Presidential Traverse

I spent last week monitoring several weather forecasts, looking for a day that would have sun and warm temperatures. Being in New England, I really would have just settled for a partial day of sun, but I was indeed rewarded with what would be a beautiful day on Friday, June 1st. I booked a spot on the hiker shuttle, the first day of operation for the 2012 season and was able to wake up at the reasonable time of 5:30 in order to make the shuttle at 9:00am.

The "short bus" used by the Appalachian Mountain Club as the shuttle was full of backpackers heading for various huts  and campsites in the Presidential range. I enjoyed listening to the chatter in the back of the bus filled with hiking oneupsmanship, excessive pride, and the comparison of gear. Pretty sterotypical conversation for Northeasterners in the mountains.

A little after 10:00 am I was dropped off and immediately I started my watch and took off up the Valley Way Trail.

The one-day Presidential Traverse is a rite of passage for me each season. About a decade ago it was the crown jewell of my summer. I would train for it and somewhere in the middle of July I would attempt the hike with a small group of friends. I seem to remember hiking it in times ranging between 14 and 17 hours. Our route always included Mt. Jackson (4052') and Webster (3910') at the end which not all people include in their traverse.

After living the Outward Bound life for several years in Colorado I came back to New Hampshire with a new love of trail running and naturally this led me back to the Presidential Traverse. Last year I ran it for my first time in a time of 9:10 during a return visit from Colorado. My blood was rich and the uphills didn't cause my cardiovascular system much stress. This year my blood was not so thick, but my overall climbing condition was much better. I was interested in seeing how much better.

Looking north along the ridge toward Mt. Clay.

My first indication that things were better was when I hit the lap button at the top of Mt. Madison (5366') at 1:35 taking 17 minutes off my fastest ascent of Madison. I continued to wrack up time a few minutes at a time as I ticked off the summits one by one. Adams (5799'), Jefferson (5716'), and Clay (6288'). I arrived at the high point of the traverse, Mt. Washington (6288'), in 4:24 having completed the longer half of the traverse. I lost a little time on the ascent of Washington having taken a wrong turn next to the cog railway tracks. This added a little mileage to the journey and caused me to lose my mental edge for a bit.

Summit of Mt. Washington.

At Mt. Washington I had traversed 11.6 miles with 7250' of climb over what is essentially just talus. I was looking forward to the next half which was mostly downhill and had greater sections of singletrack trail, much more runnable.

Lakes of the Clouds hut below 

Mt. Washington.

I arrived at Lakes of the Clouds Hut with no water. I wasted no time in filling my bottles and getting back out for the immediate short, steep climb up to the summit of Monroe (5372'). From Monroe it is a long downhill to the col before Eisenhower. The trail was in good condition and I floated along day dreaming all the way to the the push up to Eisenhower (4760').

Looking south from Monroe.

It gave me a chance to think about why I had loved this traverse so much. It does have a variety of terrain: talus in the Northern Presis, Singletrack in the Southern. Much of it is exposed, but some (mainly from Pierce to Webster) is in the trees. There are huts perfectly spaced for water and human interaction. There are just enough people traveling the trails so that one doesn't get lonely - unless it is a busy day when one might be annoyed with the numbers of people. The views are tremendous. The drop off some of the ridges is striking as you run along the top. And last, but not least, the traverse is a great physical challenge. There is something almost spiritual about the Presidential traverse for me. All of the above mention create one holistic experience as I run through the wind and the rock.

But enough of that hippy shit.

The run from Eisenhower to Pierce included more quality singletrack. The trees, their growth stunted to just above head-high, offered some protection from the slight breeze and sun. Come to think of it, I have rarely been above treeline in the Presidentials without it being very windy. It goes to show how unique weather-wise this day was.

The climb up to Pierce (4310') went well, as did the descent to Mizpah Spring Hut. It went very quickly from this point on. I was astounded as to how easy the running was in the southern Presidentials. Maybe it speaks to my condition this year, but the last 6 or so miles went by quickly. It felt like I was arriving at the next summit just as I was leaving the last one. Having the splits helped me in this regard as I could look at my watch and just expect to go about 30 minutes more to the next checkpoint. I wasn't watching my altimeter like usual so I didn't feel as though it was taking forever. Mount Jackson (4052') and Mount Webster (3910') were pleasant runs through the woods. I kept expecting to run into the ass of a moose along the extremely windy trail but, luckily, it never happened. Visibility on this type of trail is generally no more than 20 feet and chugging along at even a fast powerhike can lead to some great surprises.

The descent down Webster is tough only because the footing is strange. The ledges caused me to stop and ponder the best line often. The trail descends quickly until the final 1.4 miles throw in a few "F You" hills. I was expecting them and cruised them with ease. The trail spit me out in Crawford Notch with my overall time being 8:31. I had sprinted to make 8:30 but missed it by 1 minute. Regardless this is my new PR for the Presi Traverse, leverage for my confidence in finishing Hardrock. Bring it on!

By the numbers: 11 peaks (including Clay and Franklin), 9,000' of climb, ~24 miles, 8:31.