Hammock Camping the Grafton Notch Loop

Рет қаралды 1,299

8 жыл бұрын

Filmed July 2015
Join me for an attempt at the Grafton Notch loop.
The trip begins at the southern trail crossing of RT 26 and continues counter-clockwise around the loop.
Base weight for this trip lands just shy of 15lbs which I believe puts this in the lightweight backpacking category. Full loadout with 4 days of food, fuel, and a few liters of water comes in right around 30lbs.
This was a great trip for me and I learned a lot about life on the trail. I will never claim to be an expert - this is a never-ending learning experience. Each time we head out we come back with some more tips and tricks to use on the next trip.
This is an amazing and challenging trail. It expects an incredible amount of effort but rewards accordingly.
Go to www.fathergoat.com for maps, downloadable GPS tracks, and more.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave any questions or comments down below.
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Пікірлер: 23

@mikewilliamsjr1 6 жыл бұрын

I feel your pain!I attempted this loop back on 6/30-7/2 from the opposite direction starting at the AT and going over Baldpate. Planned and planned and planned, researched, and still failed to complete it. My issue was a combination of not having the right gear (it was only my second overnight, and I had an ill-fitting backpack), over packing (which I chalk up to inexperience), and running into a 4 hour nightmare thunderstorm that flooded the trails and washed everything out.I laughed when I saw you pan around the Stewart Campsite and I saw the privy. That was where we ended up spending the night during the storm. 3 guys in a privy trying not to drown, needless to say, sleep was not something we got a lot of. Couldn't cook food because of the weather, and couldn't make up any of the time we fell behind due to conditions. We had plenty of water though! We tumbled our way down Puzzle Mountain to the trailhead and called it quits. I will likely do the western half separately next year, and then attempt the entire thing again at some point. It's not an easy trail!On another note, I am jealous of your video editing. All of my stuff is in pieces, and boring. Apparently I need to invest in some software!Happy trails!

@FatherGoat 6 жыл бұрын

Wow, you weren't lying - that a trip for the books! The Grafton loop definitely deserves respect. The terrain can certainly beat you up and if the RNG throws some less then favorable weather your way then it can really change the experience. I was planning on doing the western half this year but life happened and it might have to wait until next year. I'm thinking of giving it 3 days and really just chillin' in the woods for a few days and not pushing hard. That and it'll give me some time to play with the camera more :) Don't worry about software or editing skills. Just get the footage together and do something with it - whether that's Facebook or KZfaq or whatever. As with anything practice is key. I don't pretend to be an editing expert by any means but after a few full length edits you'll get a workflow going and a style of your own put together. Happy Trails

@ItsPJBia 8 жыл бұрын

Another fun video to follow along with you Ed. Nice work!

@FatherGoat 8 жыл бұрын

+PM8807 Many thanks. We've got a trip planned over Memorial Day weekend with fairly low mileage - I'm should be able to get plenty of good footage of the gear we use. Totally a cop out, but when I'm solo I usually get to camp with just enough energy to cook food then go to sleep.

@pknyberg 8 жыл бұрын

Sorry you weren't able to make the whole loop. It was nice to revisit some of that trail. I remember being confused by the trail near the summit of Puzzle Mtn. Some of the distances on the signs in that area are definitely wrong.

@FatherGoat 8 жыл бұрын

+Peter Nyberg Thanks a lot Peter. This marks the second trip where nutrition got in the way of an otherwise outstanding trip (Namahkanta being the other, though, sickness played a role as well). Although I was disappointed that I wasn't able to get the entire loop the half that I did manage to complete was simply stunning. I spent so much time in the off-season before this trip obsessing about gear selections I didn't put much focus into the food I brought out on the trail. I sort of figured so long as I had food I'd be OK. I spend the latter half of the season last year trying to dial in my food and nutrition on the trail. I *think* I've got it all sorted out at this point. We'll see as I have a few multi-day trips planned this season. Totally agree that some of the signs on the east side of the loop are... "creatively accurate". There are actually a few campsites that have been established since the official map was created. On a side note, I didn't realize that I was saying Baldpate incorrectly until I watched your videos where you traversed the 'pates. I looked it up and sure enough I was saying their name incorrect. The worst part, I wasn't even calling them the incorrect name. :)

@erikgiggey4783 7 жыл бұрын

this is the same part i did a few weeks ago, your vid is much better than what i took :P i need more practice

@FatherGoat 7 жыл бұрын

I definitely need some more practice also. Though I feel a little bit better with each trip that passes, any excuse to get out in the woods is a good one, right?

@erikgiggey4783 7 жыл бұрын

exactly, i never did find water at stewart campsite, was glad i went to town corner campsite, its been a dry year.

@FatherGoat 7 жыл бұрын

It was a very long walk and just running at a slight trickle when I did it last July - I imagine it was non-existent considering the drought this year. I've been trying to film waterfalls this year but they aren't too impressive looking at the moment. Glad you pushed on to Town Corner. This is part of why backpacking is so fun. You and I hiked the same trail, but in many ways, we hiked a completely different one.

@erikgiggey4783 7 жыл бұрын

good point, its funny, we hung our hammocks from the same trees, the wind i experienced there had the hammock going up and down through the night, i love it and will keep doing it as long as i am able to. was fun after the baldpates running into AT hikers.

@FatherGoat 7 жыл бұрын

Great minds think alike! Did you run into any thru-hikers after getting to the Baldpates? I was too early in the season for any thru's but I ran into TONS of people just day hiking from the park. I'm with you - so long as my legs and back can carry me and my gear I'll be out there.

@hermit6208 7 жыл бұрын

Cool. Puzzle Mtn trail reminded me of Table Rock, Dixville Notch. The exposed roots, rock, etc.

@FatherGoat 7 жыл бұрын

Just looked up Table Rock and it does look similar. I suppose the rocky / root-y terrain is fairly common in these parts. Table Rock looks like a decent hike and that's in my general neighborhood. Have you hiked it? How was it? I'll add it to my ever-growing list of hiking to-do's. Happy Trails!

@hermit6208 7 жыл бұрын

It's a very short climb. Less than an hour. It is certainly nothing like what you did at Grafton Notch. It overlooks route 26 and the Balsams, and the rock juts out and gives a nice view of the hotel and the cliffs opposite. My folks moved up there, so I've climbed it a couple times.

@hermit6208 7 жыл бұрын

It makes for a nice little picnic hike. I have heard that there is a snowmobile trail that runs behind it. It would be fantastic to walk out there on a cold, clear winter night and sit for a bit.

@FatherGoat 7 жыл бұрын

Love me some picnic hikes. We pass through the area fairly often - good to know we could make it a long lunch stop sometime. Do you hike often in the Whites? Also getting more into cold weather hiking and camping but have yet to be out on a clear enough night to really see some sky. Winter nights are nice but the quiet can sometimes become a bit eerie. This is how I've started to view winter hiking / camping: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing and methods of transportation." -Ron Swanson

@hermit6208 7 жыл бұрын

Well, I live in Indiana right now. Probably moving back this summer. My folks moved up to Coos County in 1988. I've been hunting and fishing up there since I was a kid. We were never hikers, per se. So no, I haven't done any of the hikes. We would hike back into ponds to fly-fishing, stuff like that. But, I am hoping to do some fall/ winter bushcraft kind of stuff. I am going to get a winterized hammock setup. No black flies in winter!!!

@tpsh38 5 жыл бұрын

Found your video researching this hike. I'm planning on doing it with my dog and was curious if there's any way around the iron rungs in the video at the 40:00 mark. Nice video you've got a new subscriber.

@FatherGoat 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words, Tom. I hiked this a while back but I do not remember any way around the rungs. Of course trails are always changing so that may have changed. Good luck on your hike - it's a great area to be in!