Hiking & Backpacking Megathread II: Still nervous around bears

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > Hiking & Backpacking Megathread II: Still nervous around bears

gross: Jan 7, 2006; Well, here's your problem!

If anyone here is familiar with the area, I'm looking for some advice on visiting the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, and camping there for a few days to do some hiking and trail running.

It's a bit of a drive for me, so what's the best way to make sure that when I get there, I can actually find a spot to leave my car and set up a tent for the night? I've gathered that I will need to buy a pass for regular parking areas, but I'm still trying to get a general idea of how difficult it will be to find a random camping spot off the trail if I arrive mid-afternoon or early evening. Are there any specific areas I should consider first (or avoid), and worst case, what's the legality of sleeping in the car there if the drive doesn't go as planned?

# ¿ Apr 24, 2016 19:29

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# ¿ Apr 24, 2024 15:59

gross: Jan 7, 2006; Well, here's your problem!

talktapes posted:

It really depends, do you have any general plans? How long is the trip going to be? Are there any specific mountains you'd like to hit? What time of year are you planning on going? The WMNF is a pretty big park and the terrain/popularity varies from area to area. The most popular places are easily Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch and the Presidential range at any time of year though. It's illegal to camp in Franconia and Crawford Notch state parks (except at designated sites) and very difficult to camp high in the Presidentials outside of designated sites due to steepness or alpine zone restrictions. It's difficult even with a hammock because of tree density.

It's illegal to camp within 1/4 mile of any trailhead, by legal definition sleeping in your car is considered camping. People do it all the time but if a park ranger or cop catches you, you will definitely get fined. Obviously some areas are patrolled more heavily than others, you are almost guaranteed to get a ticket at the Pinkham Notch visitor center for example. There are free primitive camping sites off of Cherry Mountain Rd, north section of Jefferson Notch Rd (I think) and Gale River Rd, they are first come first serve, just a spot off the road for a tent and fire, no fee. They also tend to fill up on Friday nights and weekends but are usually vacant during the week. You can camp right off of Tripoli Rd in Waterville Valley as well but it tends to attract drunk fratboys and I think there's a fee.

Definitely buy this map and bone up on the backcountry camping rules. The rules seem much more complicated than they actually are, almost anyplace you aren't allowed to camp will be clearly posted (i.e. the whole list of specific areas and trails, which are a pretty small fraction of the park). Also no camping in the alpine zone, it's usually posted as well but not always, if you can touch the top of a tree you are likely in the alpine zone. Almost every site run by the AMC or RMC charges a fee as well, and those sites tend to be located in the most popular/dramatic areas, though it sounds like you just want the backcountry experience anyway.

What are your goals specifically in terms of climbing? There are lots of great places to camp legally and relatively close to the trailhead but it really depends on what you're looking to get out of the trip.

That's a huge help already, thank you. I was researching the different camping sites and rules a while ago, and felt like I knew less than when I started.

I'm looking at 3 (possibly 4) nights in early-mid August, so at least two full days to explore two different areas, and a few hours on the last morning. It sounds like it would make sense to arrive on a weekday. As far as specific goals, I'm still working on narrowing that down. Basically, I want to spend some decent time on ridge trails and peaks for one of the days, and closer to rivers/streams for the other.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2016 04:16

gross: Jan 7, 2006; Well, here's your problem!

eSporks posted:

Anyone have any thoughts about USB rechargeable headlamps?
I'm currently preparing for some cycle touring and plan on taking a solar charger and battery pack. These seem like they could be a good way to go, and I'm curious about their reliability. I do know it could be an issue if I find myself without power for a long stretch. I've used USB rechargeable lights on my bike for commuting and haven't had had issues in terms of reliability or charge time, but I know thats a very different thing.

Petzl makes some headlamps that can run on either AAA batteries or a (sold separately) rechargeable pack. I've only used my Tikka with batteries so far, so I can't tell you how reliable the pack is, but it would at least give you a fall-back option if you had no place to plug in for a while.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 22:16

gross: Jan 7, 2006; Well, here's your problem!

Medieval Medic posted:

Anyone else get extreme lack of appetite and stomach sensitivity when hiking?

Are you hanging with people who really push the pace compared to what you would do on your own, or how hard do you feel like you're working? If I have issues like that on a hike or trail run, it usually comes from keeping the exertion level too high, or just not keeping up with hydration.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2018 16:42

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