Week 6

Day 42 (Lonesome Lake Hut to Galehead Hut)

Twisted and I started hiking about 6:30. We didn’t wait on the croo to serve breakfast because we would have to wait too long. We hiked together for a bit and then I stopped to takes some pictures and find a tree. We didn’t see each other again until dinner.

I hiked with Mother Nature and Between some before lunch. We hiked Franconia Ridge which includes Mt. Liberty, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Lafayette (5260 ft). We were above treeline for 2 miles. The weather was perfect!

I stopped to cook my lunch on Mt. Lafayette. I enjoyed talking to two men while I finished eating my lunch. One gave me a pear to enjoy later. It was a yummy afternoon snack. (Trail Magic!)

Next I hiked Mt. Garfield. The Germans were camping there but I decided to push on to the next hut. When I got there I was happy to find out that Twisted and I would be doing “work for stay” (wfs) together again. Only 2 thru hikers get to do wfs. In exchange for doing a 20-30 minute chore, we get to eat leftovers from the guest’s dinner and sleep in the dining room. It is raining tonight so it is great to be inside with a very full stomach.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Day 41 (Mt. Wolf to Lonesome Lake Hut)

I woke up early and started hiking by 5:45. No rain but it was very chilly. I decided to stop by the first shelter, the Eliza Brook Shelter, and make a cup of coffee.

Twisted had stayed at the shelter last night and was getting ready to leave. We sat and talked about yesterday’s hike. We were both surprised at the difficulty and how tired we felt today. Neither one of us made our goal miles yesterday. We decided to meet for lunch at Lonesome Lake Hut and he headed on out while I finished my coffee.

I knew my daily miles would decrease in the Whites but I plan to make up for it when I head south. The climb up Kinsman Mountain (elevation 4358 ft) was strenuous but the views were awesome and the sun felt great. I stayed on top of Kinsman for a while enjoying the view. Then I descended to the hut.

On the way, I started feeling very sleepy. When I got to the hut, Twisted said he was going to do “work for stay” and I should get the other spot quickly. We hung out at the hut eating leftovers and visiting with other thru hikers (Mother Nature, Between, Cookie Monster, and Happy Feet). We had a fun dinner with the hut croo. Our after dinner chore was to move some firewood.

We are sleeping on the dining room floor tonight. We will need to get up early tomorrow before the guests have breakfast. Short mileage day but feeling rested and well feed.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

View from south peak of Mt. Kinsman

View from south peak of Mt. Kinsman

Day 40 (Jeffers Brook Shelter to stealth site near Mt. Wolf)

The morning started with a 4.6 mile climb up Mt Moosilauke (elevation 4802 ft). It was somewhat overcast but the clouds cleared for just a few moments so that I could get some pictures.

Then I continued on to the Beaver Brook Shelter to cook and eat lunch. Cookie Monster and Happy Feet joined me for a bit. I met them at the hostel yesterday.

After lunch I descended the north side of Mt Moosilauke. Some say this 1.5 mile section is the most challenging and most fun “mile” on the AT. It was definitely mentally and physically challenging. Lucky for me, I got to do it in the rain. Every pole plant and foot plant had to be well thought out or one would find themselves sliding down the mountain. I did slide down once but only bruised my knee a bit. I was very happy to be finished with that section.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a sunny day. I’m really looking forward to being able to dry everything out. But I’m warm and dry inside my tent tonight. 🙂

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Day 39 (Ore Hill tent site to Jeffers Brook Shelter)

I was the only tent at Ore Hill tent site last night. It started raining around midnight and continued until around noon.

The trail was very muddy. I hiked 7.5 miles to the Hikers Welcome Hostelto pick up my resupply. Imagine my surprise when the man gave me 3 packages. Thank you Martha as always and thank you to Debra and Kim! I’m going to be eating and drinking well while I’m in the Whites! 🙂

The hostel was an odd setting. I stayed for a few hours watching movies, drinking coffee, and charging my electronics. I had planned to spend the night but decided to hike on to the next shelter that was about a mile away. I’m sleeping at the base of Mt Moosilauke and the start of the White Mountains. I couldn’t hike any further today or I would have ended up above treeline with no where to sleep in an area you don’t want to night hike.

Tomorrow should be a fun and challenging hike. I hope the weather clears so I can enjoy the views. I didn’t want to set my tent up on the wet ground so I’m spending my second night in a shelter. I’m sharing the shelter with a mom and son from Germany, Mother Nature and Between. They are very nice. There is no cell coverage here so I how to post tomorrow.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Day 38 (Stealth site to Ore Hill tent site)

Today was Sunday so there were a lot of local day hikers and trail runners on the trail. I met a woman running Smart Mountain that is training for the Vermont 100 race.

Blue skies and pleasant temperatures most of the day. Also a lot of good views. I saw the research group on the trail again. Always fun to see them.

I had planned on bigger miles today but the north side of Smart Mountain had about 20 downed trees going across the trail. Then I hit the bogs and deep mud. Both slowed my pace enough so that I ran out of sunlight too soon.

I will have to pick up my resupply tomorrow instead of today. Thanks to Mary-Ellen for the Clif Bar for breakfast tomorrow. 🙂

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Day 37 (Breed House to stealth site near Goose Pond)

Bill and I went to breakfast at the Dartmouth Inn. I ordered blueberry pancakes. I love that they are served with real maple syrup up here. After breakfast, Bill dropped me off at the Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) in Lebanon. They didn’t open until 9:30 so I had to wait a bit.

Errands in town always take longer than you think they will. I thought I would be back on the trail by 11:00 but it ended up being after noon. At EMS, I got a new water filter (Sawyer Squeeze). The one I had been using was the Sawyer Squeeze Mini. It was a couple ounces lighter but the flow rate was too slow. I’m already so happy I switched to the new one. I also got new shoes. The tread was separating from the sole on the Hokas I had been wearing for about 300 miles. The only trail running shoe they had was a Salomon Speedcross 3 so I bought a pair. I don’t like them. They aren’t grippy enough on the wet rocks. Hmmmmm.

I went by Subway to eat an early lunch to get a sandwich to carry in my pack to eat later. While there, I met Andrew. He offered to drive me back to Hanover to the trail. He was such a nice guy. Fun conversation about living life to the fullest. Once on the trail, I climbed Moose Mountain. Pretty views but no moose siting. I started to lose sunlight so I set up camp near Goose Pond. I didn’t hike as many miles as I wanted to today which will put me a little behind on picking up my next resupply.

Day 36 (Stealth site to The Breed House in Hanover, NH)

I took my time leaving my oasis on top of the mountain this morning. I ate the 2nd half of the Blueberry Sour Cherry Pie and drank a cup of coffee as the sun came up. I started hiking a little after 7:00.

The terrain was mostly rolling hills, not as steep as yesterday’s climbs. I crossed the State line into New Hampshire so I have now completed state number 7, Vermont!

My plan was to get into Hanover in time to catch a shuttle to the EMS for some supplies and maybe some new shoes. Then I was going to grab some dinner and hike a few more miles out of town. As I stood waiting on the blue shuttle, an older gentleman approached me and asked if I was a thru hiker. Then he asked if i would have dinner with him and his wife. It was time to slow down and smell the roses. My original plans were forgotten and I joined Bill and Judy Breed for dinner at Murphy’s.

We had a lovely time and they made sure I had plenty to eat. I’m now at their home cleaned up and clothes in the laundry. It is storming outside but I have a roof over my head and a soft bed to sleep in. So many good people in the world. 🙂

This slideshow requires JavaScript.