2,185 Miles.: The Most Stunning Portion of the AT: The Whites.

Trail Update: Lincoln, NH to Gorham, NH

Day 102: September 15th: Night-Hiking: Because We're Terrible at Leaving Town.

Well, we woke up at Chet's with about 25 other hikers, so we decided it would be easier to use the laundromat in town instead of fighting for the one washer/dryer in the house. This lead to: Dunkin Donuts, browsing the grocery store, browsing the outfitter, spending time in the bookstore (I ending up buying Into Thin Air), getting lunch, and eventually walking back to Chet's to pack-up and finally get out of town.

Yay it's fall!

Town also consisted of: me requesting that sunshine "stand over by that and let me take your photo".

See? "Go stand by that bear"

Found in Chet's garage - fairly accurate.

Someone's hitch-hiking sign!

And so we walked to the edge of town and immediately got a hitch in a really nice SUV (many times, we're squished in the back of tiny cars or trying to make ourselves comfortable in truck beds) from a man with a gigantic white beard.

The hike out of the notch was basically just stone stairs. Rough. I fell behind a bit, but my trail-family was kind enough to periodically wait for me to catch up. At some point, I ended up leapfrogging ahead of them and hiking alone.

The view from Mt. Wolf - Mile 1800.5!

Things get kinda hazy as the sun-sets...

Eventually, the sun began to set and twilight began to sink in - I decided to sit down and wait for one of my friends to catch up so I didn't have to night hike alone. Twister soon came along, and we continued on our way. Unfortunately, this wasn't an easy section to hike in the dark - it was comprised of a lot of swampy bogs and slippery roots - but thankfully, we weren't too far from our final destination.

Sunshine and Breeze caught up to us at the shelter, where we all squeezed our tents/tarps on to one tent pad and made ourselves a warm dinner (Ramen, what else?) before heading to bed!

Shelter: Eliza Brook Shelter

Miles today: 7.5

Total miles: 895.6

Miles from Springer: 1803.4

Miles to Katahdin: 381.9

Day 103: September 16th: Climbing Kinsman; Lonesome Lake.

It took me longer than usual to get going that morning - I ended up spending a lot of time reading the log book and lounging in my tent.

Writing in and reading the log-books are in my Top 10 favorite things about the AT.

Personally, I think hiking up Kinsman was one of the most difficult climbs - harder than Mooseilauke (which we were all nervous about due to the elevation profile). Fortunately, this was one of my favorite hikes because the AT parallels the Eliza Brook - a cascading river of waterfalls. If only we were here 2 months earlier - when we would (ideally) have had warmer weather and a ton of time to waste.

And it had perfect little swimming pools everywhere!

Sunshine and Breeze - always hiking my pace!

Seriously, this day was fantastic.

About 3/4 of the way up the mountain, Sunshine, Breeze and I took a quick pit-stop in the middle of the trail for lunch. Climbing mountains makes you hungry!

Also, I could NOT get enough sugar. Luckily, Twister was kind enough to leave me lovely little candies along the way. I always ate them immediately.

And finally, we made it to the top - and it was breathtaking! I couldn't get enough of it.

Yes.

A beautiful couple; a beautiful backdrop.

Can't forget the selfie stick.

"The Secret Garden" of ridge-walking.

Tell me this isn't the most magical thing you've seen all day.

Above tree-line, the trial is sometimes marked by piles of rocks called Cairns.

Breeze wasn't feeling too well, so I continued along alone with the promise to wait at the Lonesome Lake Hut. On the way, I took a slight detour to Kinsman Pond Shelter in order to read the log-books, and obtain some water. Though the pond was stunning, the water was a bit murky/questionable so I decided to just wait a few more miles.

"I am 11 years old and this is my first backpacking trip"

HOW EXCITING!

Basically.

Ew.

Sunbathing by the water was fantastic.

"The Huts of the Whites": The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) owns and operates 8 huts throughout the Whites. During the warm season, hikers can reserve spots in these huts for approximately $110 a night. A NIGHT! EACH! (Discounts are awarded to AMC members, but still - these are glorified bunk-houses without heat). Obviously, we did not pay to stay in any - most thru-hikers don't - the huts are catered more towards section hikers and families. Fortunately though, they do sell soup and snacks throughout the day, have indoor privies (no flush toilets), let you refill water bottles (yay for not filtering water), and occasionally will let thru-hikers do a "Work-for-stay", in which a few hours of light chores "pays" for a sleeping spot on the floor and any leftover dinner/breakfast.

The Lonesome Lake Hut became part of the Hut system in 1929. It has the lowest elevation of all the huts. THIS HUT WAS MY FAVORITE! Seriously, the view is stunning. I walked inside to see Ambush relaxing and eating baked goods - Twister had ran ahead in order to buy more fuel (and surprise us all with subway sandwiches for dinner later - YES!)

My first Hut experience!

Kitchen/Dining area.

The "Croo" consists of approx. 5 seasonal workers (mostly college students during their summers)

Sweet - another reason to buy tons and tons of soup.

Ambush playing the guitar as we wait for Breeze and Sunshine.

"I took too much inhaler and my heart rate it TOO HIGH. Everything smells like lard, soup is good"

This is why I love the log-books. Quality, quality entry.

After an hour or so, Ambush decided to get going, while I waited behind. Luckily Sunshine and Breeze arrived soon afterwards, and convinced the Croo members to give us leftover soup for free!

Delicious, delicious salt.

After getting our fill, we made our way past Lonesome Lake and gradually hiked down to Whitehouse Brook, where we found Twister!

Good ol Fishin' Jimmy Trail. Classic.

IS THIS REAL LIFE?

I must come back here someday.

These peeps are top-notch.

Instead of climbing out of Franconia Notch that evening, we decided to camp out near the I-93 overpass and tackle Little Haystack Mountain first thing in the morning!

Shelter: Camping by Franconia Notch

Miles today: 8.6

Total miles: 904.2

Miles from Springer: 1812.0

Miles to Katahdin: 373.3

Day 104: September 17th: The Most Magical Day.

Woke up, got a head-start on the rest of the group.

Oh Clif, you know I try.

But sometimes your sleeping bag is just too damn comfortable.

I made it to Liberty Springs Campsite before Ambush passed by - I considered getting water, as the guidebook said the trail was dry for a while, but I ultimately decided I didn't want to carry any more...

Zombies!

The climb up Little Haystack was difficult - I knew Ambush would be waiting for us all at the top, so every hundred steps or so I would yell out his name in hopes that he would respond and tell me I was almost done. Surprisingly, this method worked! The view was totally worth it though - and little did we know, the views were only beginning.

Woah. This is CRAZY!

The rest of the family caught up - we decided to have hot lunch (and use up the rest of our water supply making ramen) and I took a quick little cat-nap.

I can't even describe the way we felt when we first saw Franconia Ridge. Sunshine had been saying for weeks that she so desperately wanted to have a clear day on Franconia - and we couldn't have had a better day. Walking across Franconia Ridge felt like we were on another planet. It was stunning. 360 degree views for miles. If I had to recommend any portion of the trail for a "day-hike", it would absolutely be Franconia. No doubt.

One of the most rewarding aspects of hiking the Whites is being able to see the mountains you will climb the next day in the distance. Its an amazing feeling to see them getting closer, and then to look back the next day and be able to say "I climbed those ridges, I walked from there".

Ambush: Hiker Model.

In the next few hours, we hiked that entire ridgeline behind Sunshine.

And it was lovely.

I'm sure at one point I could've told you what mountain that is.

Seriously, we were amazed all day. For two hours, our conversations rotated around a few basic phrases: "Wow. Just wow. Unreal... This is insane. Seriously, this is insane. I cannot believe this. This is f**king beautiful! What a privilege to be here. Wow." Etc etc etc

Candid shots of family.

I will go wherever this beautiful, amazing trail takes me.

Candids of Ambush.

It just goes on and on and on....

One time, I tried to type "sunshine" in my phone, but it autocorrected to "sushi".

This resulted in me yelling "Sushi-shine!" at Sunshine fairly often.

SUSHI-SHINE!

Sunshine and I trying to keep up with the group but also kinda enjoying girl-time.

So, naturally, it gets fairly hot when one is exposed above tree-line on a sunny day. This caused all of us to run out of water pretty quickly... considering we didn't really bring all that much to begin with. Unfortunately, dehydration leads to headaches, which are not too pleasant.

Taken on my way down. Gotta practice Leave No Trace and stay off of the Alpine plants!

This is my life and it is pretty fantastic.

After hiking the ridgeline and returning to trees, we had one more steep up/down before we made it to Galehead Hut, where we were hoping to do a work-for-stay. Though the majority of our day was perfect, the last hour or so was frustrating due to difficult terrain and the dwindling sunlight. We made it to Galehead to hear bad news - other thru-hikers had already requested work for stay. We had hiked 13 miles - and our bodies had taken a serious beating, so this was quite a disappointment. We quietly made ourselves ramen on the front porch and tended to our achy feet before figuring out a plan.

Due to AMC rules, we weren't allowed to camp within 1/4 mile of the hut, but we didn't have much choice - the next mile was straight up. Fortunately, Twister found us all a small campsite comprised entirely of moss! What a super squishy and comfy place to sleep!

Sweet Mt. Rushmore tribute.

Views of Galehead the next morning.

Cool info on Galehead!

Shelter: Camping by Galehead Hut

Miles today: 13.2

Total miles: 917.4

Miles from Springer: 1825.2

Miles to Katahdin: 360.1

Day 105: September 18th: Flat Trail and Cowboy Camping!

After such a rough day, the group decided to take it easy and shoot for a stealth-site about 10 miles north. We started the day later than usual, and hiked back the .1 to Galehead for water and (maybe) leftover breakfast. Then we tackled South Twin Mountain - which wasn't long, just steep.

Look! I see a sunshine waiting at the top!

Mountains we most likely climbed.

Sunshine and I sat on the top of this mountain and ate whatever snacks we had left. We came into the Whites with what we thought was 5+ days of food - it barely lasted us half that. Fortunately we had snacks at the huts to supplement our supply, but I was astonished at how much food I could consume. While I had witnessed others with "hiker hunger", I had never experienced it until I started hiking the Whites. Every time we stopped to take a break, we were shoveling food into our mouths. Seriously, it was constant. I couldn't get enough. Luckily, the Croo member at Galehead told us that we could hitch to a grocery store from Crawford Notch the next day.

This is where the trail began to run flat. Can you believe it? FLAT!

I wouldn't have normally hiked to the summit, but an older hiker asked if I was counting my peaks.

I don't currently keep track of all the peaks I've reached, but what if I start?

Figured I might as well do it while I'm already up here.

When a sign says "viewpoint this way", you should go that way.

What a great, flat section of trail. Just what we needed. We arrived at Zealand Hut to find that the Croo member would give us free soup if we washed dishes. Hell yeah I'll wash some dishes.

We met Brendan. Spoiler alert: he's not a purple dinosaur. Sorry.

Meat-Truck kinda sounds like a dick...

"Unsuspecting hikers get photobombed by an evil Ambush."

Twister.

Guest appearance: Sunshine's head.

And then it got even more flat!

A giant boulder field (luckily the trail was an old rail-road bed that ran alongside this, so it was dirt, not these rocks).

Fall is on its merry way! And I am witnessing it!

View from a foot-bridge.

That night had such perfect weather that we decided to cowboy camp (sleeping outside without a shelter/tent). I'm not sure what took me so long to actually embrace cowboy camping, but I loved it! Yay for not having to put up/break down my tent!

Shelter: Cowboy Camping by Shoal Pond Trail

Miles today: 10.3

Total miles: 927.7

Miles from Springer: 1835.5

Miles to Katahdin: 349.8

Day 106: September 19th: Lucky Timing!

That morning, Twister treated us to a morning fire. Even though it wasn't too cold, morning fires are always nice. We only had a few miles until Crawford Notch, where we would need to get a ride to town. (We had no choice, even if it was a hard hitch, we had no food left).

The trail had SO MANY day-hikers that day, not quite sure why, but I enjoyed their presence.

Flat! Flat, flat, flat!

I love crossing over train-tracks!

(We also saw the cutest little miniature train-car pass by)

So we all caught up with each other and made our way down to the road. The town we were aiming for was about 15 miles away, so we made a sign: HIKERS TO GLENN. We stood with our thumbs out for about 10 minutes before we saw a familiar car pull up towards us. What a wonderful (and extremely convenient) surprise: KIZMIT!

At first glance, it didn't look like we were able to fit in her car - but of course, we made it work. Kizmit showered us with free food and all her love, it was fantastic! We gleefully drove to Glenn, making a few pit-stops on the way, and ended up at a fancy burger place. YUM! Afterwards, we made our way to the grocery store for a full resupply.

Reenacting the most effective method of hitching: showing some leg.

Note: Ambush's face.

Finally making our way back to the trail!

Its only up from here!

We got a bit of a late start, and the climb was difficult with our full packs. I was really concerned that we would have to night-hike, because this portion of trail was really unforgiving when it came to stealth-sites. But I didn't need to worry - Webster Cliffs had a perfect camping site with a fire ring and an amazing view of Crawford Notch. I really enjoyed looking down into the valley and watching the car headlamps weave along the high-way. A gorgeous night, a toasty campfire, and a ton of perishable foods we packed out of town! Yay for fresh mozzarella - seriously, that stuff is delicious.

Shelter: Camping on Webster Cliffs

Miles today: 6.8

Total miles: 934.5

Miles from Springer: 1842.3

Miles to Katahdin: 343.0

Day 107: September 20th: Lake Of The Clouds!

We woke up to a really insane wind-storm. It was one of those mornings where you all have an unspoken agreement of "we are not getting out of our tents yet - the weather is too gross right now". Eventually it eased up a bit, but the temperature had dropped and we were entirely surrounded by a cloud (which was a huge bummer since the entire day was supposed to be full of views). One positive aspect of shitty weather: you hike quickly. I didn't bother to take any photos before we arrived at our destination due to the fact that my batteries weren't holding much of a charge due to the temperature, and most viewpoints were fogged out.

We stopped by Mizpah Spring Hut for some lunch and to get warm. The weather started to clear up a bit after this point which was a mood-booster.

Lucky for us, Lake of the Clouds Hut had just closed to guests for the season the previous day - making tonight the last possible opportunity for a work for stay. They put us to work immediately scrubbing the walls/floors of their pantry - but this only lasted for about 20 minutes before dinner was served! They told us to eat as much as we could - any food that wasn't consumed would need to be packed out the next day. And so we feasted and feasted until we literally could not feast anymore (Sunshine was so full she tried to sneak food onto my plate - her plan failed and I laughed). We all happily slept on the dining room floor.

Lake of the Clouds Hut!

Sometimes the Historian in me comes out and I tell people to stand places and smile.

So thankful to be sleeping indoors and not exposed to the elements at 5000 feet!

All packed up and ready to shut down for the winter.

"Day 3: we have no food, our water supplies are running low. I don't know if we will make it."

We'd been hiking around Sasquatch for quite some time - he is one of the best ones out there.

Inspiring lessons this lad learned during his CIT year.

THESE PEOPLE GOT ENGAGED! So cute.

Shelter: Lake of the Clouds Hut

Miles today: 8.8

Total miles: 943.3

Miles from Springer: 1851.1

Miles to Katahdin: 334.2

Day 108: September 21st: These Legs Climbed Mt. Washington!

Woke up, ate more food. Watched the sun rising over the mountains. We packed up our supplies and bundled up - it was cold. Then we left the hut and realized it was colder inside than it was outside - guess we have direct sunlight to thank for that!

Breeze.

Contemplating something,

I can see it! That weather station atop Mt. Washington!

THE WORST WEATHER IN THE NATION!

The Lake of the Clouds - I suspect it used to be a bit bigger?

I left before the group, but I couldn't find my mp3 player, so I turned around to look for it - and I fell behind completely. They reached the summit before me, but I found them in the dining/gift shop area!

Gonna be really, brutally honest here... as impressive as "I climbed Mt. Washington" sounds, it really was not that difficult of a climb. I understand we had been climbing up to Mt. Washington since Crawford Notch a few days prior, but it was not the hardest section of trail we've done.

The cog train making its way up the mountain.

YAY!

The weather was actually PERFECTLY STUNNING!

Yikes. Be smart in your hiking. Turn around if you ever don't feel safe.

We spent a few hours hanging around the summit - charging our phones, eating snacks, visiting the museum, etc. Sunshine convinced me to spend $20 on a funny looking hat - which I ended up falling in love with due to freezing temperatures in our future. Mt. Washington is known for having terrible, unpredictable weather - but in a stroke of good luck, we summited on one of the THREE days of the year that you can see the Atlantic Ocean from the peak.

This is also where I ran into Hakuna Matata and Blue Bird - a mother and daughter duo I met down in the Grayson Highlands! I was so thrilled to see them - they are excellent people.

2nd highest point on the AT! Another iconic moment.

Woooo!

Nature vs. Man-Made Structures.

Weather-monitoring instruments.

I think.

Beginning our decent!

Um. Excuse me, but I thought there would be a trail here?

No? Okay, just boulders. Got it.

The Cog Trail making its way back down (it cost $40 a person to ride it)!

Mooning the Cog is a "hiker tradition" - but rumor has it you get a big fine!

Incredible.

Six?! That must be exhausting.

Seriously, wheres the trail?

MY KNEES DON'T LIKE THIS!

You can see how greasy my hair is.

At this point, I haven't washed my hair since September 9th. TWELVE DAYS AGO.

Relationship goals.

Our eating at this point was still constant. Every time we sat down to "snack", we would eat for a half hour straight. Unfortunately in the Whites, it gets kind of chilly when you stop moving and sit for a half-hour. Perfect weather for eating and hiking at the same time!

Hakuna Matata and Blue Bird!

I LOVE THEM.

That evening, Ambush made it to Madison Spring Hut first and asked if the four of us arriving after him could do a work for stay. He pushed on a few more miles and sacrificed his spot so Twister, Breeze, Sunshine and I could sleep indoors. What a gem. The four of us played cards and ate leftovers. After about an hour, Bengal John and Scribbles arrived with the hopes of doing a work for stay. The terrain was not safe to night-hike (especially with the temperature), but the Hut turned them away anyway. My trail family tried our best to sneak them leftover food and provide them with a light resupply.

(Hakuna Matata and Blue Bird paid to stay at the Hut (they are real adults, with real bank accounts apparently), so they got a bunk.)

Hell yeah I will!

Sunsets from the Hut.

Shelter: Madison Spring Hut

Miles today: 7.0

Total miles: 950.3

Miles from Springer: 1858.1

Miles to Katahdin: 327.2

Day 109: September 22nd: On My Own, Again.

I woke up stressed out - I was frustrated with our daily mileage and the fact that our overall deadline seemed to be approaching quickly. Even though I was grateful to have slept inside, the work for stay chores weren't completed until around 9:00 - we could have been hiking for a few hours by then. My attitude was really irritating Sunshine - honestly, my attitude was really irritating myself. Why was I so stressed out? I'm out hiking! Living in the woods! I should be so relaxed...

Dining area!

From the library: Mushrooming Without Fear.

I left before the group and hiking solo the majority of the morning. I felt really dirty and just cranky - I was kind of fed up to be honest. As beautiful as the Whites were, we were all ready to be done. The Hut system makes it difficult to plan out your miles, as does the incredibly difficult terrain. Though there are various campsites available along the AT, they cost $8 per person, which was a fee we didn't want to pay. I missed the shelters. I wanted to shower. I wanted a break. So I decided that when I made it to Pinkham Notch, I was going to skip ahead past the Wildcat Range and take a zero or two in Gorham.

A suspension foot-bridge! It was bouncy.

Sunshine had left her fleece in Kizmit's car - She left this note on the trail!

I made it to the Visitors Center at Pinkham Notch and borrowed their phone to call the White Mountain Lodge and Hostel in Gorham, NH. While waiting for the shuttle to come get me, I realized Kizmit was there! I didn't have much time, but I said my goodbyes to Twister and Ambush and explained my reasoning for skipping ahead. Unfortunately, Sunshine and Breeze did not arrive before I left.

I was SO EXCITED that a shower was within reach. Its all I could think about during the drive over. I ended up skipping from mile 1865.9 to 1887.0, a total of 21.1 miles. I don't regret it at all. I realized that I have various sections I need to come back and hike anyway - I might as well hike the Wildcats over a long weekend in my future, rather than try to hike them as fast as possible so we could stay on schedule. Additionally, I had tentative plans to meet up with GooRoo at Grafton Notch/Andover in a few days - if I didn't skip that section, I wouldn't have been able to make it there in time.

The White Mountain Lodge and Hostel was my favorite hostel on the trail. It was originally a bed and breakfast, so the house was really nice. I got to know a lot of the guys (past hikers) who were working there, and the owner was so incredibly sweet.

After my shower, I lounged around in my bed for a while - to my surprise, Hakuna Matata and Blue Bird ended up being my roommates later that night! Maybelline = Very content.

Shelter: White Mountain Lodge and Hostel

Miles today: 7.8

Total miles: 958.1

Miles from Springer: 1887.0

Miles to Katahdin: 298.3

Day 110: September 23rd: My Favorite Hostel on the Whole AT!

I started off my day by eating a homemade breakfast ... and then going back to bed. Around 10am, I continued with my theme of laziness by telling the guys working (Mellow and The Guardian) that I planned to spend my entire day watching Netflix and eating snacks on the living room couch. They kept acting surprised when they would return every few hours and find me in the exact same spot. I watched Planet Earth, Blue Mountain State, and Seinfeld the majority of the day. (But I did venture into town for some additional snacks - I wasn't on the couch the entire day...)

That night, The Guardian built a spectacular bonfire. I thoroughly enjoyed it before heading back inside to my bed (with sheets!)