Tag Archives: new hampshire

The Traverse Traversed

Two years ago, four of my friends and I attempted the Presidential Traverse: a formidable hike that links together eight peaks in the White Mountains of New Hampshire: Mounts Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce (and sometimes Jackson). The hike didn’t go well. We were thwarted by gastroenteritis, impenetrable fog, and a thunderstorm that forced us to bail halfway. I vowed to return. Continue reading The Traverse Traversed

The Treacherous Traverse

Hiking things that are difficult:

  • Completing miles 11-12 of a long hike
  • Carrying a 20- or 30-lb backpack
  • Teetering on jagged edges of unstable rocks
  • Downclimbing a steep rockslide, -2000 ft over 1 mile
  • Finding trail markings in dense night fog with <10 ft visibility

Hiking that is downright treacherous: Doing all of those things simultaneously. Continue reading The Treacherous Traverse