Which wilderness???

Friend and I will be doing a 2 night backpack in early October, can’t wait. Pretty excited since I haven’t camped in 2 years with a new baby. I have chosen 3 areas in 3 different wilderness for remoteness, rivers and 4,000 footers, wonder if you guys/gals can throw your opinions

Pemigewasset Wilderness
BondCliff is the main get so we will come from Lincoln Woods and stealth it (properly) off of Bondcliff Trail or further east close to the North Fork. Do some fishing, I know of the bear issues and will bring the canister.

Dry River Wilderness
Going up the Dry River Trail and stralthing it near the Isolation and Dry River Cut Off Trail. Goal is Pierce, Eisenhower, Monroe and Isolation. How’s the fishing in the Dry River?

Wild River Wilderness
Camp at either Perkins Notch or Spruce Brook (Love a lean-to for bad weather) with the goal to hit Mount Hight via Rainbow Trail then down Black Angel Trail and also get North Baldface and Eagle Craf via Eagle Link Trail. Now the TH might be based off of the weather. I don’t mind and like fording though rivers (yes, in that cold) but I’m not dumb to cross Wild River after a lot of rain. So good weather will be via Wild River Trail, bad weather would be Bog Brook Trail.

I'm leaning towards Wild River, wondering if anyone has stayed in between Spruce Brook and Perkins Notch? Any areas for good fishing?


Thanks for those out there with your blogs and youtubes to help go through miles of trails

You won't need to stealth it in the Iso/Dry River Cutoff area as there are several designated sites right there that see very little traffic. I did a redlining trip in there two years ago, staying at the Iso West/Dry River site and hiking every trail in the DR drainage and southern Presis/Iso over a couple days.

There are no more shelters in the Wild River. Spruce Brook and Perkins Notch (and Blue Brook) have been turned into decent tent sites. Perkins Notch's water situation is pretty dismal, unless you like pulling from a bog. I've stayed between Perkins and Spruce before several times but that spot has since been turned into a reveg area.

JoshandBaron said:

You won't need to stealth it in the Iso/Dry River Cutoff area as there are several designated sites right there that see very little traffic. I did a redlining trip in there two years ago, staying at the Iso West/Dry River site and hiking every trail in the DR drainage and southern Presis/Iso over a couple days.

There are no more shelters in the Wild River. Spruce Brook and Perkins Notch (and Blue Brook) have been turned into decent tent sites. Perkins Notch's water situation is pretty dismal, unless you like pulling from a bog. I've stayed between Perkins and Spruce before several times but that spot has since been turned into a reveg area.

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Thanks for the quick reply...Didn't know they took down the Spruce Brook Lean-to, thought that was in pretty good condition from a few years ago. Thanks for the info on the Notch's water supply too.

A friend and I just did a great 2 night loop in the Pemi with the fly rods. Started from Zealand and stayed night one at Guyot Shelter - there are some new tent platforms with terrific raised views. Day two we descended over Bondcliff and crossed the Pemi to Wilderness trail to Thoreau Falls trail. The North Fork of the pemi was loaded with wild native brookies. The fishing seemed to get better in the final 1.5 miles before the falls but we found fish in every pool we threw a fly. EHC's were the ticket. As long as water levels are appropriate for fording it is an outstanding loop for mountains and trout. Shoot me a private message for more specifics.

I used to camp in the Dry River valley, the fishing is excellent.

Last time I hiked to Perkins Notch from Wild River camp ground, the beavers were doing a pretty good job of flooding out the trail. It was wet. But the last time I hiked Bog Brook trail, it was wet. There is something close to 6 water crossings. Tiny crossings, but after a hard rain, they may be a bit tricky. Last year, someone posted that Perkins Notch was having a bear issue. Someone left there food bag out for it.

egilbe said:

Bog Brook trail, it was wet. There is something close to 6 water crossings. Tiny crossings, but after a hard rain, they may be a bit tricky.

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The first 3 crossings, particularly the 1st and 3rd, are more than "tiny". I did a few weeks ago after some solid rains and you had to stand on submerged rocks to cross. Nothing I'd categorize as dangerous but you'll definitely get wet feet. .

If the weather is nice, I'd definitely recommend Dry River. For a 2 night trip you can come up the Valley and Camp at the site just north of the junction with Isolation West Trail.

From there, you can keep going up the Dry River trail and go up the Headwall on Day 2. From there you have lots of options. Either Summit Washington, or go do Monroe/Eisenhower (and out-and-back to Pierce if you have time), then descend via the Mt Eisenhower Trail (it will dump you back just North of your campsite). The Mt. Clinton Trail is hard to follow during the day, and would probably be really hard if it's getting dark. The trek back from Piece va Crawford Path will save a ton of time and effort, and the Mt Eisenhower Trail is beautiful, though it might be a bit brushed in near the top.

For Day 3, you can head back down the valley, or if you feel ambitious, head back up the Mt Eisenhower Trail, but then take the Dry River Cutoff toward Mt Pierce. From there, you can visit Mt. Pierce, then head back towards Mt. Jackson and Webster via the Webster Cliff Trail, and follow that down to 302, with an easy (1.5 mile) road walk back to your car.

This plans gives lots of options, as you could just as easily go over to Boott Spur and Isloation and come back via Isloation West on Day 2. The weather will really dictate what's fun. If it's going to rain in the AM, then maybe do the crossings first and go clockwise. Etc.