The Pemi Loop

Like most of my long runs I try to schedule them for days with good weather. I check the weather forecast daily until a day with sun and pleasant temps is forecast. As the day approaches I check for updates on the weather almost hourly in anticipation for the optimal time to run.

I like the idea of running the Pemigewasset Loop on my Birthday - June 7th. This would be my 31st birthday and some mileage estimates put the Pemi Loop's mileage at 31. It seemed appropriate. The weather forecast made it look possible right up through the the evening of June 6th. At 5:30am on the anniversary of my birth I woke up, checked the forecast one last time, and was shocked out of bed by possibilities of rain and thundershowers. Just 5 hours earlier it had been sun and nice temperatures for running.

I rushed out of bed and out the door without eating. I felt like grabbing something on the way would be more time efficient as I would need every minute possible of daylight if the weather were to be rainy. Rain makes for slick footing in New England. The algae and moss that grows on rocks making up the trail becomes slippery the second it become wet. It causes a person with a conservative running style to slow down dramatically. I was running alone and needed to be running conservatively.

Running along the Pemigewasset River.

I arrived, clothed and prepped myself, and was on the trail for 8:00am. I had chosen to do the loop the counter-clockwise way, running the 4.7 mile section of abandoned rail first, rather than at the end of a long climbing day. I covered it quickly and was starting the climb up my first climb (Bondcliff 4265') within 49 minutes of departure. I was struck by how nice the Bondcliff trail actually was once it really started to ascend. Below that one steep section the trail was washed out and loose and slow going. It would have been much easier to descend. Probably why many folks do the traverse in the opposite direction.

Looking back at Bondcliff from Bond.

The summit of Bondcliff was pleasantly exposed. I had hiked this peak about a decade ago but could did not remember it. It was probably socked in that day. The run up to Bond (4698') went well. The weather was holding in there and I could see all of the peaks of the loop were not shrouded in clouds at all. Still I quickened my pace. In the mountains sometimes speed is safety.

A nice view from Galehead Hut.

The trail took a lot of concentration to keep up a strong pace. If I let my mind start to zone out into daydream land (a place I usually like to go on trail runs) I would slow my pace to a quick walk. I kept having to remind myself to step it up. The trail junctions came and went and soon I was at the summit of South Twin (4902') looking down the 1,100', 0.8 mile decent to Galehead Hut. The decent went slower than I had imagined. much of the ledge was steep and very slick, causing me to stop often and figure the best moves down to the next island of safety. It was slow going and I arrived at the Galehead Hut at 4:11 elapsed time some 15 miles into the 31.9 mile traverse.

I filled up on the only water that does not need to be treated and hit the trail again, noting the darkening clouds and intermittent sprinkles threatening to ruin my mood. There is one place on the loop I would consider bailing out to avoid a storm. Taking the Franconia Brook Trail would be only slightly shorter than running the remainder of the ridge but it would take me to the valley floor and level out - a much safer place in a thunder storm. By my appointed bail out point I had heard no thunder but the rain had dampened my mood a little. The decision to continue was difficult. If I continued out the Garfield Ridge there was nowhere to go but to the exposed summit of Lafayette (5260') or turn around. The turn around would make my run much longer but easier. I didn't like the thought of having to turn around. Still I made the decision to run the ridge and I am glad I did.

My memory of the Garfield Ridge Trail was that it was a lonely, long and rough stretch of trail. Of these only the rough seemed accurate on this day. Hikers came with great regularity through this section and time passed relatively quickly. Before I knew it I was running up the six false summits of Lafayette. Thank goodness I had remembered the false summits as I would have been mentally drained by the time I had finally gained the summit if I had not.

Looking down at Greenleaf hut (on the left)

and the top of Cannon Cliff to the right of it.

Looking back at Garfield Ridge in the middle of a shower.

Franconia Ridge.

I had one last shower on the flanks of Lafayette and then the sun came out for my cruise of the Franconia Ridge. It couldn't have been better timed. The concentration of people is much higher on the Franconia Ridge and I passed people left and right on my gradual descent by Lincoln (5089'), Liberty (4459'), and Flume (4328'). It was nice seeing people on my Flume as it marked the end of the summits and the start of my final decent. They were doing the Presi Traverse the following week and were out doing a training hike. We had some good laughs over very little and parted.

The decent down the Osseo Trail was painful but I was happy to finally drop out onto the Lincoln Woods trail for the final flat run out to the truck. I ran at a 7:45 pace for the last 1.5 miles to the truck and hit the stop on my stopwatch - 10:26.