Pemigewasset Loop –
An Idiot Runner Adventure 2.0

A brief history…

Two years ago, a friend of mine, Eric Kosek (aka Head Idiot) proposed an adventure across the country. He asked for volunteers who would be willing to plan and carry out a trip to the Grand Canyon in AZ to run Rim to Rim to Rim, all in one day (45 miles, 11,000 ft elevation gain). It would all be unsupported, meaning we would have to carry all our own food/water/first aid/maps etc. Having never run that far unsupported before, I just had to say yes to that adventure. It was one of the more memorable experiences of my life – but this story is not that story. This is the sequel.

For those of you who don’t know, the name “Idiot Runner” comes from Eric’s swag company/brand/club that sells running gear and provides motivation to runners. Their tagline is “We’re smart enough to know how dumb this is”. Idiot Runner encourages pushing your limits, setting personal records, and reaching for goals that might scare you.

In Nov of 2023, my husband (Jesse) and I were fun running in Sproul State Forest with the Head Idiot, his badass wife Becky (aka Lady Idiot), and their two wonderful daughters (they are just one big happy running family). An idea was born. We hadn’t revisited the idea for an Idiot Runner field trip since 2022 when we ran the R2R2R. Jesse and I had just traveled to the White Mountains in NH to complete the 19 mile traverse of the Presidential Mountain Range. It was humbling and beautiful, and had reminded us of our Grand Canyon experience with its magnitude. We had heard rumors of another equally challenging, gorgeous, and awe-inspiring route called the Pemigewasset Loop (aka Pemi Loop). We proposed this next adventure to our R2R2R group. Just about everyone was on board, so we proceeded to set a date.

Pemi Loop Stats
Distance: 31 Miles
Elevation Gain: 10,000 feet
Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous

Over the next few months, we planned the AirBnb, discussed weather concerns, water sources, snow melt and black flies. I found multiple trail guides online that provided details for those who plan to backpack the loop in 2-4 days, but we were shooting to complete it all in one day. We needed someone who had run it before to help us understand what to expect, enter Steven Larick. He provided us with much needed information on water, the direction to travel, and confirmation of what we found online. From my experience on the Presidential Traverse the previous year, I knew these mountains could be unforgiving. The news was also circulating that a previous thruhiker and experienced outdoor guide had recently died on the Pemi Loop this past winter when emergency responders were not able to reach him in time. This mountain range is very rugged and remote, and the winter weather is highly unpredictable. This was a terrifying story to hear when we were planning to do the same route in just a few months, but thankfully we were planning to avoid the snow.

Considering info from online trail guides, our experience in the White Mountain range, reports from other runners who had completed this loop, and the group’s busy schedules – we narrowed the date range down to just a couple options. Late June, when snow melt should be gone and black flies are possible, or early September when it begins cooling down but before snow arrives. We chose late June, and found a great AirBnb in Lincoln, NH only 10 minutes away from our trail.

The White Mountains…

If you haven’t heard of the White Mountain range in NH, there are some things you should know. This is where you will find Mount Washington, the highest peak in Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft elevation. It is so notorious for its erratic weather, that we (humans) have built an entire weather station on top of this mountain. Mount Washington still holds the record for the highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone. As part of the Presidential Range, I had traversed this peak last year and experienced 70-90 mph winds, often having to maintain 3 points of contact while we waited for wind speeds to abate. All this is to say that the White Mountain range has a bit of a unique micro-climate, and we would need to be flexible with our schedule to pick a day that would be clear enough to experience the breathe-taking views (rather than hiking in a cloud all day, and not to mention possibility of strong winds and rain). While the Pemi Loop does not traverse Mount Washington, the mountain can be seen nearby throughout much of the route and we would experience similar weather. The mountain weather only reports up to 48 hours out, and last minute, our group had to adjust our Saturday plans to Friday in order to avoid a washout.

We planned to start/stop at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center and travel counter-clockwise (CCW). Most of the backpacking/hiker guides suggested clockwise, but we had other plans! Traveling CCW meant we could start our day running 6 miles of relatively flat trail while still feeling fresh. It also meant we could save the best views (in my humble opinion), for last – the Franconia Ridge. I’d experienced this ridgeline while completing our thruhike of the Appalachian Trail, and it remains one of my top 10 best experiences on the AT. Let’s go!

The Adventure Begins – Thursday, June 27^th 2024

Jesse and I finish work at 4:30 pm ET and are scrambling to pack the car and hit the road. Cat’s robot feeder full, litter box fresh, car packed, and I’m sitting in the car ready to go. We have a 7 hour drive ahead of us, and it’s already 5 pm. We are due to arrive in Lincoln, NH at 12 am where many of our friends are already settled in. We plan to start running tomorrow morning at 6 am, so time is of the essence. Jesse begins driving first while I search online for a restaurant in route with hopes to order carry-out along the way. I find a cute little restaurant in Kingston – New York’s first capital. It’s a super cute town that I would love to spend more time in – some other time.

I take over driving from Kingston and drive into the night. I’m listening to a book while Jesse tries to sleep, but I’m waning fast. After hours of driving I fail to notice that our gas is running low, and now the empty light is blinking. OMG, how long has that been blinking?!, I think. Jesse is sleeping, and the nearest gas station seems to be 45 minutes (over 30 miles) away. We are in the remote mountains of Vermont and steadily climbing a mountain that seems to never end – surrounded by forest. I imagine my car chugging through the remaining gas fumes as we try to ascend this forever mountain. If we run out of gas here, what would we do? Run to the nearest mountain home (of which I’ve seen very few), and hope they aren’t armed and ready for intruders? Jesse and I continue to speculate. We are in remote Vermont. Should we approach a home with our hands up to show we come in peace? Could one of us run 15 miles to the nearest gas station? What do we do when we get there…? Well, thankfully, we never had to find out. Forty-five minutes and thirty+ miles later, we are down the other side of the forever mountain and pumping gas into my little Yaris. Once again, Greta the Brave Little Toaster did not fail me. Jesse takes over driving from here as my nerves. are. SPENT.

12:20 am – We arrive quietly at our AirBnb and stage our running vests (packed with food, water, first aid, etc) and clothes for the morning. Time for some quick Zzzzs.

4:15 am – I am wide awake. The smell of coffee and sounds of lively conversation make their way to my room and I’m too excited to fall back asleep. Shower, coffee, honey bun – and I’m ready to go. Jesse wakes up at his usual 20 minutes before go time-time. The group piles into 2 vehicles and we make our way to the trail head at Lincoln Woods.

The Pemigewasset Loop – Friday, June 28th 2024

6 am / Mile 0 –

Here we go! Ten ultra-runners hit the trail. As we begin running the 6 miles of mostly flat (albeit slightly uphill) rail bed style trail, I find myself lingering in the back. Three of us runners, including me, have been nursing injuries of varying degrees. One of us has been battling Achilles tendonitis, which mostly flares up while running, while another has been recovering from terrible IT-band pain, and then there’s me.

Two weeks ago at a work team building event, I was dressed up in full purple-people-eater garb (purple wig, purple tutu, unicorn horn, big ol’ cyclops eye – don’t ask), and I slipped while running on wet grass. Looking back, I probably should have been wearing my trail shoes and not my slippy road shoes. Anyway, when I tried to stand, I found I couldn’t lift my left leg very easily. I had pulled an adductor muscle. For days I couldn’t walk up steps without using my hands to lift my leg, so it suffices to say that I also hadn’t run in 2 weeks. As a backpacking guide, I still had responsibilities to my hikers to be fit and able. One week after the injury, I would have to be well enough to guide a backpacking trip. I attacked the (minor) injury with everything I had. Rest, healthy food/drink, icing, periodic massage, NSAIDS to reduce inflammation, supplements – the list goes on. I was able to guide the 30-mile trail, carrying 30-lbs, and had very little pain while hiking. This was great news! However, the terrain and effort I would be expected to carry out on the Pemi loop would be much more taxing.

I knew in the back of my mind I could probably hike this whole trail today if I have to, but these first 6 miles of running were not in my game plan for this day. I wonder to myself Am I making a mistake?

7:30 am –

We begin climbing! The first climb was to be one of the longest climbs of the day as we ascend Bond Mountain. Two years ago when a very similar group ran the R2R2R, I spent the majority of the day with my friend Laura. She wasn’t feeling super trained for that effort and we made a pact to stay together. Today, Laura (who was actively fighting her own injury), and I made a similar pact. If one of us had to hike the entire day and fall behind, the other would do the same. It was super comforting to know I had a buddy if everything went sideways.

8 am –

We cross a water source, and most everyone fills up their water flasks. I’ve always been a fan of camel-ing, and still had 1.5 L of water in my pack, so I sat back and enjoyed the view of Idiot Runners scrambling over rocks. Many of my fellow runner friends were drinking straight from the stream – no filter. That’s not really my jam, though I’m sure the water at this high elevation could be safe. I prefer to filter, and had my Sawyer Squeeze at the ready.

8:45 am / Mile 9 –

After climbing over 2,000 ft of elevation gain over ~3 miles (or 3,000 ft in ~ 6 miles), Bond Mountain did not disappoint! I had definitely warmed up on the climb and broken a sweat, so I find the wind above tree line to be shockingly chilling. I had planned to bring running gloves and a light winter hat, but somewhere in the shuffle this morning, those did not make it into my pack. We all throw on our wind jackets, looking hilariously like an advertisement for Patagonia Houdini. Thankfully, Becky offered me her Buff that she wasn’t using so I wrap that around one hand at a time and we start moving to warm up. I feel like I am straight of a Lord of the Rings scene as we traverse the mountain range above tree line for the next few miles.

11 am / Mile 14.5 –

After several more climbs, descents, and awe-inspiring views, we reach Galehead Hut provided by AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club). These are a super cool feature of the White Mountains. Workers at these huts live on the mountain for long stretches of time, having to lug food and supplies for themselves and their guests on massive pallets (it’s a sight to see) up thousands of feet from nearby towns. Guests can book a room and plan to stay at the hut while backpacking or hiking across the mountain ranges. The workers cook, clean, and take care of the hut and its visitors. For Appalachian Trail thruhikers, you can sometimes have the chance to “work for stay” – essentially washing dishes for the opportunity to sleep on the dining room floor (that you’ve probably just swept). I know from past experience that if you carry cash, you might be able to score a brownie or coffee cake, or whatever odds and ends they have out for visitors. As I’m browsing the hut’s snack selection, I notice something strange. My feet and legs are vibrating. Or are the shaking? Yup, definitely shaking. I ask around and a few other runners feel the same thing, and we determine that it’s muscle fatigue. Or an earthquake. But probably muscle fatigue.

After a quick bathroom break, I fill up my water bladder to 1.5 L again from the hut’s kitchen sink and pay $1 for a glass of kool-aide. As my group heads outside, I realize I’m missing something. My jacket! It’s not on me! Searching my memory, I realize I’ve left it hanging in one of the bathroom stalls. I head back to the bathrooms, but someone is already in that exact stall. I hang out and wait for seemingly forever. I begin to wonder if the person in my stall is okay – it’s been a very long, quiet time. Finally they exit, confirming that they are in fact alive. I now have my jacket and head out to catch my group. Walking down the hallway I pass a familiar face – Hey – I think I’ve seen that character before. Entering the dining area, I see another familiar face. This time I know a name, it’s Reagan McCoy, a very accomplished PA trail and ultra-runner. I’m super pumped to see another PA face out here in the White Mountains – what are the odds! I wave, say hello to my fellow PA trail runner, then exit the hut. Outside, I find that my group is nowhere to be found. I’ve been abandoned. Scanning the small field around the hut, a third PA trail runner, Justin Beaty, is thankfully there to inform me that my people have taken off. They aren’t too far ahead, and I can still catch them, he tells me. I holler my thanks and take off to catch those Idiots. When I do finally catch them, we all laugh as we realize my own husband didn’t realize I was missing, and just assumed I was ahead somewhere. I guess he thinks I’m pretty quick.

1:15 pm / Mile 17.5 –

We reach an old decommissioned fire tower on Mt. Garfield and stop to take it all in. Sitting on an expansive exposed rock face, we can see Franconia Ridge, Mount Lafayette, Lincoln, & Flume – everything we’re about to traverse. It all looks so daunting from here. Once our whole group is accounted for, and has had plenty of time to enjoy the views, onward we go. Our next biggest climb is on the horizon – nearly 2,000 ft over less than 3 miles to the top of Mt. Lafayette. This is when our group begins to break apart into 3 smaller groups. Up to this point, we were able to keep everyone pretty much together, but it’s not uncommon for an effort like this to break into front, middle, and back of the pack groups for various reasons. I had planned on being back of the pack today along with Laura, but our power hiking ended up being our saving grace and we found ourselves in the front.

3 pm / Mile 21 –

As I reach the top of Lafayette, Laura continues on with the front of the pack while I stay back to rest here with my friend Gilbert as we wait for the others. Our legs have now climbed likely over 8,000 ft, and we are all feeling the weight of fatigue on different levels. This was the part of the adventure I had been looking forward to all day, Franconia Ridge, so I am grateful for time to sit and soak it in. These are the moments I will come back to over the following week when I’m back at work sitting at a desk. I want to remember every sensation. Gilbert and I settle in and survey the mountain behind us, waiting to see our friends appear over the peak. I watch as he shuffled around rocks searching for the perfect fit. Looks like he is creating a pillow. Guess we might be here a bit, I thought, as I eat all the remaining red and blue gummy bears in my pack.

Eventually we see one after the other, but with one friend still behind. This particular friend is a strong ultrarunner and finisher of Ironman events, but sometimes you never know when a trail might just kick your ass. We make a plan to separate. Some of the group plans to stick together at the back of the pack and wait for our remaining member to catch up. The rest of us will continue. It’s very difficult to plan a full day effort with this many people and stick together all day, but it’s never a good plan to leave anyone alone. Groups with a minimum of 3 are the safest and smartest way to travel, so that’s what we do.

Franconia Ridge -> Flume

The rest of the ‘run’ carries out like a dream. Laura, Jesse and I joke, laugh and carry on, taking in the views and soaking in the remainder of this wonderland. At one point I am singing Miley Cyrus’s “It’s the cliiiiimmmb” and I’m fairly certain everyone wants to run away from me, but they are all just too tired to move faster. Jesse begins to fall a bit behind, and we find that he is running out of food. With several miles left in the day, I hand off the remainder of my gummy bears – apologizing for eating all the good colors. We cover Mount Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume – which marks the end of our climbing. The views here are so beautiful, I could have stayed here all day. But the call of real food and beer is beckoning. From here, it’s all downhill. The last 4-5 miles take you down off the mountain range and back into the valley where we began.

7:20 pm / Mile 30 –

I arrive at the parking lot with Eric and my husband not far behind. The rest of our group trickles in over the next 60-90 minutes – everyone out of the woods before sunset. What a fantastic day with inspiring people and awe-some terrain. Now for some food and drink to celebrate!

What’s next?

If you haven’t experienced the White Mountains, I highly recommend it! You don’t have to run or travel 30 miles in a day to have a full experience. There are so many day hikes you can choose from with rewarding views and breathtaking terrain. For those of you reading this from Pennsylvania, you can also find training opportunities for this here in PA! I would recommend the AT climb out of Lehigh Gap, the boulder climbs in Zindel Park (McEllhatten), or the boulder field in Castanea to name just a few. Get out there and explore!

When we set out for this adventure, I did not have any intention of beginning a series. However, I’ve recently discovered that the Pemigewasset Loop and Presidential Traverse are part of a much larger series – The Northeastern Ultra 8 Sky Runner Challenge. I might just have to make this a thing.

Until next time – stay wild!