Route: Song loops - White Mountains (NH)

The are now four different defined loops in the Great Gulf area of the Whites. The original Swan Song describe by Robert Rives (which now is also a Strava segment), the Gulf Song by Todd Nappi, both of which have been run several times and over the years. Now there is the much longer (40 miles) Ravine Song submitted by Nate Weitzer and the Ultra Tour of the Great Gulf by Ray Martin (30 miles). There is a gpx file for each round available here.

Detail here below:

Robert Rives posted the Swan Song route:

Hi all White Mountain running/speed hiking enthusiasts! I have a tasty new loop for us to chew on...

ardentambulations.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-swan-song-loop.html

The idea here is simple: take an updated version of the little-known Swan's Traverse in the Presidential Range and add a return trip through Huntington Ravine and Madison Gulf (with the summit of Madison thrown in) to complete the hardest, most direct Randolph -> Pinkham Notch -> Randolph loop possible. Here is a breakdown of the route, trail by trail:

- Air Line, Short Line, King Ravine, Air Line to Adams summit
- Star Lake, Buttress, Six Husbands to Great Gulf Trail
- Great Gulf headwall to Washington summit
- Tuckerman Ravine trail to Hermit Lake
- Boott Spur Link to Boott Spur, then down to Pinkham
- Huntington Ravine Trail to Alpine Garden, take it to Auto Road
- Wamsutta Trail to Great Gulf, take it down to Madison Gulf Trail
- Madison Gulf Trail to hut
- Osgood Trail to Madison summit
- Watson Path down to Brookside, Brookside to Valley Way
- Valley Way back to start

I completed the Swan Song Loop on Saturday, July 26th in a very modest time of 13:30. I told myself not to run unless the running was easy, and that turned out to be a rare opportunity. I also had a couple of 20-minute socializing sessions at Pinkham and Madison Spring Hut while refueling. To say the least, this was the most gorgeous and humbling day I've had in the Whites. Five ravine headwalls; three Presidential summits; 31,000 feet of elevation change (15.5k up, 15.5k down); 30.1 miles. New "hardest day hike in the East"? Get out there and give us some more opinions!

Todd Nappi submitted the Gulf Song variation:

This route is a take on the Swan Song loop, but staying exclusively in the Great Gulf. It links as many of the trails as possible, climbing three major routes and summitting all 4 Northern Presidentials. AMC guidebook pegs it right around 30miles, 12.5k gain.

From Great Gulf Trailhead
Great Gulf Trail to summit of Mt Washington
Nelson Crag to Wamsutta, descend back into Great Gulf
Up Six Husbands to summit of Mt Jefferson
Across Gulfside to summit of Mt Adams
Down Buttress, descend back into Great Gulf
Great Gulf trail to Madison Gulf Trail
Madison Gulf to summit of Mt Madison
Descent via Osgood ridge to Madison Gulf trailhead

Ravine Song:

Starts/ends at Ammonoosuc Ravine Trailhead. Climb the eight headwalls (Ammonosuc Ravine, Oaks Gulf, Tuckerman Ravine, Huntington Ravine, Madison Gulf, Great Gully (of King Ravine), Castle Ravine, and Great Gulf) encircling Mount Washington before summiting the highest point in the Northeast. These are some of the most rugged trails in the country, involving scrambling, some bushwhacking, and rock hopping to navigate steep terrain that averages out to about 1,000 feet of gain or loss per mile. Any descent route is acceptable to reach the base of your next climb. 

This was essentially a 24-hour challenge for me, though many athletes could race it faster. I remember seeing an attempt on someone's blog, but they didn't have enough time or energy to finish an eighth climb. It's an aesthetic loop touring the northern Presidential range in a unique fashion by dipping into deep wilderness areas carved by waterfalls and geological forces.

UTGG:

Ultra tour of the great gulf. The great gulf is one of NH wilderness areas and is truly a special place. This route climbs all the main trails within the gulf going clockwise. Start/stop at the great gulf trailhead and use the following trails:

-Great gulf to Chandler Brook

-Chandler Brook to the winter cutoff to Wamsutta 

-Wamsutta to the Great Gulf up to Washington

-Nelson Crag to the tracks to Gulfside over Clay to the Sphinx

-Sphinx down to Great Gulf and then Six Husbands

-Six Husbands to Jefferson and over to Adams

-Down Star Lake and Buttress to Great Gulf

-Up Madison Gulf to Summit and down Osgood back to the Great Gulf

This is a big adventure route through some remote and technical terrain.  Recommend a stretch of dry weather before attempting.  These are some unique and classic trails and it is pretty awesome to link them up on one effort.  

Note that there is a Swan Song variant called Gulf Song that has similarities.  This route really doesn't have anything in common with the Swan Song and should be it's own route that pertains to the Great Gulf.