I've got the all-clear to take a couple days this summer for a fastpacking trip.

Aiming for:

25-35 miles per day
No more than 4-5 hour drive from Western Massachusetts
Some degree of solitude
Spectacular campsite
Minimal route finding / trail junctions (i.e., all or mostly on one trail)
Overall awesomeness


The obvious trip would be the Metacomet-Monadnock / New England Scenic Trail, since it runs within a 1/2 mile of my house, but I think I'm going to do the whole thing next summer, so I want to save it for then.

It'd be fun to through-hike an entire trail if it fits the above requirements. I was taking a look at the Cranberry Lake 50 in the Adirondacks. Could be really cool, although it's lacking in the mountain views.

Thanks in advance for any and all input!

Edited by Knaight on 05/22/2011 17:29:10 MDT.

Cohos trail (NH)
The Long Trail (VT).
Northville-Lake Placid Trail (ADK), relatively flat and remote, but you could fit in some peak bagging in the high peaks.
You could make up lots of loops in the ADK, Catskills or White Mts.

I think either the Catskills or the Adirondacks would make for a great time. I haven't spent a lot of time in either area. Any major points I should hit up as I'm crafting my trip?

Peaks that I like:
ADK (these would be busy on summer weekends)
Gothics, Basin, Haystack (part of the Great Range Trail,
(Miles: 25 Elevation Change: 17,600 feet )
http://www.backpacker.com/may_2005_feature_hardest_dayhikes/destinations/8485?page=2
Giant.
Catskills: Blackhead Range, Cornell and Wittenberg (part of the Long Path, you could probably find some other trails making a loop out of a part of the Long Path (Windham High Peak to Blackheads to Cornell/Wittenberg to Slide) and other trails to connect back from Slide to Windham).

That's great, I'll definitely check out some options including the Long Path. Thanks!

Looks like I can string together the Devil's Path and the Escarpment Trail by joining them with an 11 mile segment of the Long Path. It'd make for two strenuous, but spectacular 30 mile days. I've been wanting to do the Devil's Path as a dayhike for a while, and this seems like a great way to get that in. It also allows me to bag 12 peaks over 3000 feet in the Catskills.

Is this plan too crazy? I know the Devil's Path is called that for a reason, and the Escarpment Trail is home to the East's toughest trail race.