The Presidential Night Traverse

The Presidential Traverse is a 19 mile trek through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Most tackle the traverse from east to west, summiting Madison first and ending at Crawford Notch. It is a strenuous and sometimes dangerous trek over the Presidential Range, contained almost entirely in the 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest. To complete the traverse, one must begin at either the northern or southern terminus of the Presidential Range and finish at the opposing end.

The Night Traverse will follow that north to south course on a night with a nearly full moon and clear, but not frigid, conditions. As such, we’ll need to make a last-minute decision as to whether to attempt the traverse. Weather can change suddenly in the White Mountains and being caught above the treeline in a sudden thunderstorm is something I’d prefer to not experience (again). So, with that in mind, this is the idea.

THE PLAN

Runners must be ready to leave at noon on the designated day. If all is clear, drive to the rendevous point—Crawford Notch Railway Station, US 302, Crawford Notch Road, Crawford Notch, NH. Cell service is spotty in the area which can make calling and even navigating using your phone a challenge. Make sure you know the route before you leave. The drive should take between 5 and 5 1/2 hours. Once there, we’ll take a minimum of cars to the start at Pine Mountain Trailhead, Dolly Copp Road, Randolf, NH 03592. The drive to the trailhead should take 45 minutes so that we can be on the trail by 6:30 p.m.

We’ll summit Mount Madison before sunset and watch the sun go down somewhere between Madison and Jefferson. This is a particularly difficult area of the trail and having some light will be helpful. We’ll take a side trail to Mt. Jefferson and catch the last of the sunset before continuing. From this point on, we’ll be in darkness so be prepared with a headlamp and backup batteries.

On the trek, we will pass the Mt. Madison Hut, Mt. Washington observatory, and Lake-of-the-Clouds Hut. Under normal conditions, we could be assured of food and water at these stops but in 2020, that may not be the case. Plan to bring what provisions you’ll need to make it 19 miles and I’d suggest bring a filter in case you need water.

We should see some daylight by the time we reach the cars at Crawford Notch. From there, we’ll retrieve the cars at the start and be on our ways. If you plan to drive back, I’d strongly suggest you sleep for a bit before getting on the road. You’ll be exhausted. You may also want to check into a hotel or B&B in Gorham since that’s near the start.