Hiking the Wild River Wilderness - 2 Nights in the White Mountains
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- Опубликовано: 18 ноя 2024
- For this backpacking adventure, we'll be exploring the Wild River Wilderness, a remote area of New Hampshire's White Mountains for two days, covering 36 miles, countless rain storms, and a few injuries for good measure. ;)
The Wild River Wilderness is located in the North Eastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest, very close to the Maine state line. Designated by congress as a federal wilderness area in 2006, this is the newest wilderness area in the WMNF.
Now you may think of anything outdoors as "wilderness", but Federal Wilderness areas are designated areas of land that prohibit just about any form of man-made development. This would include motorized access, structures, facilities, and permanent shelters. Trail maintenance is allowed, but only with hand tools. Sounds like my kind of party for a couple days of backpacking and hiking!
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Trip Notes:
The main trail we were targeting for this trip was the Black Angel Trail, although plans changed a little, but you'll see that in the video. According to our Backpacker Magazine trip data, parking should have been available close to the Wild River Campground (44.305209, -71.065203), but the road was closed due to storm damage, so we had to park an additional 5 miles away.
We took the Wild River Trail to the intersection with the Black Angel Trail and headed up towards Carter Dome at an elevation of 4,832 feet. An official 4000-footer, this would be our highest point for the trip. It would also be the worst weather, with fog, wind, and rain to season things nicely. After descending Carter Dome, via the rainbow trail, we linked back with our previous friend, the Wild River Trail. Our target was the Perkins Notch Shelter for a reprieve from the rain, but the lingering spirit of the Black Angel had a small surprise waiting for us. None the less, this is where we would set up camp. Mileage for Day One: 20 miles.
The next morning we broke camp and headed out again. After several miles we jettisoned the Wild River trail, which follows closely along the banks of the Wild River, in favor of the Highwater Trail. This trail would follow the river, but from the ridge above. After descending into the Moriah Gorge, we met up the Moriah Brook trail for spectacular river views and large sections of trail that had seemingly vanished. Swallowed by mudslides into the river below. Luckily the navigation was fairly simple: follow the river! Lastly, we intersected with the Shellburne Trail for one one more waist deep river crossing. This would bring us back to the car just in time to begin our 9 hour trip back home. Distance for Day Two: 16 miles, Trip Total: 36 Miles
All in all, another great New England backpacking trip!
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My Hiking Gear List:
Kelty Salida 2 Tent (We're splitting this between us at a little over 2#'s each)
EMS Long Trail 70 Backpack
EMS "Stuffer" Jacket
EMS Pack Cover
2 ReVive Solar ReStore chargers for video camera, phone, etc
Osprey 2 liter Nalgene Bladder for hydration
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System
1 Liter Disposable Plastic Water Bottle
Taurus 740 Slim Sub-Compact Pistol (those flies can be vicious)
AMC New Hampshire White Mountains paper maps
Swiss Gear Trekking Poles (Cork Handle Model)
Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite foam sleeping pad
Suisse Sport 30 Degree Mummy Bag (yes, this is a cheap $35 bag, but it does the job)
Nemo Fillo (inflatable pillow) **This thing costs more than my sleeping bag, but my wife got it for me, and it's awesome!
Sunscreen
Gloves
Brunton Classic Compass
Beef Jerky, Vacuum Sealed Tuna, pop-tarts, trail mix, snacks etc
'Light My Fire' Spork
Instant Coffee!
1 oz bottle of Ben's Max 100 98% DEET insect repellent
Sea To Summit 'Insect Shield' Mosquito Head Neat (It's Black Fly Season!)
EMS Camp Cap (synthetic fast dry, & lightweight!)
EMS Convertible Camp Pants / Shorts
EMS 'Velocity' synthetic lightweight long sleeve shirt
Nike 'Pro Combat' synthetic tee shirt
EMS synthetic socks
Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots
4Sevens Preon 2 Flashlight
Princeton Tec Byte Headlamp
Leatherman Squirt Ultra-Light Multi-Tool
SOG Blink Spring Assisted Knife
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Some of Mike's Backpacking Gear:
Gregory Palisade 80 Backpack
DeLorme PN-60 Handheld GPS
Therm-a-Rest Self Inflating Sleeping Pad
Big Agnes Sleeping Bag
....and other gear choices similar to mine, but different brands etc.
All content, including music and sound effects, is original and created by myself. All music and sound effects are original works, created by myself, Sintax77, and are in no way owned or copyrighted by any third party.
Still love watching these old ones
lolol "aww you dont have to end it mike" thats a really cool looking trail. im might try it this coming summer. thanks for sharing it
You sir, have a very nice back yard! I really enjoyed this area. One of my favorites for sure.
Too funny, best vid ever, broken knees, no shelter, soaking wet, 5 miles outta the way right out the gate, 2 hrs sleep, love it!! Love ur vids!!
Thanks, I think the knee is back to normal. I did a trial run of 11 miles with regular pack load in a local spot the other day to test it out before doing Shenandoah later this week and it feels ready to go. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed for some Virginia sunshine! :D
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. In regards to the boots etc, the temps were decent enough that we decided to have a little fun & not fight it much (plus we had warm, spare clothes in our packs). Besides, we were stepping in water deeper than our boots anyway, which is actually kind of convenient once you get over the initial sogginess :)
If the weather was cooler, &our route was above tree line longer, this could have ended much differently. Others visiting the Whites should keep that in mind!
Oh my gosh... what a great hike guys!!! enjoyed your super video!!! thanks.
1:37 oh no you dont have to end it mike hahahaha best thing ever
I hiked the Wild River Trail myself- All the water damage was caused by hurricane Irene, hich went through the area in 2011. I was there during the fall when the foliage was most colorful- Great part of NH.
BEST hike I've never been on in my life!!!! Oh my gosh ... what a blast!
Thanks for sharing this survival hike. It is easy to get out with a bunch of equip and have everything go according to plan. But when it doesn't, and you have to adapt, it helps to have a good attitude when things get miserable. I like both your attitudes! Another great trip!
Thanks, man. I'd always prefer a few challenges - makes for longer lasting memories! This was probably one of my favorite trips, I wouldn't change a thing :)
You guys make a great comedy team. Looks like hammock time. Thanks
Thanks for the reply. We already did Philmont back in July and it was awesome. We arrived at the beginning of the monsoon season so we had some wet days, but overall it was a great trip. No one got hurt aside from the normal blisters, and we didn't have any bear encounters - yay! We enjoy watching your videos - they're interesting, informative, and entertaining. They're some of the best backpacking videos I've seen out there. Keep on hiking!
Great job guys I love to hike in the rain it sucks the next day to put on wet boots I know the feeling
Wow, that looked like a rough one! You guys are troopers! Thanks for sharing.
Yo dude your channel rocks. "Glad we did it in a sick twisted kind of way." Sums up almost all my hikes in the Whites.
LOL!! I love hiking with you guys!!! HIKE ON! You guys are solid!
One spectacular hike. Looks like you guys had a good time...
Always glad to share, it keeps the memories alive! A little sunshine for the next video would be nice though... ;)
Wow guys
What can i say,that was awesome
Thank you for taking me along on your adventure
I'm subscribing to your channel and cant wait to watch more
thanx for sharing, looking forward to the next adventure. Hope the knees heal up
Watching this video and your newer ones shows how you both learned to use lighter gear with less stuff. Always wanted to do this trail.
Awesome perseverance! When ever I am on a trail that is really kicking my butt I will think about what you guys went through and how well you pushed through it.
Cheers.
awesome video I really enjoy watching your videos please keep them coming thank you so so much
Thanks for the hike guys.. Hikers VS. Rocks, hikers 0 rocks 1 .. Big smile for i thought i was the only one who did that.. umm, well, i put them in my son's backpack...lol
Hi Sintax, my son and I stumbled on your backpacking videos while searching for hiking inspiration to get us psyched for our 12 day trip to Philmont Scout Ranch. We really enjoy your videos. You guys are hard-core and we like that. This trip looked really interesting - all that rain and no fire. It could have been the worst trip ever if you and Mike didn't have the right attitude. Thanks for the entertaining videos!
Syntax , Great video seems like you guys had an awesome experience. Thanks for taking the time to include eveyone on your trip it is a real motivator. Keep up the awesome work, TrailSLippa did a great job also
Thanks, Kevin. Glad you enjoyed it :)
I think "stubborn" may be more accurate than "hard-core", but I'll take it ;) Good luck on your 12 day adventure, sounds awesome!
Very cool video ! I get up to the whites whenever I can, so many trails, and good times. Thanks for sharing. It's tough keeping the camera dry ! But shooting video is real enjoyable.Take care.Peace,Craig
Perception is reality, my friend ;)
All joking aside, your science is completely accurate. The feeling of warmth is a sensory illusion, due to dilation of the blood vessels causing heat to actually be radiated *away* from the surface of the body. But it sure is fun...
Hey there-
This is Ashley from the Maine Outdoor Film Festival writing.
After watching your awesome short film I wanted to let
you know a little bit about MOFF.
The Maine Outdoor Film Festival features films celebrating outdoor sports and the outdoor sports lifestyle. On August 24, 2013 the
festival selections will premiere on a big outdoor screen to a crowd
of over 400 people in the heart of Maine's whitewater country in The
Forks, Maine.
Please consider submitting this to the 2013 MOFF
Great vid, thanks for sharing! I'm gonna hike this in the winter with crampons. You guys are scaring me with those river crossings and getting lost, etc. I'll probably need to buy a GPS.
Sounds awesome. I think this would make for a beautiful winter hike, but you've got the right idea with bringing a GPS for backup. I've learned the hard way that Wilderness Area trails can virtually disappear during the winter, lol. Snow Hiking Vermont - Winter Backpacking & Frigid Camping in the Green Mountains
The only encounter we had was a pair of hikers at the beginning of the hike on day one. It was just before we turned onto the less traveled Black Angel Trail. Once we hit that, we didn't see a soul for the rest of the trip. I'm starting to prefer doing these Wilderness Areas in the peak season and saving the more popular (i.e. Presidentials) for the Spring or Fall seasons when things thin out.
vary nice expedition ! THX
Nice man next time you want to come north hit me up !
"I gotta get this rock!" lol; Mike is funny without trying!
Tave Santel Haha, yes. He tends to make for some interesting video :)
love your vids,
hahahah 16:12 its not blazed as you walk by a blaze
The Black Forest Trail sounds familiar from researching trip locations in the past, but I'm not entirely familiar with it. From what I just briefly read on Wikipedia, it looks pretty promising. Thanks for the heads up!
Because conflict within a plot facilitates the story arch. Or to put it another way, it's the reason that people actually sit and watch for 30 minutes ;)
Ah my back yard.Actually I live about 25 miles from that parking lot the video began at.I spent many many days hiking in the wild river wilderness when I was younger.I distinctly remember moriah gorge as one of my favorite places to visit.
I'll probably still do the no-cook thing occasionally, but now that I have my DIY 3oz cook kit, probably not often. I've used a poncho on cooler trips, but since it was warmer this time, I skipped it since I probably would have gotten soaked with sweat underneath anyway (I still packed other options, the Whites can be vicious). Coincidentally, I just got a new set of DriDucks last night in preparation for the cooler weather. Full breathable rain suit rings in at 10oz, seems pretty legit.
1:37. We are here for the Slippah! Never know what he is gonna bring to the party. lol
Yeah, we dropped the ball there. We saw that trail on the map (Highwater trail I think?), but decided to knock out the road with hopes of saving us some scarce time. Didn't really bank on the fact that roads are psychologically *way* slower than trails tough, lol.
Great job with this vid,I appreciate the upload.Too bad you never got the view from carter dome,but just being out there is what matters.I climbed it from the carter notch side once,along with mt hight next door.It was a great hike.
Sintax can we see at least a still of the cheeseburger next time? I'd like that!
DeadLikeTick There's some quick footage hidden at the end of a few of my full length vids out there, after the outro titles ;)
nice one lads
lol, yeah "lost" might not be the best term for it. More like
"Hey we've been walking for a while without checking GPS and this doesn't really look a trail anymore".... "Oh well, let's follow these cool waterfalls for a while".... "Um, we should probably go back towards the trail if we ever want to see the shelter" :D
Haha, good call, you're spot on!
That was a rough one. That one was a once and never again trail lol.
I would love to roll with you fellows, always sounds like you have a blast. I'm in Jersey!!!
Yeah, some hot Ramen would have been great!
Regarding carry: Mike carries similar to what you do, using the elastic style side pocket of his pack. I prefer to simply clip a synthetic Uncle Mike's holster to the adjustment strap of my pack's hip pad. This gives me the most comfort while allowing me to quickly transition it to my regular pants belt when I ditch the pack to scout or hang at camp. Mike tried a thigh holster on a White Mt trip last year, the extra weight on his leg drove him nuts.
Raw, primitive... very entertaining.
Well that was a bit damp. With hindsight,will you be going without a cook kit again, and have you considered a poncho ? Some of them can be used as ground sheets or tarps too, so reduce your total weight. All of them replace a pack cover.
Great video by the way.
Curious what map you were using in this video. Looks awesome and I cant seem to find it on the interwebs. LOVE your videos! Thank you for taking the extra time on your trips to shoot the video and edit it all when you get back.. We all appreciate your effort!
those are definately oyster mushrooms, $19.99 a pound at your local health food store
***** Damn, I should go back and see if they're still there :)
sintax77 they will bloom from that same tree every year...
Yup, I definitely added a GoPro Hero2 Camera to my 'to-do list' after this hike.
watching this one again, a Sintax77 classic!!
Guys glad you stayed safe (relatively). man mother nature just didnt feel like playing nice haha. Have you guys done the black forest trail in pa? if not you might want to try it out, seems like it might be your guys kinda deal. anyways i am really enjoying the videos and am thankful for the tag along on your adventures. stay safe and thanks again for the time put into these videos.
The food decision was really just for fun and experimentation. On the upside, meal preparation was really fast! :)
great tube thanks
I'm gonna pass that along to him ;)
This was my first Sintax77 video years ago!... I'd love to see a 2nd attempt at this in some sunshine!..
I almost slid down a hill off a cliff in the jungles of Okinawa. It was exciting.. I had to grab a sapling to catch myself.
I have found rain is bad but sleet is just hell.
Both. But hopefully, and most likely, neither. **That being said, bear and moose are probably more trustworthy than humans ;)
what software do u use to map out ur hikes...I'm trying to plan out a week fishing/hike in the middle of the superior national forest...I love fishing for my food hahaha
I found it on the web, it looks like it was originally published by Backpacker Mag in October 2011. Google this you and you should see the PDF link as the first result or so: "backpacker black angel trail"
hey, great vid! it was suggested to me by youtube after I was looking for vids on the west coast trail in Canada, I needed some inspiration you could say. I'm sure I'm not the only one to ask, but why didn't you guys at least waterproof your boots?
did you hang your food? any moose or bear sitings? possibly doing this loop over the weekend.
Ugh!!!! Nothing worse than wet all day and no hot meal to look forward to.... You guys are animals!!
great vid, cant wait for the virginia one.
but how can you get lost with a gps?...I dont think Mike knows how to use it : )
btw; dont let him slide on the dollar for the coffee, and maybe u should not give him soo much cafeen next time.
great video...how come you guys decided against warm food/cooking? 30lb packs for 2 days! (=
these vidz r great m8
I would like to do this trek and fish the wild river. I was watching your video and it seemed really bare during a rainy season? whats you take on fishing it? recommend? also what do you know about No Ketchum pond? fishable?
9:45, haha you guys are hilarious :D
See my comment below...what I said was, I always carry a gun and a knife while hiking. Also always have pepper spray. Heck, I always carry concealed anyway so it just is a natural that I would carry in the woods. It's not just bears that can be a threat in the woods, ( or out )...people are the main danger and it's best to be prepared, willing and able to take care of any problems. Love your videos.
Quick calories! I bet that cheeseburger on the drive home tasted good...
On a day like that I'm surprised you saw anyone in the Wild River Wilderness. Also, don't feel bad about fog on Carter Dome, theres no view even on a clear day. Mt. Height, though, thats the one you don't want to miss on a clear day
There actually is a trail that follows the river instead of the 5 mile road hike to the campground.
im going to the whites today for a weekend of hiking
Enjoy your vids! I respect your load out, but I think I'd like prefer hot food too much to leave my stove at home. Creature comforts I guess. I want to try your alcohol stove design. I have a MSR Pocket Rocket "like" Chinese back stove I got for $7 on eBay. Used it many times backpacking. It works great and is super light. Best of luck!
Good video. I would go lighter weight on the gear so you can bring a small cook kit it sucks being wet and cold and having to eat cold and cold coffee blah lol
As a New Englander who can't go anywhere else without going through NY how do you guys get a handgun through?
Sintax. did you and mike encounter anyone else or was it just you guys there?
reminds me of were I grew up in southern California crestline
I like watching your videos because in the older ones you have a MAMMOTH pack.
Btw, where the hell are the two cute girls from the White Mountains video?
That trail looks like like it sucks Sintax. Remind me to not go there during monsoon season.
At 35:39, I've seen dung like that and never would have guessed moose.
Not sure if you have been up to Perkin's Notch site since. Sadly, no beer-pong table, and the madmax shelter is gone. If you want to see it (first half at lest) check ruclips.net/video/l-TW6PDIszo/видео.html @ about 9:40. Great site when hiking in from the south.
Not the best trail. That wet and no hot drink=bad idea. How do you carry over 30 lbs and have no hot food. My load out for 3 days in wet and 15 degrees is 20 lbs.
Man, have you two come a long way. Love your older videos!
Any reason why you guys elected to not bring trekking poles? I couldn't tackle terrain like that without poles. I guess I'm a wimp.
I'll be hiking that area in about two weeks!
They may not have shown in the vid, but I actually did take a pair with me. Mike decided not to, but I think he would agree in retrospect that it was a mistake for the type of load-out he had. His knee started acting up on day 2 and I think it would have really helped to take the weight off it at times.
I've got my weight down low enough now days that I go with trail runners and no poles, but I still think poles are very useful for certain loads and terrain.
P.S. Good luck on the upcoming trip! Here's a loop trip I did in August of last year, covering the Presidentials and Wildcats, that you might enjoy if you're headed up there as well: Solo Hiking the White Mountains - Backpacking the Presicat Loop
Awesome! Thanks for the link :)
Yeah, my knees won't handle any loads heavier than a day pack without poles to help. Especially with doing river crossings and climbing/descending.
In description says Swiss Gear trekking poles (cork handles).
Out of curiosity, do you take a gun to be safe from wildlife or to be safe from other people?
I agree with Mike...always carry a gun and a knife. I also always carry pepper spray. It's not just the bears that are a possible danger, but there are strange people all over the country, and the better prepared you are, all works in your favor.
im just curious, why did you bring the pistol?
The 603 will definitely do a number on anyone no matter what your skill level is.
You see why we call them the Wet Mountains instead of the White Mountains.
looks like a great trip regardless of the rain. I bet you wish you had the cook stuff with weather like that. I am going to ask, what is the prefered method you guys use to carry on the trail? for now i am just stashing my holstered LCP in the waist band pocket in my Pack.
I think Mikes trail name should be Crawls Through Woods...
Haha, thanks, man. I'm looking forward to doing some new adventures in the near furture..
Hey I just took the conceal carry class here in Illinois, I dont know if its different in the east, but one this they said was it was a misdemeanor to carry a concealed firearm into any park, is it different with open carry?
Thank you for any advice because
WSStanford It really depends on the state and varies _a lot_ in each one. New Hampshire (at least at the time this was filmed), does not have a law against eligible persons carrying in parks or forests, concealed or openly. PA, for example, only allows CC in state parks, with a valid license to carry.
Thank you sir