First Backpacking Adventure in the White Mountains of New Hampshire - The Presidential Traverse
““Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world.” – ”
I was born and raised in the beautiful mountains of Lower Santa Cruz, Trinidad & Tobago, so I’m no stranger to the hills. Though the mountains in New Hampshire are a different kind of beast, my journey started when a hiker I know invited me on her conquest to conquer the Presidential Traverse. I was humbled by the request to join the team but at the time very hesitant to do such a tough terrain with people that I haven’t had much experience hiking with.
I’m always up for a challenge and it coincided with my Berlin Marathon training schedule, so after weeks of Facebook messenger chats and two Zoom calls, I was set and ready to join the group for a weekend of adventure.
Growing up in the mountains of Lower Santa Cruz, the mountains always felt like home to me. Being able to survive in any situation thrown at me even as a child really helped me battle many mental health challenges. What happened on this trip came as a surprise to me, because I had some expectations of the people I was hiking with. I will spare you the details of the drama for now and focus on the best parts of the trip and the things that it has taught me.
View from My Childhood Home
After my dad passed away in 2014, I visited the site of the home I grew up in for most of my childhood. Though the structure is no longer there, all the memories live on. “The mountains feel like home to me”
““Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” ”
Day 1 of My Presidential Traverse
With sun in the skies and no rain clouds in sight on the radar, the day was set to be perfect weather for hiking. We woke up at 3:00 am on Saturday morning to get ready for our day-long trip. We ended up at the trailhead around 4:30 am (we were supposed to start at 4 am). If you know me, you know I’m a bit of a stickler for being on time, but when you are doing things with other humans you must leave room for the unexpected.
After taking pictures and waiting for two other persons to join us at the trailhead, we headed out at 5:10 am. We took a detour to check out some amazing waterfalls on the way up to the first summit. I don’t remember their names but I’ll be sure to post photos in the collage below. After viewing the waterfalls, we took the USFS AMC Valley Way Trail, heading towards Madison Hut. This was a deceiving trail that looked easy from the start, but got steeper as we ascended. This is where the “Stick together” motto went out the window. It was a challenge for all of us, but some of us were faster and had lighter backpacks. It would be useful to note here that most of us were carrying over 30 pounds on our backs.
I ran the Mohonk Preserve in Novemeber 2021, with nothing but a light waterpack and was able to finish in 12 hours with stops, but this was different.
Six grueling hours later, we summited the first peak - Mount Madison - without two of our friends. This was super emotional and as much I would have loved for all of us to summit together, it didn’t go that way. We spent a lot of time at the hut refueling and getting ready for the trek to the next peak and eventually to the campsite.
Mount Madison
The very first peak conquered, so I had to do my dancer pose to commemorate, it was very windy and we were able to see several other peaks from here.
Mount Madison is a 5,367-foot mountain in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire
From where we were the next peak was in view but seemed very far, and hiking with an almost 40-pound backpack proved to be a challenge. When we got near the sign that said 0.3 miles to the summit, we ditched our backpacks and made our way to the summit to enjoy the cold breeze. The winds must have been at least 40-50 miles per hour. At this point, all I wanted was to get to the campsite and have my freeze-dry mac and cheese with tuna. As we made our way down from Mount Adams, one of our friends fell, her leg swollen in seconds. We admitted first aid to her and were on our way. We shared the load of helping to carry her backpack down to the campsite, to keep the pressure off her leg.
This day was teaching us the importance of sticking together in case of emergencies. I’ve read too many stories of people dying in the White Mountains due to weather, going alone, and unpreparedness.
Anyway, when we got to the campsite, we were relieved to find that there was enough space for all of us to pitch our tent for the night. We got settled in, pitching tents and hanging the hammocks, then had dinner watching the amazing orange sunset before bed. I had a plan in my head to stay up late enough to watch the stars but sleep caught up to me and I was knocked out in no time.
Mount Adams
Mount Adams, elevation 5,793 feet above sea level.
Day 2 of My Presidential Traverse - Mount Jefferson, Mt. Clay, and Mt. Washington
Woke up at 3:30 am on Sunday morning in an effort to start early since we agreed the night before to start at 4:00 am, but you guessed it “humans are unpredictable” and some of us weren’t ready. We finally headed off to the trails around 6:00 am, making our way to Mount Jefferson first. I remember it being, very quiet compared to Saturday when there were more people on the trail and I liked the quietness. Some of us took a quick break on Mt Jefferson to refuel then started our trek to Mount Washington. I have since discovered that I liked jumping from rocks (AKA bouldering), we did a lot of it on that day.
We headed over to Mt. Clay, where you can see the skies changing from bright to cloudy and gloomy. Now, I’ve heard that the weather at Mt. Washington is always changing, but we were very blessed to have sunshine for most of the trek until the clouds had us scrambling for rain gear at Mt Washington.
This was our longest rest stop for the day, as we said “See you later” to two of our friends who due to injury took the train back to town. We had some cooked meals from the Mt. Washington Cafe, refilled our water packs, use the facilities, and took a few pictures at the summit sign (where the lines were long with tourists who drove up).
At this point, I realized through the weather app, that there was a thunderstorm heading our way. I told the rest of the group, and we made our way to Crawford Path Trail to get to the campsite before sunset. We had about 4-5 miles to cover before we got to Mizpah Spring Hut and Gaumann tent site, I estimated one hour per mile if we kept a good pace.
Mount Washington
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.
Getting to the summit was windy and the weather started changing. When we got to the top, there were many people there because you can drive to the top of Mt Washington. It didn’t really feel like a peak to me, more like an amusement park. The journey to getting there was more rewarding.
Journey through, Lake of the Clouds, Mount Monroe, Mt. Franklin, Mt. Eisenhower, and Mt. Pierce
As we said our goodbyes to the highest peak in the northeastern United States, I started having second thoughts about finishing. I wasn’t tired, but it was just so much uncertainty with the weather and a few people in the group. I digress…
We ended up escaping the rain cloud on our way to “Lake of the Clouds” where we used the facilities and got on our way ascending Mt Monroe. From here it was more walking the ridge and summiting a few more peaks on a very windy but quiet Sunday evening. As the sun started setting, I realized the skies had changed, the wind was behaving recklessly and we needed to get our tired legs going faster.
We got to Mount Pierce at 7:05 pm, as I grew more anxious about finding space at the campsite for all six of us. My other hiker friend and I decided it was best if I could run ahead and save our space at the Gaumann tent site. I was a little scared and apprehensive at first, running down alone because of the winds and the trees were crackling like they were about to break leaving my friend alone. So many thoughts flooded my mind, but I had to make sure we got a spot to sleep given the pending weather.
I got to Mizpah Spring Hut, and inquired about lodging there. The young lady said they still had bunks available if I wanted to get a bunk would be around $150 bucks. I knew we had originally planned on setting up at Gaumann tent site near the hut so I declined her offer. My hiker friend arrived about 40 mins later, followed by the other ladies. That night, some slept in the hut and others on the tent site, most of us went to bed that night highly frustrated and very uncomfortable. There was no sleeping for us in the tents, with the gusty winds, hail, and thunderstorms. I was awake the entire night.
I prayed that my tent did not fly away with me inside and for morning to come as quickly as possible. With tears streaming down my face, lying in my sleeping bag, I decided not to finish the Presidential Traverse that weekend due to the weather. I would not risk my life, nor the lives of people around me like that, I cried because I’m not big on quitting unless absolutely necessary. I cried because the weekend was tiring, emotionally and physically, I cried because the mountains is home for me but it didn’t feel like it at that moment. I cried because it cleanses and releases.
I woke up early Monday morning to intermittent showers, got dressed, packed up the tent to make my way in the rain. I told my hiking friend the plan and she was game for making the smart choice of not completing due to the thunderstorms. We still had to make it about 3 miles down to the pick up. The rest of the hiking group, left so we weren’t sure what their plan was at the time. Later, we learned that they did go on to complete the last peak in the rain. Good for them!
I could go on and on but let me wrap up here and take this time to say thank you to Jeff, Erin, Lucey, and Tatiana for being good team players. Thanks to Leyla for inviting us on this journey with you!
““We always discuss reaching the top of the mountain as the challenge. But those that have been there know coming back down is the hardest part.” ”
Gaumann Tent site
Awaiting the hail and thunderstorms. We had to place large rocks inside our tents because of the 60 mph wind gust. Fun times!!!
5 Things I learned from my very first backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
Go with people you can trust with your life and that are great team players in the arena of hiking and sticking together. This was a challenge for our group since we weren't all familiar with each other. Have a code of conduct that you and your group will follow whether it’s “sticking together no matter what” etc. Do some trial hikes together to build a connection and sense of community with the people you’re about to backpack with. Understand, how people are when placed under pressure or extreme circumstances. “Accountability is the death of the Ego”. Hike with people who will take responsibility for their actions or inactions.
Prepare, Plan, Prepare - carry the important things needed for the journey food clothes, shelter, and first aid. Take trial hikes with your backpack to be sure it works for you. Be your own researcher of the terrain, what gear works, and what doesn’t. Download a map for offline use and have your own laminated paper map.
A mindset of resilience to push through, but the wisdom of knowing where to draw the line between recklessly placing the lives of your fellow hikers in danger and coming back for another day. The courage to quit when necessary is vital on these terrains.
Be true to yourself and your abilities, knowing your limits, this comes with training yourself for things like this.
Enjoy the moments, and don’t be afraid to speak the truth in love especially if it will help the team do better.
I’m one of the “mad ones” that believe I CAN do anything I put my mind and heart to. This hike has taught me that the word can’t doesn’t live in my vocabulary. I am proud of the hikers that took this journey and conquered the mountains within. Covering over 20 plus miles of sometimes grueling, often beautiful terrain, those two days took us over the Presidential Range, crossing seven 4,000-foot peaks. Overall, it was amazing being in the mountains (my home) but definitely a learning experience for my next backpacking adventure.
See you on top the next summit Fit Friends!!
““So this was what a mountain was like, the same as a person: the more you know, the less you fear.” ”
