This past August, Boy Scout Troop 39 from Scarborough planned a trip across the high summits in the Presidential Range of the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. The idea came to us in the fall of 2021 while on a day hike of Mount Pierce (elevation 4,310). We were following a trail down that led past Mizpah Spring Hut when we decided to take a break at the hut. We entered and were amazed to see how all of the amenities you would need are offered up in the mountains with some of the worst weather on Earth. The hut included a full kitchen, multiple bunkrooms, and a large common area. Fascinated by the idea of doing a trip to these huts, we had a planning meeting with the Scouts and we decided to plan a trip to the Presidentials.

One of the main points our Troop focuses on is being almost 100 percent youth led. Trips like this are planned by almost 100 percent youth with adult involvement only coming in with booking and final planning. Fast forward a few months to June 2022, and we realized not many of us were in strong enough shape to tackle the hike. This resulted in three prep hikes to make sure everyone is safe and well prepared.

Before we knew it, it was August and we all brought our gear and packs to our Scout barn to be checked and reviewed every possible scenario that could happen so we knew what we were up against, especially considering we were tackling three days on one of the most dangerous mountain ranges in the United States. Finally, at 6 a.m. on Aug. 26 we set off for our big adventure.

Excitement was raging through all of us. As soon as we left the barn, heading west towards the mountains, it started to pour rain. Watching the rain, we all had a slight worry especially considering the spotty forecast for the mountain that day, with everything from snow to tornadoes possible. After an epic drive in through the winding valleys, we arrived near the trailhead. We decided to tackle the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, which was on the other side of the range.

Once we started we admired the beauty. After a lot of hiking, we were all tired and we stopped for a break. We looked out into the amazing views, seeing the weather in the distance, we knew we needed to move fast to get to Lakes of the Clouds hut, our first night’s stay. After finally making it to the hut, we were all feeling a little tired from the strenuous hike with heavy packs but were in high spirits and psyched to see our incredible home for the night. We all piled into a stinky but hot, and amazing bunk room. The views from the window of the summit of Mt. Washington above us was incredible. We decided to go out and explore the mountain, being careful not to step on any alpine vegetation. We even decided to swim in the namesake Lakes of the Clouds. We were then encouraged by the adults to go inside the hut as the storms we had been racing had finally arrived. It was one of the coolest moments of the trip watching the entire mountain disappear from the comfort of our bunk room in a matter of seconds. After watching the storm, we had great dinner. The croo, who are the staff at the hut, entertained us with some fun skits. We were surprised to learn that night that the Lakes of the Clouds hut can host over 90 hikers. We finally went to bed, with full stomachs and excitement for the next day as we were all looking forward to summiting the highest mountain in New England.

We woke up bright and early and were fed an amazing and tasty American breakfast. We were all excited for a 6.8 mile hiking day ahead across the high peaks and in the alpine zone. We soon received an update of the dense fog and high wind on the mountain from the croo. By 8 a.m. we were off on the rocky trail with all of our gear in our packs, bound for the summit of Mt. Washington (elevation 6,288). We arrived at the summit, fully engulfed in the clouds and took a few minutes to embrace our accomplishment. We ate s and took pictures with the summit sign.

We soon left for Madison Spring Hut. After an amazing day of hitting several high peaks to include Mt. Clay (5,532), Mt. Adams (5,774), and Mt. Jefferson (5,712) we arrived at Madison Spring hut. We all loved being in one of the huts again. After another great meal, we talked, laughed and were full of amazement by the fact that we were at 5,000 feet in the Presidentials.

Waking up on our last day to a bright and beautiful day, we took it slower. Breakfast by the croo even included a makeshift birthday cake from whipped cream and sprinkles to give to one of the Scouts whose birthday was that day. After a short steep section to our final summit of the trip, Mt. Madison (5,367), we took a break, finally being able to see what we had accomplished over the last few days, with breathtaking views of the whole Presidential range. We started our final descent into the valley where we did a shuttle and got the cars from our starting point, and headed home. We were very excited to be home where we could take a hot shower and sleep in our own beds. We all felt super accomplished as we had completed a trip of a lifetime and made some incredible memories along the way.

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