Pemi Loop Pro Tips

Garfield Pano - halfway on the Pemi Loop.

The Pemi Loop will be closed this summer, not exactly, but the traditional route will be. On June 15th the Lincoln Woods Trail will be closed for erosion reconstruction. Of course, you can bypass the construction by using the East Side Trail and fording the East Branch Pemi River (a minor annoyance if not racing for time). That said, I opted to see where my fitness was and race an early season loop - this would be my 10th time doing the route. Stats: 29 miles, 9,300' vert. Pemi Strava Activity.

The start / finish of the Pemi Loop.

I prefer the counter clockwise direction - it eliminates the endless Lincoln Woods tunnel out of the gate and offers a nice warm-up. It's good for later starts too as Franconia Ridge is always congested midday (on the weekends / mid-summer). However, going clockwise is great for early starts where you beat the ridge crowds. Another benefit of going CCW is that you can fill up water 6 miles in (reliably) vs 1.2mi CW - on this effort, early season water was available 8 miles in, saving me from carrying an extra 3 pounds in water weight.

Lincoln Woods Trail, aka Green Tunnel Purgatory.

The weather was also perfect on this day - temps were in the 40s at the start and while I'm not heat adapted yet, the combination of cool air and above tree-line breeze left me incredibly comfortable, donning my windbreaker only at the start and on Lafayette, where the wind was close to 30mph. Always aim for cooler temps - a Pemi Loop is already difficult without adverse weather. 

I made good time up to Bond Cliff and Bond proper. I saw just a few hikers descending Bond and there was a little bit of snow from the recent storm on Guyot, but overall the trail was fast with very few blowdowns (it's common early season for the trails to be a mess). 

The Iconic Bond Cliff.

View from Bond looking down on Bond Cliff.

The Twinway is a two mile section that goes by quickly and after a short climb up South Twin, you feel like you've made real progress. Unfortunately, from here to Lafayette is the most difficult section of the Pemi. It's technical and difficult to get into a rhythm because you're always going up, or down, or side hilling on slab. You'll hit a flat section but it will only last for several strides. It takes a ton of mental focus and at this point, you've likely burned a few matches just getting this far. My best advice is to just expect this section to be slow - know there are several pointless ups and downs (PUDs) on each side of Garfield. 

View from South Twin looking east towards Mount Washington.

Of course, water sources are an important piece of the Pemi puzzle. As previously mentioned, you can source water 6 miles in and your next reliable water source won't be until Galehead. If you misjudged your water needs getting up to Bond, you can always side-quest down to the Guyot campsite. After Galehead Hut, your next water source is in 2.5 miles at Garfield Spring, which is mid-way up the Garfield ascent. FYI, I've never filtered water from any of these sources. This will be your last source on the loop unless you get desperate and side-quest to Liberty Springs Campsite. 

You call this a trail? The infamous chunky section of Garfield Ridge Trail.

The climb up Lafayette is a good one. It is the last significant ascent of the route and once it opens up to slabs, it becomes much more enjoyable with views in all directions. The Franconia Ridgeline isn't a free lunch by any means - it's technical and choppy, which many people (myself included) always tend to forget. The stretch from Lincoln to Liberty Springs is a few miles and you'll hit a little hiker traffic being on the AT and the ridge. 

Lafayette Ridge - PUDs on PUDs (really just a few). 

The classic Franconia Ridge view from Lafayette.

The climbs up Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume are all short, so you have that in your favor. Hopefully you have a few sips of water left before starting your 4 mile descent on the Osseo Trail. Fortunately, this trail has ladders, switchbacks, and is much less technical than what you've already pushed through. 

Last view from Flume looking South towards Loon Ski Area & the Tripyramid Slides.

The Osseo Trail is a cruiser on the back half.

The home stretch on Lincoln Woods goes by quickly - it's only 1.2 miles back to the bridge. Be sure to soak your feet in the river and always leave plenty of drinks and food in your vehicle. 

Give the feet a soak and wash your shoes off in the process.