PICTURES AND TRIP REPORT: http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=666860

20 miles and 7,000 ft. elevation gain. We're trying to take a small, fit group on a route that's the closest we can get to approximating the distance and elevation gain of Rainier or Whitney.

ROUTE: Start at the Great Gulf Trailhead. We will take the Great Gulf trail to Mt. Washington, then turn north and traverse over Mts. Clay and Jefferson before descending below the ridge to camp at the Perch. On Sunday we'll re-gain the ridge, travel over Adams and Madison, and descend by the Osgood trail back to our car.

ITINERARY: We will leave Friday at 6-7pm from the student center and car camp at Intervale or Dolly Copp. We'll get an early start early on Saturday and are hoping to make it over Washington and Jefferson and to the Perch campsite (total 12 miles). On Sunday it's ~8 miles over Adams and Madison and back to the car.

CONTINGENCY PLANS: If we are moving more slowly than expected, we have options to bypass some or all of the summits to make our objective for that day. If we are significantly slower than expected on Saturday, we can also camp at a designated site in the Great Gulf Wilderness ("Campsites #4 and #5" at 5 miles in) and make it an out and back on Sunday, for a total of 10 miles.

COSTS: Plan to pay ~$40 to either the driver or to split the cost of a rental. Intervale is $3.50/night to camp. The Perch is $10/night. Bring a meal that you can prepare with only boiling water for Saturday night.

I used the 2nd edition of the AMC's "Best Backpacking in New England" to plan for this trip.