Completing the NEU8 challenge, the 8 hardest hikes in the northeast
On Saturday, August 20th I completed my final hike of the Northeast Ultra 8 challenge - a 31 mile traverse of the Mahoosuc range, north to south, from ME to NH, in 18 hours & 14 minutes.
It was a long, hard day with a strong group on extremely rugged terrain in remote wilderness. If the Great Range & Pemi had a baby, this is it. Aside from us, the trail was primarily populated by Appalachian Trail thru-hikers on their way to Katahdin, hike on!
- Days on trail: 8 days, 8 hikes
- Total distance: ~243 miles
- Total elevation gain: ~65,000 feet
- Total hiking/climbing time: 122 hours
1. Presidential Traverse (21 miles, 8k gain) - 6/12/21 (~14 hours)
My first. An alpine moonscape with 15+ miles of adrenalin inducing views. An enjoyable and manageable introduction to ultra hiking.
2. Pemi Loop (31 miles, 10k gain) - 7/24/2021 (~17 hours)
My first long one. A mix of everything the White Mountains has to offer - from alpine ridges to damp forested climbs below tree line and back, a few times.
3. Saranac 6er (29 miles, 8k gain) - 8/21/21 (~17 hours)
The one that requires driving. 6 peaks across 5 hikes around Saranac Lake, each easy enough on their own. Poor hydration slapped me on this one, it was a learning experience.
4. The Great Range (21 miles, 9k gain) - 9/26/21 (~15 hours)
The rugged one. Exposed summits, & deep, forested cols with wet slab rocks and tough climbs & descents in between. A hard day, but a fun one.
5. Devil's Path (23 miles, 8k gain) - 5/7/22 (~10 hours)
The familiar one. I had already hiked all of the these peaks, but not as a group. Familiar terrain and a cloudy, cool spring day kept me moving - nothing to see here.
6. Taconic Crest (37 miles, 8k gain) - 6/11/22 (~15 hours)
An even longer one. A semi-thankless hike full of rolling hills that takes you from MA to VT to NY. Surprisingly manageable overall despite a nagging ankle injury.
7. Cranberry 50 (50 miles, 4k gain) - 7/30/22 (~16 hours)
The longest one. Another semi-thankless hike deep in western ADK. Relatively flat but notoriously muddy. I was intimidated by this one, but it was manageable - my feet disagreed afterward. Bogs & beaver dams all day.
8. Mahoosuc (31 miles, 10k+ gain) - 8/20/22 (~18 hours)
The one I underestimated. Unrelenting climbs & rugged descents - wet slabs, rocks & roots, remote with very few bailout options. If the Great Range & Pemi had a baby, this is it - I knew it would be hard and it still surprised me, the hardest one on the list by far.
