My UL Frenzy: Twenty-Five Weekends of Backpacking in the White Mountains and Beyond

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I like to hike and carry a light pack.

In 2008, I lived in the Northeastern U.S.

I wanted to get into good shape, inspired by my comrades from Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking III course in October of 2007. Those guys were animals. I wanted to be an animal, too.

So, I set my sights on hiking every possible weekend in 2008 (trails permitting of course), focusing on my home area stomping grounds, the White Mountains, and beyond.

January through March hiking involves shorter days, warmer layers, traction devices, snowshoes, and, depending on the length of an outing, warmer sleeping gear, a more robust shelter, and generally just a lot more "stuff." At best, you'll cover about half the distance you normally would in summer months. Not one to be a total glutton for punishment, I waited for good weather and trail conditions, so I could go ultralight. In the Whites, that sometimes never comes. Fortunately in 2008, it came in March.

What follows is a consolidated trail journal of my UL frenzy last year.

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Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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Apr 28, 2009 at 6:14 pm #1235956

Addie Bedford
BPL Member

@addiebedford
Locale: Montana

Companion forum thread to:

My UL Frenzy: Twenty-Five Weekends of Backpacking in the White Mountains and Beyond

Apr 28, 2009 at 11:26 pm #1497730

Dean F.
BPL Member

@acrosome
Locale: Back in the Front Range

Regarding the calls for a "hiking license" to cover SAR costs…

As I recall Colorado has something called a CORSAR card. It isn't really "SAR insurance" per se, since the Colorado sherriffs' office can't bill for SAR, but the implication is that you will be looked upon in a better light if you have one. Considering the recent MISGUIDED calls from the general public about billing people for SAR costs this seems like a cheap way to demonstrate your sense of personal responability if such nonsense finds more proponents.

EDIT-
Yeah, I just Googled this thing. The money from the cards ($3/year, $12/5years) goes into a statewide fund that is used to reimburse the sherriffs' offices for their SAR expenses. (Otherwise it just comes out of their budget.) Any money left over at the end of the year is budgeted to equipment purchases and training courses for the SAR teams.
The fund also gets money from fishing and hunting licenses, ORV registrations, etc.
And, of course, you will still be billed for your medical care at the hospital they take you to.

Apr 29, 2009 at 3:35 am #1497745

Philip Werner
BPL Member

@earlylite
Locale: White Mountain National Forest

I'm chomping at the bit to hike the Whites myself, but waiting for "Spring" to arrive is maddening. It's May already and it seems like I'll have to wait until June before I can stop carrying microspikes, crampons, and snowshoes on every hike over 3000 feet.

Apr 29, 2009 at 4:43 am #1497750

Jonathan Ryan
BPL Member

@jkrew81
Locale: White Mtns

I agree Philip, my wife and I headed north two weekends ago and everything was monorail with 5-6 foot post holes off to the sides. Took us 5 hours to do 6 miles! Plain old misery….

Great article Jim, I def want to be you when I grow up :)

Apr 29, 2009 at 6:52 am #1497771

James Gealy
Member

@surnailz
Locale: White Mountains

After reading BPL for almost two and a half years, I figured it was time to make my first post!

Anywho, for someone who is dreaming of shedding the plastic boots and crampons for the Limmers (yes, Limmers) I can say that this was a timely and welcomed article. If I can get myself out for not even half of the weekends you did Jim, I'll be happy!

As an aside, it looks like a couple of the BPL members live in Mass and hike in the Whites. It's good to know ultralight can be done up here as I'm moving that way as my budget allows. I'm interested to know just how many BPL members live in northern New England, and how many of those few live in NH.

Thanks again for the article and also to BPL for publishing it!

-jim

Apr 29, 2009 at 8:09 am #1497796

Jonathan Ryan
BPL Member

@jkrew81
Locale: White Mtns

hey James,
Congrats on your first post! I live in MA and have been going UL in the Whites for a several years now. It certainly can be done and in fact gives a certain factor of safety that I never had when I carried heavier loads. Considering in the Whites you are never very far from a road, quick escapes when the weather rolls in is somthing people with "Expedition" sized packs cannot do. While the 20-30 mile days our west coast BPL peeps can acheive are alittle less enjoyable (but possible) out this way, 15+ mile days are now the norm for me (somthing I was never able to do with a larger pack).

Considering you are starting up UL hiking you really do not have to spend alot of money to get up and going. Just changing your shelter setup to a tarp/bivy will shave alot of weight off and does not have to empty your wallet.

Apr 29, 2009 at 9:46 am #1497815

John Whynot
Member

@jdw01776
Locale: Southeast Texas

I don't live there anymore, but I'll be heading to NH at the end of May for a UL trip. This article reminded me of why traveling back to NH to go backpacking is worth the effort (and expense).

Apr 29, 2009 at 10:12 am #1497823

Kevin Sawchuk
BPL Member

@ksawchuk
Locale: Northern California

Cool! It's April 2009–what's on tap for this year? Was if fun and worth it?

Apr 29, 2009 at 10:31 am #1497824

Angela Zukowski
Member

@angelaz
Locale: New England

I think at some point the New England BPL people need to plan a meet up hike. Go figure that the friendly West Coasters have already accomplished this, while us curmudgeonly New Englanders have yet to thaw out our grumpy winter faces!

Apr 29, 2009 at 10:40 am #1497825

Jonathan Ryan
BPL Member

@jkrew81
Locale: White Mtns

I agree Angela. This is what Jim and I did for our Pemi trip and it worked out very well and lead to several fun trips.

Apr 29, 2009 at 12:21 pm #1497838

James Gealy
Member

@surnailz
Locale: White Mountains

I know I could really benefit from hiking with others of the lightweight mindset. Most of my hiking friends think I'm either nuts or … more nuts. I would be willing to meet up for a day or overnight this summer though. I think it would be a good time.

Apr 29, 2009 at 1:00 pm #1497850

Angela Zukowski
Member

@angelaz
Locale: New England

Sounds like a tentative plan then!

Let's give the Whites a chance to thaw out and then I will toss a thread out there and see what happens.

Apr 29, 2009 at 1:12 pm #1497854

jim bailey
BPL Member

@florigen
Locale: South East

Thanks for all the comments,
Welcome aboard James, keep Jonathan in mind for future hikes, real great hiking companion. Saw very few carrying UL packs and gear up north over the past few years, now's your time to get this started.

@ Kevin
Was great Kevin! something that an ultra runner could appreciate. 09 has started with trail running, companion is a hyper English Setter and exploring the hills of the SE. The start button for non stop weekends is about to go off very shortly.

Jim

Apr 29, 2009 at 8:10 pm #1497945

Robert Blean
BPL Member

@blean
Locale: San Jose -- too far from Sierras

Jim,

You do not say, but I presume in your hiking frenzy you did bag all of the White Mtn 4000 foot peaks.

Since you seem to be goal oriented, and pushing hard … I suppose the next thing we'll hear about is a White Mountain 48 in each of the four seasons of a single 12-month year? I'll bet *that* would be a record (fwiw).

:))
— MV

Apr 29, 2009 at 8:38 pm #1497952

jim bailey
BPL Member

@florigen
Locale: South East

Bob,
Never kept track of bagging 4K peaks while in the NE, think I have done most, was more interested in just being outside and enjoying that area.

Live in the southeast now, Smokies are the "New Whites" for this season's rampage, starting shortly. Stay tuned!

Apr 30, 2009 at 8:52 am #1498033

Brian Doble
BPL Member

@brian79
Locale: New England

Going light in the Whites certainly isn't the norm, especially during the winter. You wouldn't believe the looks Jim and I got from other hikers! It was the shoes, and possibly the tights.

Jim taught me a lot about UL winter hiking in the Whites. For example, always have the latest weather forecast, up to the moment you get into your car, no matter what. Canister stoves work perfectly in freezing temps. Plastic bags make great base layer socks. You can run a stove all night, and as long as your shelter is adequately ventilated, you will…um…

Apr 30, 2009 at 9:32 am #1498043

jim bailey
BPL Member

@florigen
Locale: South East

Brian, great too hear from you.

You also taught me how to be a tough guy in sub zero conditions and wear trail runners in the Whites in March without losing any toes, it is possible people!

Good luck on the PCT & hoping you crush the current Long Trail unsupported record when your finished out west

Apr 30, 2009 at 9:44 am #1498048

John Whynot
Member

@jdw01776
Locale: Southeast Texas

>>I suppose the next thing we'll hear about is a White Mountain 48 in each of the four seasons of a single 12-month year? I'll bet *that* would be a record (fwiw).

Wouldn't surprise me if this was done years ago by Guy Waterman…

Apr 30, 2009 at 10:03 am #1498051

Jonathan Ryan
BPL Member

@jkrew81
Locale: White Mtns

Guessing Guy Waterman did this as well. Sue "Stinky Feet" Johnson did every 4K peak in every month back in 2003. That must have been pretty solid training for her ultra-marathons. Not sure if she won the Hardrock that year..
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