This is a link up of the Mahoosuc Traverse, the Presidential Traverse, and part of the Pemigewasset Loop. Most of the route is on the Appalachian trail, with exceptions for: (1) Where the Mahoosuc, Presi, or Pemi themselves depart from the AT; (2) At the segment which connects the Mahoosuc with the Presi; and (3) At the segment which connects the Presi with the Pemi.
The route starts in Grafton Notch, ME at the Appalachian Trail Parking Lot on Rt. 26. The route follows the Mahoosuc Traverse (description here) to the parking lot on
Rt. 16 in Gorham, NH. The Mahoosuc Traverse is almost entirely on the AT, only splitting off from the it just before Mt. Hayes, a little over 3 miles from the end.
From Gorham, the route crosses Rt. 16 and picks up the Presidential Range Rail Trail, following it for 6-7 miles to the Appalachia trailhead on Rt. 2 and the start of the Presidential Traverse. The route then follows the southbound Presidential Traverse (as described here) hitting the following peaks: Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe, Little Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce.
From the end of the Presi on Rt. 302 in Crawford Notch, the route crossed the road and picks up the Avalon Trail. This is followed to the A-Z Trail, and then to the Zealand Trail where the route rejoins the AT at the Zealand Falls Hut. From here, the route follows the AT/Twinway up Zeacliff, Mt. Zealand, and finally Mt. Guyot where it joins the Pemigewasset Loop (described here). The route then follows the Pemi counterclockwise, hitting South Twin, Garfield, Lafayette, Lincoln, Little Haystack, Liberty, and Flume before finally finishing at the Lincoln Woods Trailhead.
Aside from the length and elevation, primary challenges of this route include weather and exposure. Most of the Presidential Traverse is above tree line as is the final section of the Pemi -- Franconia Ridge. Even in summer, heavy fog leading and whiteout conditions are possible as is powerful wind. My first attempt was shut down by a total white out somewhere on Mt. Jefferson in the middle of the night. The successful attempt involved a near white out and blowing rain on Franconia Ridge where visibility issues (and fatigue) made navigation by GPS/compass helpful.
A winter push of the route could be very challenging given the comparative lack of popularity of the Mahoosuc Traverse as compared to the Presi or the Pemi – one might be breaking trail for most of the Mahoosuc, probably in snowshoes unless the snowpack is deep enough to allow skis on the Mahoosuc’s rugged trails.
