Wednesday 9/6; Gorham, NH (1891.5)
Zero day waiting out the weather. We stayed at The Barn at Libby House. It is a pretty decent hostel. Not our favorite, but among the better hostels we've stayed in. Highly recommended for a quiet stay in a nice little town. We meet a couple of Mormon missionaries in the street after dropping some post cards in the mail. They were nice young men who asked questions about our hike and politely have us a very quick spiel about The Book of Mormon before handing us our very own copy. We thanked them and promptly took it back to the hostel and added it to the obligatory Hiker Bookshelf. Every hostel has one; sort of a take one leave one sort of deal. Maybe someone will use it.
Thursday 9/7; Gorham/Crawford Notch to Lake of the Clouds Hut (1844.4-1855.4)
Guys, we managed to score a work for stay! We pushed 11 miles and are among about 20 hikers here, but the "Croo" is fantastic and allowed most of us to work for stay. This means we'll help out a bit in exchange for a spot to set up beds on the floor, and leftover meal that want eaten by paid guests. The food is very good and it's warm and dry. No complaints here!
Today's hike was a good one, overall. I was a little down and cried some for no apparent reason. Bean was super patient and very sweet, and we got through 11 tough miles to land here, 1.5 miles below the summit of Mt. Washington. The forecast called for rain and clouds. We had some mist and lots of clouds, but no real rain. As we hiked, the clouds lifted some and we got some unique ridge views with low clouds and shadows, and the light on the hills was spectacular! We even got a rainbow! So now, it's about time for sleep. We hope to avoid the rain again tomorrow while going over Washington!
Friday 9/8; Lake of the Clouds Hut to Madison Hut (1855.4-1862.6)
Today sucked. We started the morning with work for stay at lake of the clouds which involved opening windows and scraping the black mold off to help prepare the hut for end of the season closure. It was FRIGID outside and all our fingers were numb. All in all, not a great work for stay, especially since all the hikers are dinner last night regardless of their work status. So we got started very late (10AM) on the day we're going over Mt. Washington. The climb wasn't too terrible, though the fog was very dense. We made ok time and approached the overly clouded summit. Yard Sale and I came upon the weather station which was barely visible through the cloud cover. It was quite eerie to look at, to use YS's word. We found the summit, took our photos, found the visitor center, got warm drinks, and moved on. It was somewhat anticlimactic as we got absolutely no views and it was pretty cold. The day was very, very long, and was made longer when YS and I got off our trail and onto another. We went quite a ways before realizing it and making our way back, and lost week over an hour in the process. By the end of our second day above tree line, we were all exhausted and ready for safety and dinner. We approached the hut knowing this one notoriously doesn't accept with for stays, but knew we had no other choice. It was 710 when we arrived and sunset is approximately 725. And... They ACCEPTED us!! We were SO relieved!! They didn't have enough dinner for us, but we didn't care. We slept on the floor and woke this morning to wipe down the walls in the hut, and stomp down the kitchen compost. We did get some breakfast.
Saturday 9/9; Madison Hut to Pinkham Notch (1862.6-1870.4)
Thank G-d, we're finished with the Presidents! Coming down Mt. Madison today was painstakingly hard! We inches or way down lots of Rocky trail, all still above tree line. We did have some really nice views coming down as we headed for the trees and below the clouds. It wasn't a particularly bad day, though I wound up pretty grumpy this afternoon. I'm so entirely exhausted and really need a break, but we really want to get through the Wildcats, which are the last peaks in our Whites. Two more days and we'll be finished! Assuming, that is, that we hit our mark tomorrow. 13 miles is an awful lot in this terrain and with tomorrow's climb, and we have to stop at under 6 or go all the way to the 13. Makes a challenging day! We plan to start with a solid breakfast, though, so hopefully that helps.
Sunday 9/9; Pinkham Notch to Zeta Pass Stealth Camping (1870.4-1878.9)
Well, today didn't go as planned (really, what day does?). We'd hoped for 13 miles to Imp Campsite, but it turns out The Wildcats are no stinking joke! U-Turn, you weren't kidding! Anyhow, despite all that, it really wasn't a bad day. The weather has been absolutely beautiful! I bit windy, and a little cool in some spots, but clear skies and sunshine make for stunning views! Plus, we started the morning with breakfast at the Pinkham Visitor Center. A buffet that has giant, fluffy, whole wheat pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, blueberry coffee cake, and an assortment of other options...a thru hiker's perfect morning! We were up early to take advantage and still try to make it 13. When we arrived at the hut 5.8 miles into our day at 2PM, I knew we weren't going to make it. So we decided on a stealth camp site, and we're here with Yard Sale, Ma'am, and Smash Newton. Apparently Bear Pop may show up at some point, too. They're working on a fire, dinner is soaking, and life is good. The tent placement options leaves a bit to be desired, but we've reconfigured the arrangements for tonight inside the tent and I think it might prove to be pretty darn comfy. I'm tired and hope I sleep well. We'll finish the Whites tomorrow and head into Maine. Big things coming...
Monday 9/11; Zeta Pass Stealth Camping to Gorham, NH (1878.9-1891.5)
These last couple of days have been so hard. Today was definitely better than/slightly easier than yesterday, but I just kept feeling how tired I was as I walked. My mind and body are so overwhelmingly exhausted. We only had 13 miles to go today which is a long day here, but we believed doable. So off we went. Ultimately, we did manage it, but I felt like we were simply never going to get there. The last 3-4 miles of the day were super nice and well graded, and we got a hitch pretty quickly after hitting the main road. We opted for a motel room for just the two of us. We enjoy hanging out with all our friends, but when we really need rest look we do now, the quiet of a private space is so important!
Tuesday 9/12; Gorham, NH, zero (1891.5)
Wednesday 9/13; Gorham, NH to Dream Lake stealth site
We heard that the first miles out of Gorham would be relatively easy. They were and we managed a couple miles past where we'd planned to stop. Our general process is to plan on a stopping point and then evaluate. Often, there is a further option, and a shorter/fallback option. Today, we landed in between the two. We camped with Yard Sale near a quiet lake. It was a nice evening of discussion over dinner and early bed time. Apparently we hot 1900 miles today, which we totally missed. But we're excited nonetheless! Tomorrow... MAINE!!
Thursday 9/14; Dream Lake stealth site to Carlo Col Shelter (1901.2-1908.5)
The challenging terrain had been quite frustrating as it's slowed is down considerably (as you can see from our mileage). We're trying to keep our cool and not worry about time, but it's hard with such short days. We stopped short of our goal today. As we were stopped filling water for the final 4.4 of the day, a SOBO showed up at the shelter beat down and ready for the end of the day (at 3pm). We know this feeling. It sucks. We had just been arguing (again) over pace an whether or not to push the 4.4/what time we could realistically expect to arrive if we did, and this guy (On Again) shows up and shares that today has been his absolute hardest day in Maine. This is saying something, guys. So we promptly agreed that it was probably smart to stay put. Bean too a spill after collecting water and has a big gash in an arm and hand, so it makes the most sense. It's frustrating, though, because it's only 3:15. We've got hours left in the day, but no water or camping until the next campsite. If we hope tomorrow and find stealth and a stream in a few miles, we'll both be ticked. But I guess it is what it is. We're excited to be in Maine and entering the home stretch. I'm hesitantly ready to find the end of this journey.
Friday 9/15; Carlo Col Shelter to Bull Branch Shelter (1908.5-1915.6)
Mahoosuc Notch is finished! This is "the most challenging/fun mile on The AT." I did find it challenging, not so much fun for Fresh. Bean enjoyed it very much. Basically, it's a rock scramble/maze that you have to shimmy and squeeze through, and then balance over for a mile. There were a couple of moments that I was truly scared I'd fall and Bean had to help keep me calm and moving. It was another short day due to the difficulty here. This one mile took us (me) 3 hours to traverse. Literally. We hoped to make it another 2.4 and we probably could have. But there's a camp site just after you finish The Notch, and we opted to stop here. It's actually quite nice. So we'll walk out of camp in the morning straight uphill for 2.5 miles to conquer Mahoosuc Arm, and then I think we'll be finished with the Mahoosucs. Thank goodness!!
Before all this today, we had some hard climbs, but they were we'll worth it. We going ourselves above tree line again, though for the first time in Maine. It's gorgeous with the fall leaves beginning to show their reds in the valleys. Have I mentioned how much I love Fall?! In fact, I'm super excited to be going home in time for all the fall festivities! Anniversary, birthday, Halloween, THANKSGIVING (my Favorite!), and all the fall themed everything around town. Plus.... Pumpkin things! Pumpkin Noosa Yogurt is a new favorite!
We're camped again with Yard Sale tonight which is a treat! We like her a lot and it works out well that we've been seeing a bit of her lately.
I've deduced that I love the camping part of backpacking. I even like the hiking part when it's minimal miles per day and there's no real deadline to meet. But camping is my roots and it's really what I love.
Saturday 9/16; Bull Branch Shelter to Bald Plate Shelter (1915.6-1924.9)
Thank goodness for the end of today. I was starting to think that all of Maine was gonna be less than fun. But finally, this afternoon we got an actual trail which we could actually hike rather than rock climb. Though we're told not to get our hopes up because the next couple of peaks are apparently very hard. The southern half of Maine is very, very hard!
We ran into a number of day hikers today. One lady gave us a whole pint of blueberries! They were SO good!! We ate the whole container on the spot. All after climbing vertical rocks to see a hazy view of fall colors below. It was a beautiful day that brought a better mood for Fresh. Looking forward to town couple of days and PANCAKES!!
Sunday 9/17; Bald Plate Shelter to Andover, NH (1924.9-1932.9)
Finally a decent day with a decent pace! At least for the second half of the day. The first half was quite challenging, though the views we're stunning! We made good time and called for our ride into town to the hostel. First things first, showers. Then food, of course! Then a decision to slack pack tomorrow. We are super excited to get some miles in AND sleep in a bed again! A shower at the end of a hiking day is an absolute novelty.
Monday 9/18; East B Hill Road to South Arm Road (1932.9-1943.0)
Slack packing is AMAZING! We are back on our pace, for today at least, and knocked out 10 miles before 3PM. It felt great and had me feeling like I might actually be able to do this. After weeks of slower pace than we'd become accustomed, it feels like I just can't possibly finish. My body is simply exhausted. So this splurge which includes a bed at night and showers at the end of the day is so nice! And...we're doing it again tomorrow! 13 more miles will take us one day out of Rangley. We're looking at 3 or so more weeks to finish, and we are getting so excited! More tomorrow before posting this...
Today 9/19; South Arm Road to Maine 17 (1943.0-1956.2)
Another successful slack pack in the books! Today really was a great day. The hiking was moderately hard and we moved quickly without packs on. We're a bit concerned about putting them back on tomorrow. They'll feel so heavy!
Yard Sale and I had another great discussion, and OG and I had a first. We're all full of emotions about coming to the end of the North bound section. These emotions seem to range from relief and excitement to apprehension and fear. Most of us feel a jumble of many emotions, and for some of us, it's very overwhelming.
Wishing all who celebrate a peaceful Rosh Hashannah and a meaningful Yom Kippur fast.
And wishing Jessica and Marc and Jazz and Branden beautiful wedding celebrations! I know you'll both be gorgeous brides. Wishing you only happiness in your marriage! Remember that everyone there celebrating with you (and some of us who aren't) are your village. We are the people you'll call on when you are ready to celebrate, or when you're struggling.
I'm sorry I won't be there to celebrate these occasions with all of you. You're in my mind and heart as we continue on our journey toward Katahdin, and then home!
Zero day waiting out the weather. We stayed at The Barn at Libby House. It is a pretty decent hostel. Not our favorite, but among the better hostels we've stayed in. Highly recommended for a quiet stay in a nice little town. We meet a couple of Mormon missionaries in the street after dropping some post cards in the mail. They were nice young men who asked questions about our hike and politely have us a very quick spiel about The Book of Mormon before handing us our very own copy. We thanked them and promptly took it back to the hostel and added it to the obligatory Hiker Bookshelf. Every hostel has one; sort of a take one leave one sort of deal. Maybe someone will use it.
Thursday 9/7; Gorham/Crawford Notch to Lake of the Clouds Hut (1844.4-1855.4)
Guys, we managed to score a work for stay! We pushed 11 miles and are among about 20 hikers here, but the "Croo" is fantastic and allowed most of us to work for stay. This means we'll help out a bit in exchange for a spot to set up beds on the floor, and leftover meal that want eaten by paid guests. The food is very good and it's warm and dry. No complaints here!
Today's hike was a good one, overall. I was a little down and cried some for no apparent reason. Bean was super patient and very sweet, and we got through 11 tough miles to land here, 1.5 miles below the summit of Mt. Washington. The forecast called for rain and clouds. We had some mist and lots of clouds, but no real rain. As we hiked, the clouds lifted some and we got some unique ridge views with low clouds and shadows, and the light on the hills was spectacular! We even got a rainbow! So now, it's about time for sleep. We hope to avoid the rain again tomorrow while going over Washington!
Friday 9/8; Lake of the Clouds Hut to Madison Hut (1855.4-1862.6)
Today sucked. We started the morning with work for stay at lake of the clouds which involved opening windows and scraping the black mold off to help prepare the hut for end of the season closure. It was FRIGID outside and all our fingers were numb. All in all, not a great work for stay, especially since all the hikers are dinner last night regardless of their work status. So we got started very late (10AM) on the day we're going over Mt. Washington. The climb wasn't too terrible, though the fog was very dense. We made ok time and approached the overly clouded summit. Yard Sale and I came upon the weather station which was barely visible through the cloud cover. It was quite eerie to look at, to use YS's word. We found the summit, took our photos, found the visitor center, got warm drinks, and moved on. It was somewhat anticlimactic as we got absolutely no views and it was pretty cold. The day was very, very long, and was made longer when YS and I got off our trail and onto another. We went quite a ways before realizing it and making our way back, and lost week over an hour in the process. By the end of our second day above tree line, we were all exhausted and ready for safety and dinner. We approached the hut knowing this one notoriously doesn't accept with for stays, but knew we had no other choice. It was 710 when we arrived and sunset is approximately 725. And... They ACCEPTED us!! We were SO relieved!! They didn't have enough dinner for us, but we didn't care. We slept on the floor and woke this morning to wipe down the walls in the hut, and stomp down the kitchen compost. We did get some breakfast.
Saturday 9/9; Madison Hut to Pinkham Notch (1862.6-1870.4)
Thank G-d, we're finished with the Presidents! Coming down Mt. Madison today was painstakingly hard! We inches or way down lots of Rocky trail, all still above tree line. We did have some really nice views coming down as we headed for the trees and below the clouds. It wasn't a particularly bad day, though I wound up pretty grumpy this afternoon. I'm so entirely exhausted and really need a break, but we really want to get through the Wildcats, which are the last peaks in our Whites. Two more days and we'll be finished! Assuming, that is, that we hit our mark tomorrow. 13 miles is an awful lot in this terrain and with tomorrow's climb, and we have to stop at under 6 or go all the way to the 13. Makes a challenging day! We plan to start with a solid breakfast, though, so hopefully that helps.
Sunday 9/9; Pinkham Notch to Zeta Pass Stealth Camping (1870.4-1878.9)
Well, today didn't go as planned (really, what day does?). We'd hoped for 13 miles to Imp Campsite, but it turns out The Wildcats are no stinking joke! U-Turn, you weren't kidding! Anyhow, despite all that, it really wasn't a bad day. The weather has been absolutely beautiful! I bit windy, and a little cool in some spots, but clear skies and sunshine make for stunning views! Plus, we started the morning with breakfast at the Pinkham Visitor Center. A buffet that has giant, fluffy, whole wheat pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, blueberry coffee cake, and an assortment of other options...a thru hiker's perfect morning! We were up early to take advantage and still try to make it 13. When we arrived at the hut 5.8 miles into our day at 2PM, I knew we weren't going to make it. So we decided on a stealth camp site, and we're here with Yard Sale, Ma'am, and Smash Newton. Apparently Bear Pop may show up at some point, too. They're working on a fire, dinner is soaking, and life is good. The tent placement options leaves a bit to be desired, but we've reconfigured the arrangements for tonight inside the tent and I think it might prove to be pretty darn comfy. I'm tired and hope I sleep well. We'll finish the Whites tomorrow and head into Maine. Big things coming...
Monday 9/11; Zeta Pass Stealth Camping to Gorham, NH (1878.9-1891.5)
These last couple of days have been so hard. Today was definitely better than/slightly easier than yesterday, but I just kept feeling how tired I was as I walked. My mind and body are so overwhelmingly exhausted. We only had 13 miles to go today which is a long day here, but we believed doable. So off we went. Ultimately, we did manage it, but I felt like we were simply never going to get there. The last 3-4 miles of the day were super nice and well graded, and we got a hitch pretty quickly after hitting the main road. We opted for a motel room for just the two of us. We enjoy hanging out with all our friends, but when we really need rest look we do now, the quiet of a private space is so important!
Tuesday 9/12; Gorham, NH, zero (1891.5)
Wednesday 9/13; Gorham, NH to Dream Lake stealth site
We heard that the first miles out of Gorham would be relatively easy. They were and we managed a couple miles past where we'd planned to stop. Our general process is to plan on a stopping point and then evaluate. Often, there is a further option, and a shorter/fallback option. Today, we landed in between the two. We camped with Yard Sale near a quiet lake. It was a nice evening of discussion over dinner and early bed time. Apparently we hot 1900 miles today, which we totally missed. But we're excited nonetheless! Tomorrow... MAINE!!
Thursday 9/14; Dream Lake stealth site to Carlo Col Shelter (1901.2-1908.5)
The challenging terrain had been quite frustrating as it's slowed is down considerably (as you can see from our mileage). We're trying to keep our cool and not worry about time, but it's hard with such short days. We stopped short of our goal today. As we were stopped filling water for the final 4.4 of the day, a SOBO showed up at the shelter beat down and ready for the end of the day (at 3pm). We know this feeling. It sucks. We had just been arguing (again) over pace an whether or not to push the 4.4/what time we could realistically expect to arrive if we did, and this guy (On Again) shows up and shares that today has been his absolute hardest day in Maine. This is saying something, guys. So we promptly agreed that it was probably smart to stay put. Bean too a spill after collecting water and has a big gash in an arm and hand, so it makes the most sense. It's frustrating, though, because it's only 3:15. We've got hours left in the day, but no water or camping until the next campsite. If we hope tomorrow and find stealth and a stream in a few miles, we'll both be ticked. But I guess it is what it is. We're excited to be in Maine and entering the home stretch. I'm hesitantly ready to find the end of this journey.
Friday 9/15; Carlo Col Shelter to Bull Branch Shelter (1908.5-1915.6)
Mahoosuc Notch is finished! This is "the most challenging/fun mile on The AT." I did find it challenging, not so much fun for Fresh. Bean enjoyed it very much. Basically, it's a rock scramble/maze that you have to shimmy and squeeze through, and then balance over for a mile. There were a couple of moments that I was truly scared I'd fall and Bean had to help keep me calm and moving. It was another short day due to the difficulty here. This one mile took us (me) 3 hours to traverse. Literally. We hoped to make it another 2.4 and we probably could have. But there's a camp site just after you finish The Notch, and we opted to stop here. It's actually quite nice. So we'll walk out of camp in the morning straight uphill for 2.5 miles to conquer Mahoosuc Arm, and then I think we'll be finished with the Mahoosucs. Thank goodness!!
Before all this today, we had some hard climbs, but they were we'll worth it. We going ourselves above tree line again, though for the first time in Maine. It's gorgeous with the fall leaves beginning to show their reds in the valleys. Have I mentioned how much I love Fall?! In fact, I'm super excited to be going home in time for all the fall festivities! Anniversary, birthday, Halloween, THANKSGIVING (my Favorite!), and all the fall themed everything around town. Plus.... Pumpkin things! Pumpkin Noosa Yogurt is a new favorite!
We're camped again with Yard Sale tonight which is a treat! We like her a lot and it works out well that we've been seeing a bit of her lately.
I've deduced that I love the camping part of backpacking. I even like the hiking part when it's minimal miles per day and there's no real deadline to meet. But camping is my roots and it's really what I love.
Saturday 9/16; Bull Branch Shelter to Bald Plate Shelter (1915.6-1924.9)
Thank goodness for the end of today. I was starting to think that all of Maine was gonna be less than fun. But finally, this afternoon we got an actual trail which we could actually hike rather than rock climb. Though we're told not to get our hopes up because the next couple of peaks are apparently very hard. The southern half of Maine is very, very hard!
We ran into a number of day hikers today. One lady gave us a whole pint of blueberries! They were SO good!! We ate the whole container on the spot. All after climbing vertical rocks to see a hazy view of fall colors below. It was a beautiful day that brought a better mood for Fresh. Looking forward to town couple of days and PANCAKES!!
Sunday 9/17; Bald Plate Shelter to Andover, NH (1924.9-1932.9)
Finally a decent day with a decent pace! At least for the second half of the day. The first half was quite challenging, though the views we're stunning! We made good time and called for our ride into town to the hostel. First things first, showers. Then food, of course! Then a decision to slack pack tomorrow. We are super excited to get some miles in AND sleep in a bed again! A shower at the end of a hiking day is an absolute novelty.
Monday 9/18; East B Hill Road to South Arm Road (1932.9-1943.0)
Slack packing is AMAZING! We are back on our pace, for today at least, and knocked out 10 miles before 3PM. It felt great and had me feeling like I might actually be able to do this. After weeks of slower pace than we'd become accustomed, it feels like I just can't possibly finish. My body is simply exhausted. So this splurge which includes a bed at night and showers at the end of the day is so nice! And...we're doing it again tomorrow! 13 more miles will take us one day out of Rangley. We're looking at 3 or so more weeks to finish, and we are getting so excited! More tomorrow before posting this...
Today 9/19; South Arm Road to Maine 17 (1943.0-1956.2)
Another successful slack pack in the books! Today really was a great day. The hiking was moderately hard and we moved quickly without packs on. We're a bit concerned about putting them back on tomorrow. They'll feel so heavy!
Yard Sale and I had another great discussion, and OG and I had a first. We're all full of emotions about coming to the end of the North bound section. These emotions seem to range from relief and excitement to apprehension and fear. Most of us feel a jumble of many emotions, and for some of us, it's very overwhelming.
Wishing all who celebrate a peaceful Rosh Hashannah and a meaningful Yom Kippur fast.
And wishing Jessica and Marc and Jazz and Branden beautiful wedding celebrations! I know you'll both be gorgeous brides. Wishing you only happiness in your marriage! Remember that everyone there celebrating with you (and some of us who aren't) are your village. We are the people you'll call on when you are ready to celebrate, or when you're struggling.
I'm sorry I won't be there to celebrate these occasions with all of you. You're in my mind and heart as we continue on our journey toward Katahdin, and then home!
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