Black Angel Trail, White Mountain National Forest, NH Sneak Into a Forgotten Corner of the Northeast’S Busiest Forest
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My 10 Andrew Skurka Ultra-hiker >Ten Mile Range in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains Joe Horiskey Longtime guide on Mt. Rainier > East Fork Quinault River Trail to Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park Brett Dennen Rock star, camp counselor > Pacific Crest Trail running 10 miles south from Sonora Pass PARADISE HIDDEN: HERMIT FALLS, NEAR MILE 15 Black Angel Trail, White Mountain National Forest, NH Sneak into a forgotten corner of the Northeast’s busiest forest. LIKE SO MANY HIKERS, I HIKE TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL. the Carter-Moriah Range, the nose of Carter Dome looks out Unlike most, I get to do it for work, as a cartographer for the to its mightier brother, Mt. Washington, and down on vistas Appalachian Mountain Club. In 2005, I became a redliner: over the Wild River Wilderness. If you’re sick for peace and My task was to hike every trail—which appear as red lines quiet in the Northeast, what lies next is the prescription for on our maps—in the Whites. I’m one of only four people to you. Veer east to the Black Angel Trail, and drop off the have hiked every one of them, more than 1,400 miles in total. ridge into a veritable no man’s land. This forest is crawling with myriad, damn-fine 10-mile The 3,100-foot descent down through birch glades stretches, but I say the best in the whole 794,000 acres is the inspires a contemplative spirit, so slow down as you stride Black Angel Trail. It’s the embodiment of what hiking, at least from the virgin-timber realm of softwood pines and firs, for me, is all about: isolation and solitude in nature’s undo- then through sugar maples, birches, beech, and cherry mesticated playground. The Black Angel Trail is best tackled trees. Do yourself a favor and go in early October for the as part of a 16.9-mile figure-eight loop from the Wild River best leaf-peeping of your life; you’ll be alone with your Campground. At 2.6 miles in, you come to a river ford that thoughts in an area of the wilderness overlooked by peak- the guidebook warns may be problematic for “people with baggers focused on the Presidentials. short legs or heavy packs”—thankfully, I suffer from neither. —Larry Garland, as told to Courtney Holden Continue in a southwesterly direction, dodging the muddier sections as you follow the river up to its headwaters near PERFECT 10 Perkins Notch Shelter to Wild River Campground along the watershed divide and No Ketchum Pond (don’t bother the Black Angel Trail bringing a fishing rod). You’re deep in federally sanctioned >> DO IT Take US 2 to NH 113 S. After 3.5 miles, turn right onto Wild River Rd. After 5.7 miles, park at Wild River Campground. Take the backcountry—wilderness with a capital “W” as we call it—so Wild River Trail 7.6 miles to Perkins Notch, head right on Rainbow there are no paint blazes on trees to help you find your way. Trail for 2.5 miles, and opt right onto the Carter-Moriah Trail. In All of this creates a buffer that keeps the crowds away. .4 miles, take the Black Angel Trail 7.1 miles to a junction and fol- low the Basin Trial two miles to the trailhead. MAP Appalachian You can camp here at Perkin’s Shelter or push on, start- Mountain Club White Mountain Map #5, Carter Range ($10, see ing with a 1,500-foot, 2.5-mile climb to Carter Dome. On Contact) CONTACT (617) 523-0630; outdoors.org 10.2011 BACKPACKER 67 PPerfect10.indderfect10.indd 6677 88/10/11/10/11 88:47:47 AAMM Copyright of Backpacker is the property of Active Interest Media, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use..