Any avid hiker in the northeast knows about the Presidential Traverse. A string of nine (or 10 if you include Jackson) summits threaded through the White Mountains of New Hampshire with water falls, glowing moss, and stunning summits, it's no wonder this venture is on most hikers’ bucket lists. It was on mine and it only took me three attempts. Like so many others, my first two trips were canceled due to hurricane-like, 110 mph winds on Mount Washington. Little known fact: Mount Washington held the highest recorded wind gust for 62 years at 231 mph.
Traverse Gear Check
I was looking to shed a little weight, so I packed my Deuter ACT Zero with all of the essentials. The Trail consists of 20,000 feet of elevation change over 23 miles, so I ditched the big camera bag and stuffed my point and shoot into my Deuter Zip Pack Lite. I've never used it for that purpose but was stoked to find out it fit perfect.
One Day Or Two?
The Prezi can be done as a one-day sprint from dawn to dusk or as an overnighter. Wanting to spend as much time as possible in the mountains, we chose to do it over two days. We hiked it from north to south instead of the reverse. Hiking and rock scrambling 4,000 feet in the first four miles up to Mount Madison is an endeavor all in itself. The boulders we scrambled over were pitted and sharp from the intense weather, and I could only compare them to lava rock found in Hawaii. After you reach elevation, the hardest part is done and you can take in back-to-back summits miles of tremendous views.
Looks for other epic hikes around the USA? Check out this comprehensive list of the top 50!
By Matthew Rispoli
When he’s not spending his time being a mountain man in the Adirondacks of New York, Matt, along with with his wife Elisa, is busy raising two energetic boys in New Jersey. He is part of the Deuter Family Ambassador team, and you can keep up with his adventures here.