My very first hike ever, completely out of shape, 40 pounds overweight, was a 10 mile, 5000 foot day hike through this. It sucked and I didn’t know this was a difficult hike. I figured I wasn’t cut out for it, but when I found out it was not a beginner trail, I felt a lot better.

Just a warning about the weather on Mt. Washington: it was 85 and sunny in the valley when we got on the train. By the time we reached the summit, the clouds had come down so thickly we could barely make out the hotel across the courtyard. The temperature suddenly dropped and within ten minutes it started snowing hard! Shortly after that, they canceled the train going back down, it got suddenly very dark with a high wind and a blizzard rattling all the doors and windows of the old hotel !! and there we were in shorts and tank tops in the middle of July with no money and no way to get down again. We could not go outside because the hotel said the wind was going one hundred miles an hour and we would be blown away in the snow! It was very scary to go to bed with no jamies and no toothbrush! My father brot us salt and showed us how to brush our teeth with salt! It was all so unexpected and so astonishing. They said we were having an ADVENTURE!! The hotel had to put up six little children overnight and feed us dinner and breakfast. The next morning there were deep drifts of snow on the ground. We were freezing! This happened in 1959 before credit cards, so my parents must have arranged to pay the hotel later. So that is what can happen on Mount Washington. Have all your winter gear available even in summer and be ready for the worst. When the clouds come down you can very easily lose the trail. You can't see a thing! Please be careful. You really can die quickly in conditions like that if you are not prepared, or suffer a bad fall. Make sure you have your jamies and toothbrush! LOL!

Growing up in NH, I became an avid hiker and backpacker. By the time I was 16, I hiked almost all the 48 4,000+ mountains. Mt. Moosilauke is a cool hike, the top of the mountain is very cool.

Been thru the entire state of NH 7 times. Never paid a dime. Never worked for stay. Never stayed at a hut. Camp free or die.

Having kicked around the Whites for about 50 years I think you have got this spot on. Great advice! "Widg"

Hey Bigfoot, excellent overview, that is best guide to the whites on youtube. A few things to add, always try to go by the huts at mid day, that's when they are getting rid of dinner from the night before and an excellent opportunity for a free all you can eat lunch. Also if you decide to stay at a hut, they do not have showers, just toilets and sinks. And yes (like Bigfoot says) if you are looking to work for stay it is critical that you don't arrive too early or they tell you to hit the trail, or too late and all the work for stay spots are taken, if there are a lot of hikers around, you have to be on the ball!

Back in the late ‘60’s my boyfriend wanted to take me to NH to climb Pinkham’s Notch. I didn’t have the strength or energy to do it. We took the easier way up Crawford’s Notch. We slept out under the ✨ stars next to the hut. Made it down the next day & went home to Boston. I found out two weeks later that I had Mononucleosis. I was glad I didn’t have the sore throat then. A note to all through hikers and section hikers make sure you prepare physically for the hike and have a through checkout with your before making that life altering hike. Be safe, be prepared and have fun. Carry out what you carry in. Don’t trash the beautiful mountains and rivers and forests.

Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna save this video so I can review it before I doing my through hike! 👍👍

My favorite hike was doing a Presidential traverse in February. One day hike up Mt Washington in Feb it was 60-80mph winds at the top. On a winter overnight to Mt Isolation it dropped below -30F. More people die in the summer on the Presidentials than in the winter. It can be 60-70 at the base and freezing rain above treeline. It doesn't have to be that deeply cold to kill you. 50s, wet and windy will do it. The beaver creek trail on Moosilauke has iron rungs bolted on some spots. The Dartmouth Outing Club actually maintains Moosilauke. I've stumbled into AMC huts looking like a drowned rat coming in from foul weather. Since it was the end of dinner and they had extra food they served me leftovers gratis. AT hikers staying for free get to sleep on the dining tables. lol Most trails in the Whites turn into streams after rain or spring meltoff. Don't expect any water after Mizpah Hut until you get to Lake of the Clouds. Best you can do are some puddles near Mt Eisenhower. Lonesome Lake is actually bigger than Lake of the Clouds Hut. I've stayed in the "dungeon" in the winter when I needed a board to lay on due to a back spasm. The room is smelly because they store their trash in it normally. If you mess up and go off trail in poor weather/visibility and you run into the cog rail tracks at least you know you can follow them to the summit or down to the rail station. The worst descent I've done off the Presidentials is the winter Lion's Head Route from Mt Washington to the AMC lodge at Pinkham. One section people will sometimes tie a static line to help you descend hand-over-hand.

Hey BF, I really appreciated your videos while I prepped for my AT flip-flop thru-hike this season. I must have watched this particular vid 10 times prior to hitting the Whites - it was VERY useful information brother. I attribute this video, and your others, to the overall success of my hike this year. Thanks for what you do to support the hiker community. Best regards and be well. 'Smooth'

You are 100% right about the White mountains, I've hiked up there and that is some rugged terrain, especially in the spring and late fall when its icy and wet. Mt. Lafayette on the North side of Franconia notch can be pretty nasty at times when the weather goes sour. Also, Washington can be a killer if you aren't prepared, for real...

I remember a fun hike up from Pinkham Notch to Lake of the Clouds hut, a steep but rather quick morning climb up to Mt Washington, and then the brutal above tree-line traverse to Mt Madison. I was struggling so hard along that traverse there that we had to hike around the peaks because if we hadn’t, I either would have fallen & broken something, or, at best, we would have gotten to Madison Spring Hut after dark. The weather was great, though. Descending Madison with shaking legs, I finally decided that I had no pride whatsoever left, and I “spidered” down Madison using both hands and both feet and my butt. Completely tore out the seat of my pants. Didn’t care, either. I’ll never forget two 60-something ladies speeding past us on the traverse, though!

Great video. I thru-ed in '15 and this refreshed my memory.

Also about the huts: If you are just passing through ask if they have left over food or food that is about to be thrown away. I got plenty of extra calories this way during my section hike last summer.

For me..It's impossible to pick a view since there were so many fantastic places in New Hampshire. But hiking Mt. Garfield was very nice. It had a little waterfall that trickled down the trail as we made our way up and the sound of it brought me to places I can dream of. For huts, Lake of the Clouds had so much fog in the morning ( we were actually in a cloud) that we could not see more than ten feet. As the morning became late and the sun burned the cloud away, like magic a lake appeared. Being on top of a mountain and above the treeline, being physically exhausted from pushing myself too hard coming into the Presidentials, this lake just appearing from under the veil of the clouds. It was very emotional for us. I strongly advise that you bring a rain jacket with you, I learned the hard way and found myself in the beginning stages of hypothermia coming up Mt. Washington. The weather is unpredictable up there. It can be a 75 degree day, pleasant and sunny on the foot of the mountains and when you get to the dome the weather will be very different. In a light, cold drizzle very foggy conditions it became hard to see. I ended up hiking all the way around the dome of the mountain instead of going directly up the trail. With my body being very tired and nothing to cover my skin from the cold rain, my body could not keep itself warm. I would not have needed or wanted a rain jacket any place else on the trail from Katahdin to Washington, but it would have been worth carrying the extra few oz. to be be warm on Washington.

I love how visual your descriptions are. You give some very wise information.

The train for Mt. Washington leaves out of Bretton Woods. The 8:00 a.m. train offers a substantial savings over the rest of the day. The name is the Cog Railway. 20 minutes at the top, one can stay longer but the ride down is on 'Space Available ' basis thereafter.

Great video! Very thorough and filled with an abundance of helpful information as usual! Thanks!!

Thanks Bigfoot! I'm hiking New England this month and am glad for the advice. Trying to "plan" a thru-hike is interesting, and it's good to know how the huts work in advance.

Thank you so much for doing this video - there is a LOT of useful information here.

Planning to do the Whites (as a section hike, North) next August. This was GREAT advice and a great summary of the challenges. Thanks Bigfoot!

Great information and presentation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Awesome information and great presentation. Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.

Great info, thanks so much. I will be doing a section NOBO hike from the Berkshires to Baxter Peak in October. I will be challenging myself, as I know I will be in the White Mountains and Maine during a tough time of year. Can't wait!

Good overview of the area. I have hiked the Whites my whole life and they are strenuous but very rewarding. I learned early that soft-soled shoes are not the best idea up here. Something with a sole insert will keep the mid-foot bruising down to a minimum. Best of luck to any hikers passing through!

Thank you for this great information as I’m considering doing the AT in 2022, I live in NH so I know exactly what you are talking about

Having completed the NH48+NE67 it was interesting listening to your video. As you begin to mention different sections and the steep difficulty factors it brought clear memories back of all the adventures we had completing those lists. Our daughter was the youngest female finisher in 2016. She did a lot of these sections between age 7+9. Happy Hiking Folks! ⛰️

Thanks for this vid , we got the whites coming up in 500 miles , great to watch this and I'm gonna rewatch it again ! The pics are great to go with this

I hiked the AT in 1998. I had no idea about the Whites. I went in blind although I was well equipped. Fortunately, that year the weather on the AT was the best, the entire length of the trail. I went over the whites in August with bright sunshine. Visibility was incredible. Comin down to Pinkham I met a trail crew. We talked. Because I was a trail maintainer in Va. we chatted a bit. They invited me to stay at their camp, a few miles below Pinkham for free. Did I agree? You betcha.They also fed me.The hostel in Gorham suggested I slack pack the Wildcats. I did. 22 miles. My longest day and I stayed in bed the next day. Man your advice is as good as it gets on this topic. I felt like I was there again, although I had to look away when you showed pictures of the trail.

Glad to see this. I'm going to be "hut hopping" from Crawford Notch northward; then a shuttle ride to Grafton state forest to hike south back to Gorham. I'm rethinking this. I was worried about hiking southward in that section; I'm surprised the shuttle driver suggested it. Section hiking this part of the trail (I get in only 50-200 miles in per year) seems especially hard. At least by having hut reservations I can carry a lot less food and still eat better. But I have to rethink this southward leg part. I had no problem, even being caught in a hailstorm on Mt. Lafayette, going from Kingsman Notch to Crawford Notch; was actually surprised how comparatively easy it was vs. expectation. Maybe the less weight and better meals is the reason why.

Damn great break down BF you need to do more of these on the other sections . I liked the approach trail video 👍

....swamp gal here..... 1 of the Best video's .great info dude....luv your stuff.

Great video to help those going through

great review I'm not hiking but if I do in the future I will definitely review your videos. Thanks

Excellent video - very clear and helpful.

Drove up My. Washington last August. The first half hour I could see miles and miles. Then the clouds came and your view was your feet. Amazing. It happened so fast.

Excellent video. Well done with lots of good info

I’m planning a week long hike in the whites in late july/early august this summer. This video is quite helpful. Thanks!

Great great great information. Super job. Klinker

Hi Bigfoot, Very interesting video. I've done sections of the whites, and did Wildcat several years ago. Met a man while hiking who had hiked virtually all the trails in the Whites, and he told us the Wildcat Ridge Trail was probably the most difficult trail he'd encountered. I had to agree with him, very steep ascent. We came down the same way, and the descents were no problem for me at the time, but today, at 62 years old, I think it would be a different story. :) Note, I heard about your videos from Early Riser's commenting on them. You've done a good job at it. Thanks. Regards, Gary F. (Stover)

Two warnings: 1) Weather rolls in real quickly. I was going up Mt. Lafayette and got caught in a sudden hailstorm; has reservations at Greenleaf. Things do change quickly up there. (A hiker about a half mile behind us was up there when the hailstorm changed to lightning. Fortunately he was able to get down to the hut.) 2) Much more important: I went over Mt. Washington, (section hiking, using the huts, because I could afford it) - and the weather was beautiful, one of those 50 beautiful days - 110 mile visibility. Yeah, too beautiful. Sunny day. I started by staying at Mizpah, and went to Madison Hut the next day. I FAILED TO SUFFICIENTLY COVER MY LEGS WITH SUNBLOCK AND ENDED UP WITH 2ND DEGREE SUNBURN. DO NOT REPEAT MY MISTAKE. I descended from Madison to below treeline before I even realized I had burns. By the time I got over Wildcat to Carter Hut the guy I was hiking with and I realized I needed medical attention. So we took the 19 Mile Brook Trail out of Carter Notch Hut; my car happened to be at Pinkham Notch, so I drove to the walk-in clinic for treatment.

Excellent overview BF.

Outstanding video - This one's a keeper

Loved the gray jays and the sewett owles

Hey man, Great video, and all of your videos on hiking the AT are awesome! Subscribed! I’m taking off this March (despite your advice 😊) to head NOBO. For anybody reading the comments, I would reiterate what is said here! I’ve hiked in the Whites a few times. This past July, we were hiking the presidential traverse, and what started as a sunny day in July ended up being 35° with sideways rain once we were above tree line. Very dangerous, and not to be taken lightly! CHECK THE WEATHER!!!

Very informative video presented in a direct way

Thanks a lot for this review Bigfoot!! A lot of great info!

awesome video. whites are on my bucket list.

Looks fun can't wait!!

Great!! Can't wait to get to the whites!😁😍

For those passing up the Greenleaf Hut there is the Garfield Pond area 3 miles north right off the trail - plenty of tent spots and good for hammock hanging. The Garfield Ridge Shelter/Campsite is about 1 mile past the pond. Also an amazing water source right on the trail at the entrance to the Garfield Shelter

Great info, thanks man!

Wow, got to Hanover, 1800 miles in 2019... was going to finish this trail this Monday... watching this... no way.

Loved hearing nh singled out.

Grew up in NH, the Whites need to be respected for sure. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Very helpful video! Thank you!

I didn't expect to watch all 21 minutes but I sat through the whole thing. This is an excellent guide. My two cents? If you believe in saving the best for last, hike NoBo. My god the Whites are EPIC.

Thanks for this.

Awesome video Bigfoot! I'm from New England and I've hiked Mt. Washington a lot and the terrain is rough and tough. You are right, you need to pay attention on the Carin during hiking or you will get lost. However, it is a great place to hike and simply awesome to experience to anyone and a great tourist area.

Dead-on synopsis of the Whites, man!!!!! DEAD ON!!!!! On my first two thru-hikes I got zip for views either climbing up or on the top of Mt Washington so maybe the third time will be the charm and I will finally get to see what Ive missed for views on this third up-coming thru-hike this late March/early April....wish me luck?!?...ha.

Thank you. I remember descending Mt Madison in 1987, when I was young and strong. I still remember descending it with awe and something close to fear.

well done...well presented...like bob widget spot on..

Let's not forget the RMC huts on the north face of mount Adams. I understand a lot of thru hikers like to stop right on the trail, this is a little walk down the side of Adams just off of the AT (Gulfside Trail) between Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams via the Randolph Path. They have FOUR first come first serve, no reservation, inexpensive options. If it is in summer you have a great chance of open spots to tent or bunk during non-holiday and non-weekend nights. Bigfoot is right though, the weather is no joke, don't take it lightly at all.

This is a very good and accurate video on he Whites. I have been hiking the Whites for decades and your advice on certain sections is spot on . I made the mistake of hiking the Cats going south and the down climb with a loaded pack was not good, especially since it was in the 90s and my pack was heavy. I have made my share of mistakes and have also assisted in rescue. I don't know why but the section north of Mt Washington has always made me feel a little nervous. My advice is make sure you check the weather, it can be brutal and I mean brutal. If the weather turns you may need to get off the ridge and head down, I always study the map and know the best way off. Great video thanks.

Great info

Great information

When I think of the Whites all I think about are boulders. I have known nothing but the Whites. Until I started watching other hiking channels, I thought all hiking trail were like this. I watched a through hike on the Colorado Trail and thought that would be an easy hike, not a rock or boulder on the whole trail. I am now watching a NH hiker do the AT and she just exited NC and I am looking at those trails saying, "that's not hiking. That's a walk in the woods." I am glad to see the Whites getting the respect they deserve. I am getting psyched for mud season to end so I can get back out there. I am planning to do Mt. Washington on July 4th, I am trying to make that an annual hike and then I want to do a Bonds traverse staying at Guyot. When I did Bond and West Bond from Zealand my knees hurt so bad, I was in tears when I got back to the hut and still had to get back to the car.

omg i was thinking about doing mount washington, lafayette, and katadin. thanks for the heads up !!

Helpful… thanks 🙂🙏

This is legit awesome information for hikers! Listen to him.

I grew up in the shadow of the Whites. I have always felt that AT thru hikers should be entitled to go to the front of the line at the Mt Washington Summit sign. Unfortunately most tourists aren't as nice as I am.

Great info big foot.

I like how you call that section of the Lakes of the Clouds shelter "The Dungeon"... I'm sure the property owners don't call it that, or do they?.... Thanks for the advice on this entire White Mountains, I learned a lot and took notes.... I have been spending months reaching EVERYTHING, including watching dozens & dozens & dozens of KZfaq videos for advice (logging Step-by-Step notes), and I'm still learning new things to be better prepared for my THRU hike (Georgia to Maine) in 2025. === P.S., I will be hiking ALONE!!!

Great video as usual. Very eye-opening

I was born and raised in NH and he's right about the whites and presidentials. I now live in Southern Maine and will section hike yhe 100 mile wilderness and Katahdin also. Planning a 2022 thruhike.

Thanks for the advice as usual Bigfoot, I will make sure I am ready.

Wow. Ty.

I’ve hiked probably 80% of the area you have described. I have stayed at every hut except for Mizpah. Your descriptions are spot on. I’ve also been to the summit of Katadin about 6 times. I lived in Maine for about 35 years. Sadly, age has caught up to me and I am no longer able to do this. Through you tube I can vicariously relive my memories. Keep up the good work.

Hei great channel ☺ Keep it up!

You are the MAN. If I could hike for only one day, I would want it to be with you. Your level of humility is outstanding. How could the whites be so hard and so popular with regular people?

Hi. Thanks for this great video! You did a really good job with the information and organization of the video. I am retired, 66 and have been section-hiking the trail since the 90s. I'm now at Harper's Ferry and am planning for the next 5 years of hikes. I'm thinking about skipping ahead and doing New Hampshire in 2021 (while I finish Maryland and PA in 2020). I have a pretty good and light pack tent, and do not want to stay in the huts due to their cost. I will be doing research on tent sites along/near the AT in New Hampshire. So, this video is very relevant to me. I welcome your and others comments on tent camping in the Whites. God Bless...

Thanks bigfoot. Love your vids

Thank you for pronouncing Moosilauke correctly Bigfoot 👍🏻

I'm from nh and yes I agree white mountains are beautiful but you will face many challenges

Have loved all your vids. How about one talking about how to pack your pack and gear for getting it thru the airport in one piece.

By time I got thru wildcat going nobo I was wrecked. It still haunts my dreams.

Climbed Mount Washington on July 4th last year, and no big line at the market sign. Nothing like carrying winter gear while hiking on a hot day.

As if that’s not enough, once you leave the Whites, the Mahoosuc’s greet you with a test of mental toughness where you are literally crawling in and out of large granite boulders filling the valley between 2 mountains, only to be granted the award of hiking up the Mahoosuc arm. This 2.5 mile section took us 5 hours to complete. If you can make it to the full goose campsite rest up there before taking on this section. Welcome to Maine!

Just visited mt washington and I read a plaque up in the observation station with a 150 names on it of people who died in the white mountains going back to the eighteen hundreds...

The visitation facts are off. Yosemite and Yellowstone combined have about 8.5 million visitors annually. The White Mountains have 6 million. It's still impressive though.

Okay, now I’m scared.

I'm headed to Mt Washington today! Gonna lose cell service soon. I live here. Im trying to catch southbounders and feed them today! Traffic kinda sucks up here today not gonna lie🙌❤

Hiked Adams from Gorham and Lafayette/Franconia Ridge with nothing but water and food. Couldn't imagine with a pack full of gear. Going to try stealth camping in the lowlands for getting used to the added weight. Love the Whites. Anyone try Oliverian Brook or is it too busy?

Sounds like hell! Thanks.

U are so good so much knowledge how many times have yu been on trail bigfoot?

Very informative, keep up the good work. To clarify a couple of points, the cog railway is not run by the AMC. It is a private company. Mt Moosilaurke is pronounced with a "key" at the end. Thanks for your video inside the dungeon, I'd never seen it. Thanks

Good info except the AMC doesn't run the Cog RR. The Cog RR construction was started in 1865 but delayed completion until 1869 when it began operation. U.S. Grant was an early rider. Coal powered stam was phased out in favor of those horrible bio-desiels in recent years. There is also an auto road.

I LIKE YOUR VIDEO VERY MUCH .............ARE YOU PLANING TO HIKE THE PCT IN THE FUTURE

If you open the door of the dungeon today, it is a solid block of ice to the top bunk. Just came from there - I love the Whites. Been all over the country, still think the Whites is some of the toughest terrain in the country. The way I look at it, if the thru hikers made it this far, they're built to make it. Just don't look up. One step at a time.

My thoughts after seeing this? I ain't doing this shit!