Looking for difficult trails in the Whites

I recently did the Flume Slide Trail up to Mount Flume. I loved the hard climb and mostly the peace and solitude of the less travelled trail. What are some of the harder trails in the Whites one can take in peakbagging the 4000's, without rock climbing gear being needed?

Here are few that come to mind

North Slide Tripyramid
Huntington Ravine
Six Husbands
Great Gulf Trail
The Sphinx
King Ravine
Great Gully
Defunct Passaconaway/Downes Brook Slide Trail
Arrow Slide on Hancock

Have fun on your travels up the steeper ones!

-Chris

Huntington Ravine Tr.on Mt. Washington, Madison Gulf Tr. on Mt Madison, King Ravine Tr. and Great Gully on Mt. Adams, Mt. Tripyramid Tr, North Slide(although more heavily travelled than the others).

I'd recommend the Terrifying Twenty-five

Hard is somewhat subjective, but if you mean steep then Chris has a good list. I would add the Daniel Webster Scout trail to that (up to Madison). I've heard the Desolation Trail is a nice steep ascent to Carrigan, although I haven't had the pleasure to do it yet. I just did the Walden trail up to Passaconaway, which had steep some steep stretches on the way up from Paugus Pass. The Zeacliff Trail up to Zealand is also a less traveled steep trail.

The Hi-Cannon trail is a pretty direct ascent on Canon, and the Wildcat Ridge Trail up from 16 is quite steep and rugged, but both are highly traveled.

My favorite is the Buttress Trail with full pack. You can replace tress with f---.

The steep third mile of Ammonoosuc Ravine gains 1560' and is a beauty - nice waterfalls and some scrambles, great views above tree-line and the Lakes of the Clouds and their hut as stopping point where the trail runs into the Crawford Path.

The Beaver Brook Trail is amazing - almost too many beautiful waterfalls, sensory overload. Gains about 1200' in its steepest 0.7 mile. It's slick and steep - the DOC builders have put a lot of wood and stone steps and rebar onto its many ledgy passes. It's a very busy and popular trail, though, as is Ammo.

Adams Slide Trail. Plenty of solitude there.

Thanks to all, can't wait to try them on my summits of undone peaks, and for the peaks I have done I will retry with the trails I have yet to take.

Buttress

I just hiked buttress trail today (and down Osgood)
It wasn't particularly crazy, but I feel like I've been run over by a truck!
Fun times! Huntington ravine tomorrow! Gotta love and take advantage of these nice weather days!!

I felt the same way about the Buttress trail. Some others for solitude and steepness are, as mentioned before, the Ammo ravine trail, Six Husbands, Daniel Webster, Howker ridge Trail, my favorite short, steep and quiet is the trail up Mt Willey from the junction with the AT, and Wildcat at the right time of the year, no crowds and a real work out with a full pack.

Happy Trails.

Osseos from the Kank is pretty whup-a$$. It looks almost impossible when you look up at it from the bottom.

Some clarification just in case folks are looking for some of these trails in the latest WMG, they may not be there as several are abandoned trails.

Adams Slide
Downs Brook Slide Trail
Arrow Slide

Are all abandoned trails, if you use the search feature you should be able to find older descriptions. Most are marked with USFS signs indicating "feel free to hike but don't maintain" please respect this.

I haven't tried it but the Osseo from the Kanc used to far worse as it followed a slide all the way from the bottom. At some point the lower section was relocated.

By the way, if you want challenging trails head to Baxter State Park. Many at the park are as challenging or more so than the one listed. If the trails in the whites are ranked 1 to 10, Baxter definite seem to range from 5 to 11!

Tom Rankin said:

Osseos from the Kank is pretty whup-a$$. It looks almost impossible when you look up at it from the bottom.

Click to expand...

Was this just the old 'Osseo' trail? Where does it start?

Driver8 said:

The steep third mile of Ammonoosuc Ravine gains 1560' and is a beauty - nice waterfalls and some scrambles, great views above tree-line and the Lakes of the Clouds and their hut as stopping point where the trail runs into the Crawford Path.

Click to expand...

The Ammonoosuc Ravine is steep and challenging, but you won't find solitude except perhaps midweek in the dead of winter. 2 weeks ago we passed a group carrying a 17' Grumman Canoe to the summit...

TJsName said:

Was this just the old 'Osseo' trail? Where does it start?

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The old Osseo trailhead can be located off the lots of the Clear Brook Condos. Ask the development's manager for permission to park in area not used by owners, if you ask first, they will likely honor your request.

Lincoln Woods Trail at the end of a 30-miler. Those freakin' railroad ties are the leading cause of toe jam I can think of...

Howker Ridge Trail is an under-utilized and imo under-appreciated trail that is both rugged and challenging as an approach to Madison. Its not especially steep but it does gain over 1000 ft of elevation in .9 m going from the 4th Howk to Madison. 4750 ft total el gain, rt. There are numerous ups and downs, varied terrain, some steep sections and rock scrambles and a nice chimney between 3rd and 4th Howk. Its a beautiful trail. With Appalachia parking full and overflowing onto Route 2 at 8 Am Thur, there were only 2 cars at Randolph East, the HRT trailhead. Abundant moose scat on 1st Howk.

Fisher Cat said:

The old Osseo trailhead can be located off the lots of the Clear Brook Condos. Ask the development's manager for permission to park in area not used by owners, if you ask first, they will likely honor your request.

Click to expand...

I meant the other one that starts up a few miles further. Approximately here

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.03084,-71.51722&z=14

TJsName said:

Was this just the old 'Osseo' trail? Where does it start?

Click to expand...

The old trail you're referring to is still somewhat maintained, and starts behind some condos. When I did it several years ago it was obvious that it was being maintained to the first prominent bump - Whaleback - which is noticeable as you're driving east thru Lincoln. From that bump to the intersection with the new trail was filled with blowdowns and fir waves. Not impossible, but patience came in handy.