Parking Logistics
Unlike a lot of day hikes in the White Mountains, you will not be starting and ending at the same point. Most hikers choose to begin a Presidential Traverse from the Appalachia Parking Lot on U.S. Route 2 and end at the Crawford Notch Parking Lot, just off U.S. Route 302. This requires dropping a car at the Crawford Notch Lot. The Appalachia Parking lot is located on the south side of U.S Route 2, 2.0 miles east of Lowe’s Cabins and Garage gas station.
The Crawford Notch Lot is located on Mt. Clinton Road, which heads east off of U.S. Route 302, 8.2 miles south of the intersection of U.S. Route 3 and U.S. Route 302. The lot is on the left side of Mt. Clinton Road, 0.3 miles up the hill from U.S. Route 302. Mt. Clinton Road is not marked as such, but there is a sign that reads “Crawford Path.” The AMC’s Highland Center Lodge is just to the south of Mt. Clinton Rd. Hikers should take care to remember to bring keys to both cars with them on the Traverse, or better yet, leave a key hidden on/outside the car at the end of the Traverse.
Presidential Traverse Hiking Advice
We realize that anyone looking to do a Presidential Traverse will most likely have done a number of hikes in the past, so this isn't a checklist of the basics you'd need to go on a hike. Rather, it is things we were quite glad we had prepared for - or things that we wish we had done.
We were glad we did it near the end of July. It gave us the maximum amount of daylight. We started at 5:45AM and didn't hit the parking lot until after 7PM. Would not have been fun coming down the last trail that had a decent number of roots and wet areas in the dark.
Resting along the way is important, but to not spend too much time on a single break. We found shorter but more frequent breaks were superior to longer, more infrequent breaks, as they helped us stay hydrated and caloried, and also kept us moving at a steady pace. We had one of our members tracking stoppage time, making sure we never spent more than 5 minutes on a break unless we were at a hut & eating / refilling water. It’s a good idea to have a backpack or camelback that allows you to access water and snacks easily while you hike. We still ended up "doing nothing" for over 2 hours.
Make sure you've got a copy of the AMC White Mountain Guide. There's a number of trails that you can take to skirt the peaks instead of the route we went. If you're behind on time or the weather is questionable, you'll want to know your best alternative routes.
Bring plenty of food and water, but be aware that food and water are available at Madison Hut (3.8 miles into a north-south Traverse), Mt. Washington (11 miles into a north-south Traverse) and Lakes of the Clouds Hut (12.5 miles in, with 7.3 miles left in a north-south Traverse). We all used different strategies for hydrating - Lisa had a Camelbak, Brian had a decent sized water bottle with easy to drink spout, Chris had two Nalgenes, and Brendan had four normal sized bottled water bottles (due to easier weight distribution on his bag than his extra large Nalgene). All agreed that wearing a pack with pouches on the side that allowed for grabbing water while in mid-stride was a big help.
Don’t wear anything that is cotton, as once it gets wet, it stays wet, draining body heat and possibly leading to hypothermia. As the old saying goes: cotton kills.
Bring a pair of gloves. They will be especially useful near the summits, where you will have to use your hands to scramble up cold, wet, sharp rocks.
Bring a cloth to wipe eyeglasses and camera lenses, as these will get wet when in the clouds.
Double check the transportation plan in the AM - did you leave the keys at the end car, or are you bringing them along for the hike?
Leave a set of clothes to change into and a cooler of water, beer, and cookies in the car at the end of the Traverse. You'll thank yourself for it.
Have you done the Traverse and have any recommendations? Leave them in the comments section below or email us at hikepresidentialtraverse@gmail.com to have it added!
