New Hampshire, and the Whites!

Hi folks!

I am in New Hampshire, having completed 1,878 miles of trail! I’m currently in North Conway, where I am staying with a friend that I met on trail back in Massachusetts! Rachael was kind enough to pick me up at a nearby trailhead and let me spend the night at her place, do laundry, and buy me dinner! That’s just more proof that the people you meet on the Appalachian Trail are just great. Thanks a ton, Rachael, for the awesome trail magic!

Since I last updated, I’ve crossed the border from Vermont into New Hampshire. The most notable difference between NH and the rest of the AT is that it is brutally difficult! Seriously, NH makes most of the rest of the trail seem like no effort at all. The AT passes through the White Mountain National Forest for almost its entire mileage in NH. The Whites consist of many mountains greater than 4,000 ft, and some absolutely rugged, rocky, practically vertical terrain. A lot of the mileage is above treeline, though, which gives absolutely gorgeous views from the mountain tops. Where previously on trail I was used to doing 20 to 25-ish miles per day, hiking only 15 miles in the White Mountains can be a full day. My day yesterday consisted of hiking the presidential traverse – a roughly 15 mile long segment of trail above tree line that hikes up and over numerous large mountains named for US presidents (Pierce, Eisenhower, Monroe, Washington, Clay (not a president, but we’ll let that slide…), Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. It was a hard, but super rewarding day of hiking. Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast, measures at 6,288 ft, and can be accessed by road and by train. I have heard it is tradition for thru hikers to moon the train as it crosses the trail to the top of the mountain, but it wasn’t passing by at the same time I was, so I missed my chance. Mount Washington is known for having brutal weather, at one point holding the record for highest wind speed ever recorded on planet earth (230 some miles, I think), but my day over the traverse was clear, sunny, and dang near perfect.

Honestly, there are gorgeous views every single day here in New Hampshire. If you’re up for the challenging hikes, I would highly recommend a visit. Other notable peaks have been Mount Moosilauke (the first of the White peaks the AT hits), Franconia Ridge, the Wildcats, and so many more. I have really lucked out on the timing of my hike through this area; the leaves are beginning to change, it hasn’t rained at all, the temperatures have been hanging around 70, and it’s too late in the season for bugs. How I threaded that needle I have no idea, but I’ll take it.

Through the Whites, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) maintains a number of highland huts that folks can rent bunks in for some major coin (like, more than $100 for a bunk that’s not all that great). The reservation comes with food, too, which makes it better, but still a steep price to pay for a night’s stay. Fortunately, these huts offer a first-come-first-served “work for stay” program for thru hikers. In exchange for a couple hours of work, they will allow you to sleep in their hut, as well as eat as many leftovers from dinner as you can stomach. I did a work for stay at Mizpah hut, where I washed windows for a couple of hours to earn my spot on their library floor and unlimited access to glazed chicken, couscous, green beans, and bread! Excellent.

This morning, after leaving Rachael’s place, I also got to meet up with Ladyslipper, another friend of mine (from Hayward!) that lives in the area. You may remember her from my post about trail days in Virginia, where I last saw her. This morning, she treated me to breakfast at a local place, and a ride back to the trailhead. Thanks again!!

As the leaves begin changing, I am reminded that winter is approaching. One thing I need to keep an eye on is getting to the Kennebec River in Maine before September 30th, when the Appalachian Trail Conservancy stops running their river ferry. I’ve got only 180-ish miles until then, so I should make that no problem. Other than that, I just need to get to Katahdin before the winter hits; a mere 320 miles ahead! The next time I post, I’ll be in Maine, with the end of my hike looming not far ahead. Kind of a surreal feeling closing in on the end after such a long time out on trail; more on that later, I’m sure. The amount of other hikers on trail is beginning to dwindle, too. There aren’t many of us NOBO’s left. To me, this is giving the end of the hike a more personal feeling. It’s just me and the trail, now.

That’s it for now, folks! I need to get hiking!