Week 23: The WHITES!

Day 155: Post Debby, Pre Moosilauke

Saturday, August 10th

Jeffers Brook Shelter

15.7 miles today

1799.4 miles total

I slept well last night but just felt tired today. I put on my wet socks from the last couple days and I’m glad I did because they just got wet instantly from all the mud and water on trail. I took a couple slips and falls but made it up to mount cube in one piece. On the decent I caught up with mojo and bibo and we crossed over a few streams that were now rivers. We stopped for some water and a little snack break and I went down to the road to dry out my shoes and socks with the sun finally coming out. However, as soon as I got back on trail there was a big unavoidable puddle waiting for me and my shoes were wet again. So I just walked through all the water and mud and didn’t care to avoid it. Some parts you just couldn’t walk around anyway. Literally every part of the trail was a river.

Just before the next road crossing I saw phoenix and he said there was trail magic ahead at the hostel. So I put it into high gear and made my way there. I didn’t stop for lunch or anything so I was getting hungry by this point anyway. I saw Spencer there already getting ready to push up Mt. moosiluake tonight, the first 4k footer in NH and the beginning of the white mountains. The rest of us kept to our plan of going to the shelter just before the mountain and I stayed at the trail magic for a while and got my fill. I also got to see Miss Janet there! I haven’t seen her since trail days. I rinsed off with the hose and dried my shoes and socks while I ate burgers and hot dogs and drank soda and Gatorade. Once I’d gotten my fill I said goodbye and pushed on to the shelter.

Of course the first water crossing was impassable without fording the river. So I took my socks and shoes off and held them in my hand while fording barefoot. I just dried everything out and didn’t want to get it all wet again. I’m glad I did because the trail up to the shelter wasn’t too muddy or wet. I’m hoping the trail tomorrow won’t be as bad. 3,400ft in 4 miles.

Day 156: Don’t Underestimate

Sunday, August 11th

Eliza Brook Shelter

15.9 miles today

1815.3 miles total

It was nice and cool this morning and i didn’t want to get up. But everyone else was up and moving so i decided I should get up.

I would say the climb up Mt. Moosilauke was hard but honestly it wasn’t that bad, it just took a long time. It was a big climb, a long climb but it was what came after that made me so tired. It was so surreal to get to the top of that mountain though. The view was incredible and I started to tear up a little. This is the first big mountain and many more are to come but it was a big moment. We also crossed the 1800 mile marker which is just as crazy. Less than 400 mikes left. We got cold waiting for Bibo and mojo at the top so we put our rain and puffy jackets on. On the way down we saw some slack packers coming up the steeper side of the mountain. It was beautiful though, there was a big waterfall just alongside the trail halfway down that followed all the way to the bottom.

At the bottom I took a lunch and ran into Oskar and Emily. They were slacking up the mountain. It was 12:30 when I decided I to keep going up over wolf mountain. Which I thought was going to be easy, it’s just a little mountain sandwiched inbetween moosilauke and the kinsman’s but man it was just up and down and rugged and super muddy and tough. I totally underestimated this mountain. It took way longer than I thought and I was exhausted when I reached the shelter. I was just ready to be done hiking for the day. My knees were feeling all the downhill. I’m glad I got here early because so many people showed up there’s probably 15+ people here now. A few people like whompus who we haven’t seen in a while too. We’re all excited to go to town tomorrow, Bibo might cook us up some food and there’s a McDonald’s there. Ive felt hungrier than ever recently.

Day 157: The Kinsmans

Monday, August 12th

Old Colony Ski Club

8.9 miles today

1824.2 miles total

It was cold last night I had to bundle up. We got started around 7 and moonshine gave me a craft beer he got from trail magic the day prior. The beginning of the climb wasn’t bad, it was a nice hike up along the waterfalls. Then it changed. It turned into the hardest hike yet, nearly straight up. Wet slippery slabs of rock. It was a fun hike though bouldering up to the summit. I caught up with Bibo and mojo who’d left a half hour prior.

There wasn’t any views up there so I kept hiking. Down and over to north kinsman then straight down to the hut. The north side was even steeper in some parts like moosilauke with wooden steps and rebar. It was weird to see people day hiking that mountain in just normal clothes. It felt like forever hiking down. In general just hiking these mountains they’re so technical and challenging you just can’t hike the miles you’re used to doing by this point.

I came to the lonesome lake hut and was gong to pass by it but forklift was there and said they had leftover breakfast so I went back and grabbed some cornbread that was delicious. I kept hiking down most sections were just walking down the creek bed until I got to the parking lot. I called Jen who runs the hostel we were staying at to come pick me up. I was hoping to catch up to Joe but he’d just left before me. I’m glad they could pick me up then so I didn’t have to wait an hour for Bibo and mojo.

After they gave me the rundown of town I got dropped off at the hostel and took the coldest shower yet. Got into my loaner clothes, did laundry, the usual chores. I missed the hostel life, it’s been a while since we’ve been in an actual hostel.

We resupplied and I got a bunch of McChickens for dinner (6). I went with Bibo and mojo to the local brewery where we got a free drink for hikers then went to another brewery for dinner. I waited for them all to fill up so I could have their leftovers. Then I went straight to bed.

Day 158:  Franconia Ridge

Tuesday, August 13th

Garfield Ridge Campsite

10.2 miles today

1834.4 miles total

The goal was 17 to guyout so we could take a side trip to the bonds and bond cliffs. The 2,400ft climb out of the parking lot over a couple miles. Then we climbed up to the peak of mount liberty (4k) and could see all of Lincoln and some of the surround ridgeline but most of Franconia ridge was covered by clouds and fog. By the time we climbed up to little haystack it was completely covered in clouds. The wind was whipping up there and we had a little snack there and caught up to Birdy. We kept going and hit Lincoln (4k) and mt Lafayette (5k) but still no views. Then we descended down to Garfield ridge and back up to mt garfield (4k) and got some pretty good views considering the weather. We stayed there for a little then climbed down to the Garfield shelter. I filtered water there and debated pushing on but I felt tired and didn’t really want to hike up another big mountain. In 10 miles we’d already done 6k feet of elevation gain and my knees could feel it.

It was $10 to camp here so we paid our dues and setup camp in the shelter. There was a lot of people on the ridge today and even more here at the campsite. I’m a little sad we didn’t get those beautiful views of Franconia ridge like I’ve seen in photos and videos but it was still a fun experience. I’ll just have to come back another day.

Day 159: A Day To Remember

Wednesday, August 14th

Ethan Pond Shelter

14.5 miles today

1848.9 miles total

The beginning of the day started with a beautiful sunrise over the mountains and valley. Then a decent down basically a waterfall and some ups and downs to the first hut. There wasn’t any leftover breakfast there for us but I played a quick board game with Bibo and mojo. Then the climb up south twin was super steep but not as bad as I anticipated. The view was incredible, clear sky and big mountains layered for miles and miles. One of, if not the best view on trail so far. I decided to spend nearly an hour up there just soaking it in.

The rest of the day I just took my time trying to enjoy all that the whites are. It’s stil hard to comprehend that I’m here already, probably only three weeks left of my hike. The climbs are hard and sometimes it’s not what you hope but I’m going to miss everything so much. I stoped at a couple view points and just sat in awh. We hiked down to the next hut and played another game then hiked to another waterfall and sat there for a while. Every place here is just so beautiful and there’s too much to see in such a short amount of time.

We made dinner outside the shelter together then all walked down to the lake and watched the sunset behind the mountains. This is a day I’ll remember for a long time.

Day 160: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

Thursday, August 15th

Spencer’s friend’s house

2.9 miles today

1851.8 miles total

Today was a chill walk in the woods, Nero into town where we waited for Spencer’s friend to come grab us. Before we left though, Spencer found Birdy’s phone she dropped into the pond after we watched the sunset last night.

We waited at the bottom of three hill for a bit then bebop drove by and said they were doing trail magic up the hill so we walked back up and got some hot dogs and lemonades.

We resupplied at the Walmart and had a restful day lounging around the house and eating good food. Tonight we’re gonna watch the princess bride :)

Day 161: Presidential Range In 24hrs

Friday, August 16th

Madison Hut

18.2 miles today (plus 1.3 non AT miles)

1870 miles total

With 5 hours of sleep we woke up ridiculously early to leave the house by 5:30 because it was an hour drive back to the trail head and we had a big day planned. With traffic and pit stops we didn’t get to the trail until 7:45. The 2,000 ft climb up to the ridgeline was steep and unforgiving. But we made it to Webster cliffs for our first good view of the day. Up and over Jefferson to the mizpah hut then over Mt pierce and Eisenhower. Then over Mt Monroe down to the lake of the clouds but with Mt Washington coming up next.

I sat down at the hut to eat left over food and some of my own food with forklift and butters. I looked through the old log books to  find a message my friend had left for me when she hiked up here a couple months ago. We saw astronaut there, the first time since the roan highlands in Tennessee. Some more people started coming in as it got later, some trying to get a work for stay so they could sleep on the floor of the hut. We looked up and saw mount Washington was clear so we headed up there but by the time we got there it was in the clouds. We waited in line for a picture of the summit, because people can drive or take the train up to the top and they all just want to take a picture at the sign. Spencer’s parents actually came up to the top so see us one last time.

It was getting late in the afternoon so Joe decided to go back to the lake of the clouds but Spencer, Birdy and I kept going to Madison, 6 more miles. It was some of the hardest, rockiest terrain but we went up every spur trail to all of the 4k mountains. It was well into the dark, the rocks shined like glitter under headlamps and the mountains were covered in haze lit by the red moon.

10:30 we made it to Madison hut and luckily they let us sleep on the floor for $10. Usually the only way you can sleep inside (without paying $130 for a bunk) is by doing a wok for stay where you help the croo (yes that’s how they spell it) do chores for up to 2 hours. But we got there at the right time. I made my diner and went straight to bed, we had to wake up at 6 to be out of there before people got up for breakfast. There was a strange alarm or phone ringing really loud at like 1am but eventually it stopped and I went back to bed. My first and probably only stay at a AMC hut. It’s a real shame they don’t care more about thru-hikers.