness Trail and then back to the car.
The next day I headed down off the ridge for good. After a bit I started to hear water running. I started moving faster and soon I was running full tilt down the trail. I reached the bottom right at a stream and a campsite with a woman and a small boy. She looked at me and said something about having a lot of energy so early in the morning. I smiled and headed to the water. A long drink and I was on my way. It was a short walk to the Wilderness Trail and then back to the car.
Final note: Along with a tent and a stove, I'd purchased the AMC's White Mountain Guide (23rd edition), with 1983 maps. The Guide mentions that the Osseo Trail had been relocated because of the construction of townhouses at the original trail head on the Kancamagus Highway. The bottom of the trail was now on the Wilderness Trail. The map still showed the old route however, and I must have not read or seen the update in the Guide because I remember being confused when I passed the Osseo on my way in. On a subsequent trip (and once more after that with Chip), I explored the abandoned but still obvious Osseo Trail.
