Appalachian Trail - Day 127 - Mahoosuc Notch to Grafton Notch

Day: 127

Date: Tuesday, 29 August 2023

Start:  Mahoosuc Notch (AT Mile 1923.9)

Finish:  Grafton Notch (AT Mile 1934.0)

Daily Kilometres:  9.2

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3152.2

Weather:  Rain overnight then some fog clearing to mild and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Bacon cheeseburger & fries, ice-cream & cheesecake.

Aches:  Dave - exhausted and the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Finishing the Mahoosucs, a ruggedly beautiful mountain range, but very hard work for hiking.

Lowlight:  Dave was struggling from the outset of the day's hiking with fatigue from yesterday's hike which culminated in the energy-sapping traverse of Mahoosuc Notch.  Compounding his misery, he had a fall near the end of the day which took some skin off and slightly bent the bottom of one of his new trekking poles.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

After the blog was completed last night, as we were settling down to sleep, someone approached our tent with a headlamp and asked who we were.  It turned out to be a young South African thru-hiker we have got to know (along with his Swedish girlfriend … they met on the trail) over the last week or so who was camped a quarter of a mile further up the trail at a designated tenting area and was concerned when we had not turned up there after our transition of the Mahoosuc Notch.  They had seen that we were slow and that Dave was struggling with the difficult technical trail and were worried about our welfare.  How thoughtful and kind was that!

It rained from soon after we went to bed until the early hours so we woke to a very wet tent fly sheet and sopping wet surrounding vegetation.  On the plus side, it was not raining as we packed up and we were hiking before 6:30am and straight into our first climb of the day up to Mahoosuc Arm (3765'),  It was steep long and technical and Dave was soon lagging behind, still fatigued from yesterday.

We took a break at the top, from which there were excellent views, after 2.5 hours to cover two miles and discussed our situation.  We had another big climb soon, after a steep descent, to the shoulder (4026') of Old Speck Mountain, so it seemed likely to be another low-mileage day, especially with Dave struggling.  We resolved to continue on and make a decision after Old Speck.

Before climbing Old Speck, we descended to the beautiful Speck Pond, crossing a beaver dam at its outlet.  Our timing was good because almost immediately thereafter cloud blew in and  the pond was covered in fog.

The climb up Old Speck also seemed endless and steeply technical, so no increase in hiking speed (and no views at the top).  On the way down, we decided to call a motel at Bethel, 20 miles from Grafton Notch where we would soon cross a road, to see if they had a room available.  Not only did they have a room, but they offered to pick us up from the trailhead.  Our thinking was that a short day and soft bed would help Dave recover and it also allowed us to augment our food, which we had been rationing because of the decision yesterday to take an extra day to Rangeley (and our next day off) because of our slow progress.  Also, rain, heavy at times, is forecast for overnight and tomorrow morning, so avoiding starting the day with a wet pack-up had a lot of appeal.

We reached Grafton Notch after a very long, but not so steep, relatively, descent at 2:00pm.  Unexpectedly, there was some "trail magic" treats being offered to thru-hikers by three "trail angels".  We were reluctant to eat/drink the treats because we were heading into town, but did spend a pleasant 30 minutes chatting to them in the sun until our ride to Bethel arrived.  Kevin, the motel co-owner, also offered us cold drinks, and turned out to be a great fan of Bluey, the Australian animated series, from which he retold funny stories which had stayed with him.  He was also a fan of, and knowledgeable about, Australian movies so we had a good chat on the drive to the motel.

We checked in around 3:00pm and gave our laundry to Ruthie, the other co-owner, who insisted that she would do it.  The motel is excellent value and located in the centre of the small town which is a ski resort in the winter with the Sunday River ski field nearby.

After showers, sorting out our laundry and drying our tent, Julie went to the pub for a drink with the South African/Swedish couple who were so concerned about us last night and who had come into town to resupply but are returning to the trail this evening.

Later, Julie bought some take-out hamburgers for dinner and we had an early night.  Kevin will shuttle us back to the trailhead at 6:00am tomorrow so that we get in three full days hiking to maximise our chances of getting to Rangeley in good time on Friday.

Appalachian Trail - Day 126 - Mt Success to Mahoosuc Notch

Day: 126

Date: Monday, 28 August 2023

Start:  Mt Success (AT Mile 1915.1)

Finish:  Mahoosuc Notch (AT Mile 1923.9)

Daily Kilometres:  12.6 (Ascent 2438', Descent 3442')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3143.0

Weather:  Mild and sunny all day

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - exhausted and the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Crossing into Maine, our last state on our Appalachian Trail journey.

Lowlight:  Only 8.8 miles today, despite our best efforts.  The trail has just been too hard, twisting and turning, up and down, roots, rocks and bogs.  And it took us three hours to cover the one mile of trail through the infamous Mahoosuc Notch, where you have to navigate your way through, around, under and over massive jagged boulders that have fallen from the walls of the gorge over the eons.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were hiking by 6:30am with some apprehension about the difficulty of the trail and particularly Mahoosuc Notch (see above).  But first, we passed the New Hampshire/Maine border which was a cause for minor celebration as we entered our last State on our long journey.

It was a beautiful day for hiking and we had some fantastic views from the open summits of the mountains we crossed, but the difficulty of the trail dominated our thoughts.  It was just very hard and quite stressful in places.  Many times we had to ascend or descend steep rocky slabs hanging onto whatever roots, branches or rocks that were available and hoping that our shoes did not slip from their toeholds.  It was an exercise in risk management and our risk appetite was low.  Neither of us, and particularly Dave, is as agile as we used to be, so great care was taken but, even then, we had our little slips and gasps.  Mahoosuc Notch was extremely taxing and exhausting.

We set out yesterday with five days of food and plans to have Friday off in Rangeley but, as the day wore on, we became increasingly skeptical that we would make it on time.  In the end, Dave called the inn where we had a booking and deferred, by a day, our booking with some difficulty because it is a long weekend.  Ultimately, the Australian charm worked and they found a room.

That took the time pressure off our hiking, but it now means we have to stretch our remaining food for an extra day, which we can do, but Dave will be hungry.

We reached Mahoosuc Notch around 3:00pm, a bit later than hoped and then it took three hours to traverse, also longer than hoped.  We found it all a bit demoralising.  We feel like we are in the home stretch with our hike and are keen to log up the miles, but terrain and trail like this never lets you walk normally and the miles pass very slowly.

At the end of the Notch traverse we found a tentsite near the trail and set up camp around 6:15pm, somewhat relieved to have the Notch and some more mountains behind us, but fearing we have more of the same ahead this week.

Appalachian Trail - Day 125 - US Route 2 to Mt Success

Day: 125

Date: Sunday, 27 August 2023

Start:  US Route 2 (AT Mile 1900.0)

Finish:  Mt Success (AT Mile 1915.1)

Daily Kilometres:  22.5 (Ascent 5951', Descent 3550')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3130.4

Weather:  Mild, humid and partly sunny with some light showers.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Motel continental breakfast 

  Lunch:  Ham & cheese subs

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore and some other niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  When we finally reached the summit of Mt Success (3565') in the late afternoon we had great views to the east, south and west, including to Mt Washington.

Lowlight:  So many candidates.  Our booked shuttle for 6:30am never turned up and wouldn't answer their phone, so we had to hitch-hike back to the trailhead which cost us some time.  The bogs were deep and unavoidable all day with Julie going in up to her calf on several occasions and Dave managing to go into mud that came up to mid-thigh.  We had 6000' of climbing on mostly steep technical terrain with packs loaded with five days of food.  When preparing our late dinner, Dave managed to knock over the full stove water container as it was about to be heated, saturating most of the dinner items along with some of his clothes.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We turned up for the motel's continental breakfast right on 6:00am, when it opened, and were ready for our shuttle pickup at 6:30am.  The driver didn't arrive and wouldn't answer his phone.  We gave up and began hitch-hiking with little optimism given it was a quiet Sunday morning in a small town.  After about twenty minutes, a girl who had passed us returned and offered us a lift which was very kind (though her back seat was sopping wet so Dave started the day with a wet butt).

We began hiking around 7:30am with the expectation that the trail would be challenging based on various comments we had read and heard. Initially, it wasn't too bad as we climbed onto the Mahoosuc Range, but soon we were dealing with twisting eroded trail covered with slippery rocks and roots and sharp ups and downs and that's pretty much the way it stayed all day.  The forest was pretty and we did notice that some of the foliage is starting change to yellows and reds. We also passed a couple of attractive ponds and had views from rock ledges on occasion.

Dave had a couple of falls on the slippery rocks and mashed a couple of his fingers, while Julie caught a tree hard with her knee as she manouevred around a tricky section of trail.

All in all, we didn't have a great day and only managed to cover 15 miles when we had hoped to do 17 or 18.  Around 7:30pm, after crossing the summit of Mt Success, we found a possible tent site beside the trail and squeezed our tent in, not wanting to continue on in the looming darkness.

Appalachian Trail - Day 124 - Day Off in Gorham

Day: 124

Date: Saturday, 26 August 2023

Start:  US Route 2 (AT Mile 1900.0) but staying in Gorham 

Finish:  US Route 2 (AT Mile 1900.0) but staying in Gorham 

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her walk around Gorham this afternoon.

Total Kilometres:  3107.9

Weather:  Mild, mostly overcast with a late shower.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  MacDonalds Breakfast Platter

  Lunch:  Ham, chicken & cheese subs

  Dinner:  Chinese buffet 

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore; Julie - nothing reported 

Highlight:  None really 

Lowlight:  None really 

Pictures: No photos today.

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We had a good sleep-in then walked half a mile to the town McDonalds for breakfast before shopping for supplies to see us through the next five days at a small grocery and outdoor store.

When Dave returned to our motel they were cleaning our room which was a total mess.  We hadn't expected the room to be serviced and there was damp gear spread all over and hanging from every conceivable place to dry along with a bathtub covered in leaf debris that was coming off the drying tent, fly and groundsheet.  While waiting outside he could hear muttered curses, but they were polite and friendly when they emerged from the room and Dave apologised for its state.

After lunch we had a quiet afternoon on admin and packing stuff.  Julie went for a short walk but got caught in a rain shower.

The small town of Gorham seems to be an ATV centre and they are roaring up and down the street, for sale or rent at multiple stores, and parked in all the motel carparks.

For dinner, we went to the All-You-Can-Eat buffet at the Chinese restaurant next door to our motel and ate all that we could eat.  A couple wearing guns sat at a nearby table.  Maybe it gets a bit rough at the buffet some nights.

Back on the trail tomorrow, with a 6:30am pickup booked from our motel for the short journey back to the trailhead.

Appalachian Trail - Day 123 - Imp Campsite to US Route 2

Day: 123

Date: Friday, 25 August 2023

Start:  Imp Campsite (AT Mile 1892.2)

Finish:  US Route 2 (AT Mile 1900.0) but staying in Gorham 

Daily Kilometres:  12.9

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3107.9

Weather:  Overcast and cold with rain periods.

Accommodation:  Motel 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Cheeseburgers & fries

  Dinner:  Penne pasta & meatballs/Calzone, apple turnover & ice-cream.

Aches:  Dave - left knee troublesome; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  The last four miles of this morning's hike was following the Rattle River on a good, relatively flat, hiking trail.  It was nice to be able to walk normally after a week of careful foot placement and steep climbs and descents.

Lowlight:  Shortly after we started our last two miles of the day, having dried out somewhat after the earlier rain, there was a roll of thunder and then a torrential downpour.  We were quickly saturated and the rain continued when we reached the highway along which we hoped to hitchhike to Gorham.  Bedraggled in the rain, we began hitching.  It was miserable and seemed hopeless when we were so close to our motel room and dryness and warmth.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

When our alarm went off at 5:30am it was raining heavily on the tent and it was very cozy in bed.  Very tempting to stay there.  But, we knew there was a good chance that by the time we had packed as much as we could inside - pretty much everything since we had kept our food and bear barrels inside the flysheet overnight (don't tell the ranger) - the rain might have stopped.  And, that proved to be the case, though water continued to drip from the trees.

We ultimately packed up the very wet tent and were on our way soon after 6:30am on a very gloomy, misty, windy, cold and occasionally rainy morning.  As we made the gnarly climb up Mt Moriah (4049'), our last peak in the White Mountains, we were passed by a succession of thru-hikers, many of whom had stayed at the same campsite as us.  There were maybe 15-20 overall, all keen to get to Route 2 and town and out of the miserable weather (no views) like us, but spirits were high, probably because we all knew we would be warm and dry by tonight.

The descent from Moriah started out steep and technical but, the further we went, the gentler the gradient until, with about four miles to go it levelled out and followed the Rattle River to US Route 2 (see above).  We took a delayed, because of the rain and cold, breakfast break around 11:00am at a shelter with two miles to go.  The rain seemed to have cleared at last but, not long after we left the shelter, the heavens opened (see above).  Although it was our fastest two miles in the White Mountains, as Julie pointed out, it wasn't fast enough to avoid getting saturated again.

We arrived at the highway earlier than we expected and started hitchhiking in the rain with little optimism at 12:30pm.  We walked down the highway towards Gorham with our thumbs out until the rain eased somewhat and we stopped to hitch again. Miraculously, a young Californian guy on his way to do some day-hiking in the Whites over the next week, pulled over and picked us up.  I think we were lucky he was in a rental car and didn't care whether we were wet and dirty.  He kindly dropped us at our motel where the friendly owner let us check-in early.

By 1:00pm we were showering and changing into dry clothes with the room heater going full blast.  Heaven!  Later, Julie walked down to McDonald's to get us some lunch while Dave got the laundry going.

Julie's hiking shoes have taken a battering in the Whites and now have bad holes worn in the uppers.  During the afternoon she walked down to the local sports/hardware store to see if they sold any shoes she liked.  They didn't, so will be wearing her spare/camp shoes to the next town in a week's time.  On her walks around town she kept bumping into thru-hikers we have become friends with over the last few months.  It has been like a reunion town and quite a coincidence to meet so many in one place, especially when most of them are much younger and hike much faster than us.  As we were walking into the car park of a pizza place where we had planned to have dinner, a van pulled in front of us and in the passenger seat was a thru-hiker we used to see frequently 1000 miles ago.  We figured he was way in front of us, but apparently not.

A day that started pretty miserably has finished OK and we have a day off tomorrow.  The forecast is for rain, so our timing is good.

Appalachian Trail - Day 122 - Pinkham Notch to Imp Campsite

Day: 122

Date: Thursday, 24 August 2023

Start:  Pinkham Notch (AT Mile 1878.8)

Finish:  Imp Campsite (AT Mile 1892.2)

Daily Kilometres:  21.8 (Ascent 5787', Descent 4590')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3095.0

Weather:  Mild and sunny most of the day with cloud building later.

Accommodation:  Tent 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Full buffet breakfast

  Lunch:  Soup, roll/sandwich, cake

  Dinner:  Trail mix

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore; Julie - nothing reported 

Highlight:  From the open summit of Mt Hight (4665'), in mid-afternoon, we had superb views of the Presidential Range  and back along the Wildcat Ridge from where we just came.  We shared the view with three thru-hikers we have got to know over the past month and had some fun.  I think we were all happy that our journey through the White Mountains was almost over and that we had been fortunate with great weather for much of it.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We went down to the buffet breakfast that came with our lodge room at 6:30am, just behind a tour group of about twenty late-teens who were very well-behaved but big eaters.  The staff were run off their feet replenishing food items and slow to get out some of the more attractive hot food.  It meant we took longer over breakfast than planned, but certainly ate our fill.

It was a little after 8:00am by the time we checked out and began hiking.  We had read the comments on our navigation app and knew that the climb up to Wildcat Ridge along the AT included a very sketchy rock face ascent rated one of the toughest on the trail.  Dave was not keen to be climbing more rockfaces with a 40lb pack, hanging on by his fingernails, than necessary and, on this occasion, there was an alternative route via a ski resort service road up to the Wildcat D Peak (4050') and the AT.  We chose the service road even though it was a longer route.

The climb went on for 3.5 miles and was tough enough.  At the top we took a break at a picnic table adjacent to the ski lift top station and admired excellent views across the valley to Mt Washington.  From there we followed the Wildcat Ridge northward through mossy fairytale forest and up and down steep rocky knolls until summitting Wildcat Mountain (4422').

There followed a very steep descent to Carter Notch, with its lovely ponds and an AMC Hut to which we detoured.  They were offering soup and cake to registered thru-hikers and we added that to the packed lunch we had carried from Pinkham Notch.  Our second big meal for the day.  Quite a few thru-hikers were there, or arrived while we were there, all seemingly headed for the same shelter/campsite as us, there being few other options on the rugged mountain range.  

It didn't seem that far, a little over seven miles, but it was already 2:00pm by the time we left and we knew the terrain would be challenging.  We also didn't know how easy it would be to get a tentsite there and wondered about staying in the shelter, if there was room, given the forecast for rain overnight and tomorrow.

The climb out of Carter Notch up to Carter Dome (4832') was very steep and long and we got no views at the summit.  But, the next peak, Mt Hight, was treeless and we got spectacular views (see above).

Ahead, we could see the Carter Range, which we had to negotiate before dropping down to our planned campsite.  We continued on, going as quickly as we could on the less technical trail and taking it carefully on the more dangerous stuff.  The descent from North Carter Mountain (4530') was very challenging and slowed us up, but we eventually reached our target, the Imp Campsite, in gathering gloom around 7:40pm.

Given we will be staying at a motel in Gorham tomorrow night, giving us a chance to dry out our tent, we decided to take a nice secluded tentsite rather than stay in a crowded shelter, despite the forecast.  Other hikers were arriving after darkness fell, and we were happy to have got our spot.  Having eaten well at breakfast and lunch, we just climbed into our tent once set up and ate a few snacks for dinner.  It started to rain at 9:00pm, as forecast.

Appalachian Trail - Day 121 - Lake of the Clouds Hut to Pinkham Notch

Day: 121

Date: Wednesday, 23 August 2023

Start:  AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut (AT Mile 1863.9)

Finish:  Pinkham Notch (AT Mile 1878.8)

Daily Kilometres:  22.5 (Ascent 3707', Descent 6709')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3073.2

Weather:  Cool to mild and sunny 

Accommodation:  Lodge

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Fried chicken/Jerk chicken & vegetables, chocolate brownies

Aches:  Dave - sore left knee and the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Summitting Mount Washington on a beautiful sunny and almost windless early morning and having the peak and it's vistas virtually to ourselves (saw one trail runner up there).  Usually the peak is a zoo, with a car park, gift shop, cafe and cog railway station, but none of that was open at 7:30am when we were there.  We just wandered around taking in the superb views down to distant valleys, some filled with fog, and ranges of mountains, some of which we had hiked along to get here.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

There were six of us in the tiny six-bunk dungeon at the hut, but by the time Dave's alarm went off at 5:00am, the other four thru-hikers had left, keen to get to the summit of Mount Washington to see the dawn.

It was cold, with an icy breeze, and we were not sorry to have "slept in".  We packed and left the hut at 6:00am to climb the remaining distance, 1.6 miles, to the summit of Mt Washington (6288', the highest peak in US north-east), which was clearly visible, dominated by a cluster of towers/aerials. It was very cold hiking in the shadow of the mountain, but when we reached the top we were in bright sunshine and the views were superb (see above).

The Appalachian Trail took a very circular route via Mt Madison to get to Pinkham Notch, our goal for the day, and we knew that it would likely be late by the time we got there because Dave was struggling a bit with his knee and fatigue.  An option was to take the more direct Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which would save about eight miles, but Dave was keen to see if he could manage the longer route and Julie was keen to follow the official AT which would be above the treeline and have great views on such a sunny day.

However, by our breakfast stop at 9:00am, it seemed likely it would be at least 6:00pm by the time we reached Pinkham Notch where we had a lodge room booked that came with dinner and breakfast.  We didn't fancy being in a rush to be in time for dinner, so we agreed that Julie would continue along the AT while Dave would take a shorter route via the Sphinx Trail/Great Gulf Trail to rejoin the AT with about four miles to go.

Dave's choice seemed unwise when, within 100 metres along the Sphinx Trail he met a hiker coming the other way (the last he would see for three hours) who, after appraising Dave and his pack, said "You're not planning to go down there are you?". He explained that the trail was hard to follow, very steep and very slippery, but Dave felt committed and continued on.  It was all of those things and scary in parts, but he took it slowly and carefully down to the valley floor - three hours to do two miles!  From there he followed a roaring Peabody River downstream past waterfalls and cataracts before rejoining the AT for the last four miles to Pinkham Notch where he arrived around 4:15pm, checked in, and then waited for Julie to arrive.

Julie arrived around 6:00pm, having enjoyed the above-treeline views on the ridge to Mt Madison (5367'), but not so much the steep rocky ascents and descents.  That it took her so long, even without having to wait for Dave, confirmed the wisdom of him taking the shorter route today.

We ate up big at the buffet dinner that was included with our lodge room booking and enjoyed our first showers for a few days before having a welcome early night in a comfy bed.

Appalachian Trail - Day 118 - Kinsman Pond Shelter to Garfield Ridge

Day: 118

Date: Sunday, 20 August 2023

Start:  Kinsman Pond Shelter (AT Mile 1820.3)

Finish:  Garfield Ridge (AT Mile 1835.9)

Daily Kilometres:  21.7  (Ascent 5397', Descent 5699')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3008.4

Weather:  Sunny, warm and breezy.

Accommodation:  Tent 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Snickers/Trail mix/Pop tarts 

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Our journey along the Franconia Ridge to Mt Lafayette (5260') was spectacular.  We were above the treeline most of the way and could see mountains near and far, including Mt Washington, and our trail winding along the ridge and up to the summit of Mt Lafayette.

Lowlight:  We failed to reach somewhere to camp before darkness fell and then it was hard to find a campsite in the dark.  The trail was also steep, rocky and wet, and it was no fun trying to negotiate steep slippery rock slabs by headlamp. At one point we were literally descending in a waterfall.  It was after 9:30pm before we found a just adequate spot to erect the tent.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

It was a night of disrupted sleep in our shelter which was filled to overflowing with late arrivals.  Some people also got up well before dawn so they could climb Kinsman Mt to watch the dawn.

We packed up as quietly as we could and left at about 6:40am.  We were hoping for easier trail, but it was very difficult and it took us nearly four hours to do the first five miles down to the Permigawasset River and the Interstate Highway, including a couple of tricky fords, in one of which Julie fell partially into the water.

From the valley we began our long journey up to the Franconia Ridge and Mt Lafayette.  It was slow going on the rocky trail, on which we had plenty of company.  Being a sunny Sunday, many day hikers were out on the trail and Mt Lafayette is a popular destination.  Most of them were on their way back down from the ridge since they would have started early, and our ascent started around 11:00am.

When we finally reached the ridge, the trail was rocky and boggy whilst in the forest but, once we emerged above the treeline, the walking became easier and the views were fabulous (see above).

As we approached Mt Lafayette we could see a group of about twenty people slowly wending their way up the last stretch to the summit and when they reached it they began singing as a group.  When we reached the summit, we discovered it was a group of nuns from Washington DC on a summer outing.  One of them was originally from Parramatta in Sydney.

By this time it was getting late and we still had four miles to go, and a climb over Mt Garfield, to reach somewhere to camp. As has been the case for the last few days, it took longer than we thought and we ended up hiking way later than we wanted, though we did get to enjoy a lovely sunset.  The White Mountains are certainly living up to their tough reputation.  Even though our mileage expectations are low, we are still having trouble meeting them.

Appalachian Trail - Day 119 - Garfield Ridge to Ethan Pond

Day: 119

Date: Monday, 21 August 2023

Start:  Garfield Ridge (AT Mile 1835.9)

Finish:  Ethan Pond (AT Mile 1850.5)

Daily Kilometres:  21.7 (Ascent 3081', Descent 3645')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3030.1

Weather:  Cool to mild, foggy in the morning then mostly overcast.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pancakes and cold oatmeal (neither with any condiments)

  .:  Pop tarts and trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  The awesome views from Zeacliff were some of the best yet for our trip.  To the north we could see Mt Washington, its top shrouded in cloud, and to the east range after range of mountains in different shades of blue.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We let ourselves sleep in until 6:00am because of our late night and were hiking by soon after 7:00am on a mild mostly morning.

We had about the same distance to go today as we did yesterday, so were a bit anxious about how long it would take.  The early miles didn't help.  They were grindingly technical on rocky trail with steep ascents and descents.  It took us nearly two hours to do the first 2.7 miles which took us to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Galehead Hut.  At these huts, from 9:00am, after the paying guests have had their breakfast, the leftovers are available to thru-hikers. Thru-hikers seemed to materialise from everywhere at 9:00am and we joined them.  Not very inviting at any other time, we were all devouring the cold pancakes, with no butter, syrup, etc, and the cold claggy oatmeal.  It was particularly welcomed by us since we hadn't had much for dinner the night before and Dave ate many pancakes.

Amongst the thru-hikers there was discussion about how hard the trail had been, but also the news that the last few miles of today's hike might actually be quite easy, which lifted our spirits a little.

From the hut we had a very slow and technical climb up to South Twin Mountain (4902') which turned out to be our highest point of the day.  There were no views because of the fog and we continued on.

After summitting Mount Guyot and the shoulder of Mt Zealand in fog, it began to clear and we were lucky enough to get fabulous views from Zeacliff, touted as one of the best viewpoints on the AT.

Around 3:45pm, we reached the AMC's Zealand Falls Hut and hoped to get some thru-hiker snacks, such as cookies and soup but, sadly, they were all gone.

From there the trail became much easier, though very boggy after a few miles, and we reached our target tent site for the day around 6:45pm, a little later than we had hoped, but not too bad.

A cold wind blew up as we set up camp and had dinner and we were in our tent as quickly as possible.

Appalachian Trail - Day 120 - Ethan Pond to AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut

Day: 120

Date: Tuesday, 22 August 2023

Start:  Ethan Pond (AT Mile 1850.5)

Finish:  AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut (AT Mile 1863.9)

Daily Kilometres:  20.6 (Ascent 5098', Descent 2927')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3050.7

Weather:  Cool to mild, sunny and windy.

Accommodation:  The Dungeon (Emergency shelter under AMC hut)

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Pastries and trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore and the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported 

Highlight:  We couldn't have asked for better weather for our hike along the main ridge of the Presidential Range (5000+') in the White Mountains.  This is one of the most anticipated sections of the whole Appalachian Trail, but it is also infamous for its bad weather and many hikers don't get the views.  The air was clear and we could see scores of miles in all directions.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

After a cool night we were hiking by 6:30am anticipating, and a bit apprehensive about, a big day.  We were going to climb onto the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, famous for its challenging trail, scenery and bad weather.

Lucky for us, the weather was looking good and after our first four miles, two of which were steeply uphill, we reached our first viewpoint, Webster Cliffs, and some breathtaking views over Crawford Notch.

As we climbed higher, often on some very challenging rockfaces, hand-over-hand in places and scary in some, we had lots more views and in more directions.  The air was crystal clear revealing wave after wave of silhouetted mountains reaching into the distance.  After Mt Webster we climbed Mt Jackson before descending to the AMC Mizpah Hut where we had lunch augmented by some of the pastries available to thru-hikers and spent some time enjoying the warm sunshine out of the very cool breeze.

After the hut we climbed Mt Pierce and then remained above the treeline in a strong wind for the rest of the afternoon, feeling on top of the world and savouring the visual feast.

Our target for the day was the AMC's Lake of the Clouds Hut where we knew there was an emergency shelter, known as The Dungeon, where thru-hikers could stay, but we also knew that there were only six bunks there.  (To actually stay as paying guests in the hut would have cost $A500+ for the night.)  If there were no bunks available then we would have had to hike down to below the treeline and camp, which would have been a pain in the butt.  Lucky for us, there were still four bunks available (none now) and we paid our $10 each for the privilege.

After a surreptitious wash in the hut bathrooms we cooked our dinner outside in very cold conditions but were able to bring it inside to eat.  We could have paid another $10 each to eat the dinner leftovers after the paying guests, but would have had to wait until maybe 8:00pm and expect it to be lukewarm. 

After our dinner we stayed in the warmth of the hut until 8:00pm before adjourning to the cold unheated dungeon for the night.  Tomorrow we summit My Washington, the highest point in the Presidential Range (6288') and the weather forecast looks good.  Can't believe our luck.

Appalachian Trail - Day 117 - Kinsman Notch to Kinsman Pond Shelter

Day: 117

Date: Saturday, 19 August 2023

Start:  Kinsman Notch (AT Mile 1808.8)

Finish:  Kinsman Pond Shelter (AT Mile 1820.3)

Daily Kilometres:  18.5

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2986.7

Weather:  Cool, overcast and occasional drizzle.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Muffins

  Lunch:  American subs

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - left knee quite sore; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None

Lowlight:  Too many to mention

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were picked up by our shuttle driver for the trip back to the trail around 6:45am and were there by 7:15am.  At the same trailhead, as we prepared to leave, other vehicles turned up from one of the hostels with Appalachian Trail thru-hikers who were going to slackpack the section we were hiking, carrying little or no gear and being picked up at the other end of the section.

It brought home to us that, in contrast, we had full packs including four days food and were about to hike one of the toughest sections of the AT (hence so many thru-hikers were slackpacking).  

From Kinsman Notch the AT was to follow the Kinsman Ridge trail up and over two mountains - Wolf Mt and Kinsman Mt.  It turned out to be a slow, miserable, wet and muddy day.  There were periods of drizzle and the trail was very wet and/or boggy almost the whole way.  Where it wasn't wet or boggy it was beset by rocks and roots.  There was lots of crawling up rocky slabs, and Dave had a couple of falls.  Julie also ended up knee-deep in a bog at one point.  Neither of us was happy and the drizzle and clouds meant few views.

In all, walking from 7:30am to 6:30pm, with two 30 minute breaks, we covered 12 miles!

Kinsman Pond Shelter, which was pretty much our only option for the night, is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, who charge a fee to stay and enforce rules about considerate camping.  For instance, we had to cook away from where we sleep (so bears aren't attracted) which meant sitting in freezing conditions under a leaking tarpaulin cooking and eating our dinner.  Not pleasant.  Then the shelter filled up with late arrivals so we are sleeping cheek by jowl with people we never met.  Everybody's gear is wet so there's stuff hanging everywhere.

Hopefully the weather is better tomorrow.  Slackpacking never looked so good!

Appalachian Trail - Day 116 - Day Off in Lincoln

Day: 116

Date: Friday, 18 August 2023

Start:  Kinsman Notch (AT Mile 1808.8) but staying in Lincoln.

Finish:  Kinsman Notch (AT Mile 1808.8) but staying in Lincoln.

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2968.2

Weather:  Mostly overcast and showery with a bit of sun in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Breakfast wraps and cookies.

  Lunch:  Mexicali subs

  Dinner:  Sausage, mac & cheese/Chicken burger & fries, apple Danish & rice pudding.

Aches:  Nothing to report.

Highlight:  We had dinner with a cousin of Dave's who we hadn't seen for a year or two who made the long drive up from Manchester NH for the occasion.  It was good to catch up on each other's news.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: No pictures today.

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

The usual day-off activities today - resupplying for the next four days, replacing broken/worn gear (leaking water bottles, a bent carbon fibre trekking pole from yesterday's descent, a leaking air pillow, new boots for Dave, hopefully with better grip), eating and drinking.

For much of the day it was raining, so we were happy not to be hiking in the mountains.

Julie went for a long walk in the afternoon and dropped the smartphone she found up on the mountain yesterday in at the local police station.  Despite her best efforts, contacting local hostels, calling recent numbers on the found phone and leaving message on hiking noticeboards, nobody has claimed it.

While Julie was out walking, Dave worked out our more detailed schedule for the remainder of the hike.  Barring the unforeseen, we should summit Mt Katahdin, and the end of the trail, on 16 September.  Less than a month to go!

We had an early dinner with Dave's cousin who drove up from the south of New Hampshire (see above) at the restaurant adjacent to the motel and then packed to be ready for an early departure back to the trail tomorrow morning.

Appalachian Trail - Day 115 - Jeffers Brook Shelter to Kinsman Notch

Day: 115

Date: Thursday, 17 August 2023

Start:  Jeffers Brook Shelter (AT Mile 1800.4)

Finish:  Kinsman Notch (AT Mile 1808.8) but staying in Lincoln.

Daily Kilometres:  12.1

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2968.2

Weather:  Overcast, cool to mild, with long periods of light rain.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Hot dogs & fries.

  Dinner:  Chimichangas, rice & beans/Nachos, apple turnover & rice pudding.

Aches:  Dave - left knee sore plus a few other niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  The long, steep, rocky and slick part of the descent from Mt Mousilauke alongside the cascading Beaver Brook was nerve-wracking, exhilarating and spectacular.  The roar of the rushing waterfall drowned out all other sounds as we carefully clambered down through the gnarly alpine forest was nature in the raw.  And best of all, we managed it without any drama.

Lowlight:  Yet another day where no rain was forecast until at least the afternoon, but it started raining at 9:00am and continued through to the early afternoon, obscuring the views we hoped to enjoy from Mt Mousilauke (4802') as we crossed its open summit.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were hiking by soon after 6:30am in mild overcast conditions hoping that we had a short day in prospect before our day off in Lincoln tomorrow.

The distance was short, only a little over 8 miles, but it involved transiting Mt Mousilauke, the first 4000+' mountain the trail has gone over since Virginia, nearly 1000 miles ago.  There were lots of comments on our crowd-sourced navigation app about how difficult the descent from the peak was for north-bound thru-hikers, especially when wet, and nearby hostels were promoting slackpacking shuttles which would allow thru-hikers to hike the section in reverse without their full packs.  So, we approached the day with some apprehension, especially Dave.

The ascent of the mountain was long and mostly rocky, but not that steep or dangerous.  It wasn't raining and we were hopeful of some views, even if above the clouds.  However, as if on cue, as we reached the southern end of the summit ridge and still below the treeline, it began to rain.  We took a break in miserable conditions, huddled against the rain and cold in the dripping forest, aware that if we waited until we reached the peak we would be above the treeline and much more exposed to the weather.

Half a mile from there we emerged from the treeline into a ghostly alpine landscape shrouded in a thick fog with the rain still falling.  We stopped briefly at the summit sign then, as we were leaving, incredibly, Julie found a smartphone lying on a rock.  There was nobody else around so Julie picked it up and will post details on the nav app and hand it in to the police in town.

Initially the descent was just steady, rocky and boggy, and we began to meet slackpackers, some of who we recognized, on their way up.  A couple of them warned us of the dangers of the descent and wished us a safe journey, just increasing our apprehension!  With 1.5 miles of the descent to go, we reached Beaver Brook and then  followed it very steeply downhill (see above).  It was very difficult especially because of the slick rocks in the rain and the huge steps down required.  We took it very slowly, especially Dave, and it took us just under two hours to cover that last 1.5 miles.

We finally emerged onto NH Route 112 at Kinsman Notch in light drizzle and fog.  After walking a hundred metres along the road to a good spot, we began hitchhiking, though not optimistic given the wet conditions and how bedraggled and wet we looked.  However, after about 10-15 minutes, a.lady on her way home to Rhode Island with a pretty full car pulled up and offered us a lift.  We squeezed in, with Dave nursing his wet rucksack on the back seat, and were kindly driven directly to our motel about twenty minutes away where we arrived right on 2:00pm.

We checked in and bought some take-out lunch from a cafe across the road in the busy tourist town and spent the balance of the afternoon doing the usual chores.  Later we walked down to a Mexican restaurant for a "so so" dinner.

Everything in our packs seems very damp as a consequence of the persistent rain and humidity, so we will be spending our day off here tomorrow drying everything out ….. again.  For once we seems to have timed our day off well, since the forecast is for bad weather tomorrow and hikers are being warned not to venture into the high country.

Appalachian Trail - Day 114 - Jacobs Brook to Jeffers Brook Shelter

Day: 114

Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Start:  Jacobs Brook (AT Mile 1783.2)

Finish:  Jeffers Brook Shelter (AT Mile 1800.4)

Daily Kilometres:  27.3 (Ascent 4446', Descent 4557')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2956.1

Weather:  Mild, overcast and drizzling for much of the day.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Donut, chips

  Lunch:  Pop tarts

  Dinner:  Noodles 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  Dave managed to slip and fall over twice on slick narrow boardwalks, the second time partially falling into the swamp.  He was not happy.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were hiking by soon after 6:30am on another gloomy morning … and straight into our first mountain of the day, Mount Cube (2909'), which proved quite challenging.  The trail just seemed to keep going up and up, in stages, quite technical in places and across slick wet rock in others.  We did get some views on the way up, but the summit was shrouded in fog.

The forecast was for no rain today, but it began drizzling around 9:00am and stayed that way for much of the day.  We were going to stop for a breakfast break after our very slow first five miles, but it was so wet we decided to keep walking until we reached a road crossing where there might be shelter.

When we reached the road, we found some kind "trail angels" braving the miserable weather to provide drinks and snacks to thru-hikers.  There was nowhere to sit down or get out of the rain, so we all just milled around in the drizzle trying to be cheerful, but grateful for the drinks and treats.

Continuing on, and climbing Ore Hill, the trail became exceptionally boggy and much time was spent trying to navigate around the worst of it in the quiet foggy woods with the only sound being the rain dripping off the leaves.

When we reached the next road crossing five miles later a thru-hiker who had finished the trail in Maine a week ago, and was driving back to his home in North Carolina, was handing out soft drinks and beer to hikers from his van.  Another welcome surprise.

From there we had about six miles to go for the day, including the climb over Mount Mist, which lived up to its name.  With a mile to go we had to cross the knee-deep Oliverian Brook, with Julie choosing to just walk through in her already muddy wet shoes, while Dave chose to walk across some precarious logs a little further upstream to avoid getting his feet wet.

We reached the Jeffers Brook Shelter around 6:15pm and finding the shelter empty set up our tent inside, for mosquito protection.  There are quite a few hikers camped in their tents nearby, and we would have been happy to camp as well, but given the weather uncertainty, we would like to start tomorrow without having to pack up, and carry, a wet tent.

We passed the 1800 Mile mark just before reaching the shelter.  Less than 400 to go! And we are now in the White Mountains.

Appalachian Trail - Day 113 - Mink Brook to Jacobs Brook

Day: 113

Date: Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Start:  Mink Brook (AT Mile 1764.7)

Finish:  Jacobs Brook (AT Mile 1783.2)

Daily Kilometres:  29.0 (Ascent 5374', Descent 5272') 

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2928.8

Weather:  Overcast all day with steady light rain in the morning.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Noodles

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  It was nice to get some good views from the fire lookout tower on Smarts Mountain even if clouds obscured some of the vista.  There were mountains near and far.

Lowlight:  A fast pack up in steadily intensifying rain in pre-dawn darkness wasn't much fun, though our gear didn't get too wet.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:00am and realised as we were packing the stuff inside the tent that it was starting to rain.  So, we got the tent down and packed out gear away as quickly as we could by the light of our headlamps and were hiking before 6:00am on a very gloomy morning in light rain.

It was a day of big climbs, starting with Moose Mountain (2292') in the morning and the more arduous Smarts Mountain (3237') in the afternoon with the Holt's Ledge in between.  All provided some views, despite the weather, with those from Smarts Mountain being the best.

After each high point we had to descend to cross valleys which were usually quite marshy.  The trail was also frequently boggy, but not as bad as some recent days.

We startled and glimpsed a bear rapidly descend from a tree around noon and saw a small snake lazing on one of the rock ledges as we climbed Smarts Mountain.

On top of that mountain, we also got our first taste of the wiry, gnarly conifer vegetation we are going to see more of at altitude as we head north.

Dave found the steep and technical climb later in the day very tough, so we were happy to have covered 18+ miles for the day and reach our target campsite beside the rushing Jacobs Brook around 6:15pm.  There is a "trail family" (a group of hikers, generally young, who travel together) also camped here but, after some initial boisterous was, they are quiet now.

Appalachian Trail - Day 112 - Podunk Brook to Mink Brook

Day: 112

Date: Monday, 14 August 2023

Start:  Podunk Brook (AT Mile 1747.8)

Finish:  Mink Brook (AT Mile 1764.7)

Daily Kilometres:  27.5

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2899.8

Weather:  Warm and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Egg & bacon rolls, omelettes & hash browns, toast & jam

  Lunch:  Roast beef & cheese subs, ice-creams

  Dinner:  Turkey & cheese subs

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Meeting up with Stef and Mike in Hanover for brunch.  They are friends from Sydney who flew out to hike the AT at almost exactly the same hour as we did from Sydney airport, though they started their hike about three weeks before we did.  They reached Vermont just when the record rain and floods hit and decided to flip-flop, leaving the AT at Manchester Center and driving up to the northern end of the AT then hiking southwards back to Manchester Center to complete the trail.  Stef writes a blog which we have been following and using to mentally prepare ourselves for what lies ahead ever since we started our hike.  Our brunch in Hanover was a happy reunion and lots of stories were told and compared before we each returned to the AT to continue hiking.  We look forward to a much longer debrief with them when we get back to Australia.

Lowlight:  For Dave, leaving Hanover after our enjoyable brunch with Stef and Mike (see above), with heavy packs, having resupplied for the next three days, knowing that we still have about five weeks to go before we finish and greatly envying them, knowing they only have about five days before they will be finished.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Having arranged to meet Stef and Mike at 10:00am in Hanover, eight miles away, for brunch (see above), we were hiking by 6:00am on a mild sunny morning through very peaceful forest.  The trail was good and we comfortably reached the village of Norwich around 9:00am and took a break for a quick breakfast in a lovely sunny park there, knowing we only had 1.5 miles to Hanover.

To get to Hanover we had to cross the Connecticut River into New Hampshire, leaving Vermont, or Vermud as it is known to thru-hikers, behind.  Only New Hampshire and Maine to go now!  Hanover is a very attractive little town, home to the renowned Dartmouth College and the trail goes right down its main street.

We met Stef and Mike at 10:00am and adjourned to a bakery for brunch and a catch-up which was very enjoyable.  Hanover is a proud trail town and we each received a free donut from the bakery.  Apparently there are other places in town where thru-hikers get freebies but we didn't stay long enough to get them, though we did see quite a few thru-hikers in town, some of whom we knew from the trail, taking advantage of the town's hospitality.

After brunch we walked to the town supermarket and bought supplies for the next three days as well as lunch and sat outside at a table while we ate.  It would have been easy to stay there all afternoon, but the trail beckoned (demanded?) that we continue hiking, so we set off around 1:00pm with full packs and full bellies for the eight miles to our chosen target campsite for the day, beside Mink Brook.  The trail was quite boggy in places and the mosquitoes were back, making the afternoon even more tough, mentally.

Fortunately, eight miles wasn't too much to ask for the afternoon and we reached our pretty campsite soon after 5:30pm, an early stop for us, and set up camp.  We've got some serious mountains to climb on the next three days, so are mentally preparing ourselves.

Appalachian Trail - Day 111 - Winturri Shelter to Podunk Brook

Day: 111

Date: Sunday, 13 August 2023

Start:  Winturri Shelter (AT Mile 1729.1)

Finish:  Podunk Brook (AT Mile 1747.8)

Daily Kilometres:  34.1 (Ascent 4537', Descent 5781')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2872.3

Weather:  Mild to warm, humid, mostly sunny with a shower in the morning.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Waffles & donuts

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals.

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  We had a very pleasant breakfast at the Abracadabra Coffee Shop with friend, Rob (añhiked with us for a few days in Pennsylvania and hosted us at New Haven for a few days off recently), who detoured on his way to climb 4000 footers in New Hampshire to meet up.  Also brought us a cold six pack of Diet Coke and some needed bug repellent.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

There was some heavy rain overnight, but we were dry inside the shelter and kept our tent dry.  We left at 6:30am and followed a suggested trail detour, because of a washed-out bridge approach, which took us down a very pretty rural road in the early morning light.  Along the road was clear evidence of the flooding that had occurred in mid-July - road washouts, damaged bridges, landslips and toppled trees.

Fortuitously, the detour took us directly past the coffee shop where we had arranged to meet friend, Rob, for breakfast (see above) and coincidentally he arrived at the exact same moment as us.  We spent a pleasant hour breakfasting and catching up before Rob continued his journey north and we continued our hike.

For the second day in a row, the trail was in generally good condition and the hiking enjoyable apart from some serious climbs.  At the top of these climbs, however, there was some beautiful hiking through woodland with little undergrowth on pine needle- or leaf litter-covered trail. In places, the trail emerged into lush meadows offering good views and in the woods we often crossed or followed old stone walls indicating long lost farms.

Near the end of the day the trail passed through the hamlet of West Hartford from where we had a last climb before finding a nice camping spot beside Podunk Brook a little before 6:30pm.  We went through the usual routine and were settling down inside the tent for the night before 8:00pm, happy with our day.

Appalachian Trail - Day 110 - Inn at the Long Trail to Winturri Shelter

Day: 110

Date: Saturday, 12 August 2023

Start:  Inn at Long Trail (AT Mile 1711.1)

Finish:  Winturri Shelter (AT Mile 1729.1)

Daily Kilometres:  27.8 (Ascent 5142', Descent 4990')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2838.2

Weather:  Mild to warm and mostly sunny with heavy rain after dark.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Omelette, hash browns and toast and jam

  Lunch:  Snickers/Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  For most of the day we had nice hiking trail, meaning we could walk normally for long periods.

Lowlight:  During the afternoon we crossed the very innocuous-looking Stony Brook Creek where a north-bound thru-hiker, "Steady Eddie", had drowned about four weeks ago when trying to ford it during Vermont's flooding rains.  A little further on, possibly where his body was found, there was a picture of the hiker with a poignant poem (probably well-known, but singularly appropriate) attached to a tree.

"It's not the end of the trail for me

I've traveled on, you see

Up ahead where greener pastures grow

And cool water streams dance as they flow

Flowers bloom of every sort and kind

Colors more vivid than I left behind

Family and friends I haven't seen in years

Hugs and handshakes and no more tears

They've welcomed me home just today

A place of peace for me to stay

They say it's my home for eternity

No, it's not the end of the trail for me."

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We had a relaxed start to the day as breakfast at the Inn was not served until 7:30am.  It was delicious and we set off around 8:30am on full stomachs on a beautiful day.

Initially we climbed a trail that took us back to the AT and then we followed the AT eastwards through peaceful forest for a while before it took us through a forest camping ground where many we were just starting their day and then alongside the beautiful Kent Pond.  There were lots of people around.

We passed several vacation lodges near the trail before a long boardwalk across a swampy area and then the serious business of the day started with a long climb up Quimby Mountain from which there were limited views.  The forest was mostly conifer and the trail, for a change was very pleasant hiking.

As we descended we crossed the picturesque Stony Brook Creek (see above) and soon afterwards took our afternoon break.  We were a bit concerned about the weather as storms and rain were forecast to arrive from around 6:00pm so we decided to aim for a shelter about five miles ahead where we hoped we could sleep for the night and keep our tent dry.  More climbing was involved, but we made good progress on the nice trail.

As it turned out, the rain, which was quite heavy, didn't arrive until around 8:30pm, by which time we were safely ensconced in the shelter having had dinner.  We are sleeping in our tent in the shelter for mosquito protection.

Appalachian Trail - Day 109 - Governor Clement Shelter to Inn at the Long Trail

Day: 109

Date: Friday, 11 August 2023

Start:  Governor Clement Shelter (AT Mile 1698.6)

Finish:  Inn at Long Trail (AT Mile 1711.1)

Daily Kilometres:  16.1 (Ascent 3189', Descent 2671')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2810.4

Weather:  Cool to mild, breezy, overcast in the morning and partly sunny in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Inn

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Sourdough bread & goats cheese.

  Lunch:  Patty melt & chips/Pulled pork burger & chips

  Dinner:  Chips & salsa, Bacon cheeseburger & chips/Turkey melt & chips, cookies.

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  After five days of hiking in muddy, grotty conditions, with no showers or laundry, and with everything wet or damp after last night's torrential downpour, we were very happy to reach the inn at the Long Trail, where we had a room booked, on the early afternoon.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We kept dry despite the torrential rain last night, though there were a few damp spots inside the tent and muddy rain spatter had left our tent and groundsheet very dirty.  We rose at the usual 5:30am and were on the very wet and muddy trail around 6:45am.

We had about ten miles to reach the Inn at the Long Trail where we had a room booked for the night and hoped to dry out our gear, shower and launder our clothes, so we're keen to get there as early as possible.  However, Killington Peak had other ideas.  The first 4.5 miles took nearly three hours of climbing on gnarly, rocky, rooty and boggy trail through foggy conifer forest.  Nearly every footfall had to be carefully placed, often gambling on the slipperiness of a rock or root, or the depth of the mud, and not always getting it right.  Dave, in particular, was taking it very carefully.  Not much opportunity to look around, but also not.much to see apart from more eerie and quiet dripping wet forest.

The trail doesn't actually go to the very top of Killington, one of the most renowned ski mountains in the US north-east, but very close to it.  The ski fields and resort are on the eastern side of the peak, but you would never know from the AT which passes just below the western side of the peak and feels like isolated wilderness.  We took a breakfast break in an old lodge at the highest point the trail reaches on the peak, around 3900'.  There were no windows in the old stone building, just huge openings where the windows used to be and an icy wind blew inside as we ate and were later joined by two other hikers.

From there we had a little over five miles to go, mostly downhill, and we gradually warmed as we descended, especially when the sun began making an occasional appearance.  The trail was still hard work, but we made reasonable time and with 2.5 miles to go we branched off the AT to take a side trail (the old AT route) directly to the Inn at the Long Trail and got there around 1:00pm.  Our room was ready and they let us check in straight away.  Our French-Canadian friends are also here so we arranged to have dinner with them tonight at the Irish Pub that forms part of the Inn.

We had a fairly intensive hour or two showering, laundering, washing and spreading gear out to dry, before having a late lunch in the pub.  Julie then walked a.mile or so down to the Killington village where she bought some things we needed while Dave finished the chores back at the Inn.

Later, we had dinner with Matthew and Christine in the Irish pub downstairs with live music which was very pleasant.  

Most of our gear is now clean and dry and we are ready to resume hiking tomorrow.  More rain is forecast.

1700 Mile Mark was passed today!

Appalachian Trail - Day 108 - Little Rock Pond to Governor Clement Shelter

Day: 108

Date: Thursday, 10 August 2023

Start:  Little Rock Pond (AT Mile 1679.3)

Finish:  Governor Clement Shelter (AT Mile 1698.6)

Daily Kilometres:  31.3 (Ascent 4560', Descent 4537')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2794.3

Weather:  Mild and humid, mostly sunny in the morning and overcast in the afternoon with some heavy showers and a thunderstorm in the evening.

Accommodation:  Tent 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts.

  Lunch:  Hot dogs, cookies and snacks.

  Dinner:  Sourdough roll & goats cheese, ice-cream.

Aches:  Dave - chronic left knee a little sore after a slip on which his left leg got caught underneath him and splayed out to the side, but no obvious serious harm done; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Had to be the unexpected "trail magic" when we reached the Clarendon Gorge trailhead on VT Route 103.  We had been planning to detour a mile along the road to a deli to buy some lunch and drinks, but that became unnecessary given that "trail angels" happily provided us with hot dogs (three each!), drinks and snacks.  We spent a very pleasant 45 minutes there chatting with them and a couple of other thru-hikers while we ate and drank (and saved ourselves two extra miles of walking).

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:30am and packed quietly so as not to disturb the two young late arrivals camped right next to us on the tent platform.  They had all of their gear covering the picnic table which we planned to use as we packed up, including open food items.  Not very considerate and lucky no bears were around.

We were hiking by 6:45am on a mild morning, starting with a long gradual climb up White Rocks Mountain.  Promisingly, there didn't seem to be quite as many bogs and muddy sections as in the past few days, though there were still some tricky rocky sections including on the descent where Dave had a fall.

For most of the day, which included a couple more serious climbs, we travelled through the usual leaf-litter-carpeted deciduous forest at the lower elevations and moss-carpeted conifer forest at the higher levels.  We got some views, including over Rutland's airport, and crossed the impressive Clarendon Gorge on a high narrow swaying suspension bridge.  There were plenty of rushing streams and not as much mud which made life easier.

We had aimed to cover 12 miles to VT Route 109 and then detour off to buy some lunch and a few supplies but didn't need to because of the 'trail magic" there (see above).  We were happy not to have to walk the extra miles and enjoyed chatting to the other thru-hikers.  They all have the finish of their thru-hike on their mind and each had probable finish dates worked out.

After gorging ourselves at the "trail magic" we had an exceptionally steep climb which, after levelling off for a while, continued upwards through the forest.  We felt like we were nearing the top of a mountain when the trail suddenly emerged next to farmland with a farmhouse in the distance and then crossed a rural road.  You can easily lose track of where you are in the forest.

After four miles we reached another rural road and a map advising of a suggested AT detour to miss some possibly troublesome stream fords.  We had already been planning to detour a little along a road to a farm stall where we were to buy something for dinner and breakfast and, coincidentally, the suggested detour went past the farm so we took it.

The farm stall was a room set up inside a farmhouse with a variety of organic treats available on an honesty system where you had to check out electronically.  There weren't as many options as we hoped and the prices seemed high, but we found what we needed and ate our dinner on chairs on the farmhouse verandah where there was also wifi and power available for hikers.  Very pleasant.

By this time it was nearly 6:00pm and we continued on following the suggested detour which took us along some picturesque rural roads.  Some of the rain that had been forecast arrived, and was quite heavy at times, but it had stopped by the time we reached the shelter we were aiming for at nearly 7:30pm.

More rain was forecast, so we quickly set up our tent, had a wash and climbed inside.  Our timing was good, because a heavy thunderstorm with intense rain arrived about ten minutes later.  As this blog is being typed, there is a little water getting into our tent, one way or another, but the storm seems to be abating, so hopefully we won't get too wet!

Appalachian Trail - Day 107 - Bromley Shelter to Little Rock Pond

Day: 107

Date: Wednesday, 09 August 2023

Start:  Bromley Shelter (AT Mile 1661.0)

Finish:  Little Rock Pond (AT Mile 1679.3)

Daily Kilometres:  30.0 (Ascent 3031', Descent 3816')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2763.0

Weather:  Foggy and overcast early, then mild, mostly sunny and breezy.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  We thought the highlight of the day might be walking the last couple of miles on good mudless trail as we followed a well-used trail up from a forest parking area to the popular Little Rock Pond where we planned to camp.  Alas, after one mile the trail reverted to the standard rocky, bouldery and boggy trail.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

It rained a lot overnight and was still raining when we got up at 5:30am, but had stopped by the time we left at about 6:45am to resume our ascent of Bromley Mountain (3263').  After climbing through the dripping wet mossy conifer forest for half an hour, we emerged onto a grassy ski run for the last few hundred metres of the ascent.

The summit was fogged in so there were no views, just the ghostly outline of the chairlift top station and some other snow-related equipment.  We stopped in at the ski patrol cabin, which is left open for hikers to use and, as we suspected when we decided not to come here last night, it was full of hikers.  They had a drier going which warmed the cabin and there were multiple power outlets, a place to discard trash, and an outside toilet - meeting almost all of the average thru-hiker needs.  We said hello, dumped our trash, and continued hiking.

The trail was rocky and boggy as we have come to expect in Vermont, and progress was slow, though the fog did gradually clear and the sun emerged.  

Our route for the day also took us over Styles Peak and Baker Peak, both of which offered some views, through several defined wilderness areas, past beautiful Griffith Lake, and next to many roaring streams.

The going was arduous in many places and the mud and water on the trail never-ending.  It was one of those days where Dave wished he was home with the creature comforts instead of facing another six weeks of this.

Eventually, we reached picturesque Little Rock Pond around 6:30pm and found a campsite on our own with a picnic table.  It seemed ideal until, just as we were going to bed, two young hikers turned up and asked to put their tent right next to ours.  We told them about another site a hundred metres away, but they could not find it in the dark.  Hope they like early risers!

Appalachian Trail - Day 106 - Story Spring Shelter to Bromley Shelter

Day: 106

Date: Tuesday, 08 August 2023

Start:  Story Spring Shelter (AT Mile 1638.0)

Finish:  Bromley Shelter (AT Mile 1661.0)

Daily Kilometres:  30.5 (Ascent 2884', Descent 3373')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2733.0

Weather:  Cool to mild, mostly cloudy with some heavy rain in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:30am and packed as quietly as we could so as not to disturb the other two thru-hikers sharing the shelter with us.  Both of them had been in bed when we arrived the previous evening, and we didn't realise one of them was "Squirrel" a thru-hiker we had got to know over the past few weeks.  He woke as we were packing and told us that all of his clothing was saturated from yesterday's rain and his sleeping quilt was not warm enough, and he hadn't warmed up since yesterday.  While we finished packing he tried to dry his T-shirt over his little has stove, but that wasn't going to work.

Like many other thru-hikers, "Squirrel" was an ultra-light hiker, and we have often envied their very light packs, but they are light for a reason.  They are carrying the absolute minimum, which is fine when conditions are good, but not so fine when they aren't.  We felt sorry for him (he was going to hike to a road and try and get to a town), but couldn't really offer him any of our gear.  He wished us well as we left and we hope he managed to get warm and safe.

There was thunderstorms and rain in the forecast and a flash flood warning so, after our first couple of miles, we decided not to follow the official AT route over Stratton Mountain and risk a thunderstorm and likely no views, and instead to take the old AT route which stayed low and in the woods.

As it turned out, the morning remained dry and there was even some sun, but we heard later from another hiker that there were no views from the summit.

Although shorter and lower, our route was very wet and boggy and the forest green, mossy and dripping wet.  Dave had a big fall at one point but escaped injury though was a bit shook up.  Where the trail wasn't boggy, it was rocky, and progress was again slow and tiring.  We passed a few beaver ponds and kept an eye out for wildlife (we must be nearing moose habitat), bit didn't see anything.

Soon after our lunch break, we met "Grits" again and commiserated with each other about the trail conditions.  It was good to see he was still going.

For our afternoon break, after we had endured some heavy rain, we stopped in at a shelter and met "Mountain Lion" an 8-y-o girl hiking the whole Appalachian Trail with her father.They had been hiking for nearly five months, but she still seemed to be enjoying the life.

We had a road crossing before our final couple of miles for the day and found a cooler left there for thru-hikers full of beer and Cokes, a very welcome surprise at the end of another wet day.

We reached Bromley Shelter, our goal for the day, at 6:30pm and are sharing it with a party of five, three generations of the same family, out for a three-day hike.  We decided to sleep in the shelter rather than erect the tent as more rain is forecast for overnight, though tomorrow should be fine.

Appalachian Trail - Day 105 - VT Route 9 to Story Spring Shelter

Day: 105

Date: Monday, 07 August 2023

Start:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) 

Finish:  Story Spring Shelter (AT Mile 1638.0)

Daily Kilometres:  31.2 (Ascent 4751', Descent 3310')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2702.5

Weather:  Cool to mild, humid, overcast, raining all morning, heavy at times, and showery in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Muffins

  Lunch:  American subs.

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles, sore rib much better; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  Very wet morning.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were picked up at the motel by our shuttle driver promptly at 6:30am, driven to the trailhead, and were hiking by 6:45am on a dreary morning in light rain.

Our trail climbed steadily up onto a ridge which we followed for the rest of the day.  Knowing that the forecast was for rain today and tomorrow, it was hard to summon much enthusiasm for the day's hiking.  The trail was already very wet, as was the forest and undergrowth, and became much wetter as the rain increased in intensity.  The going was difficult, with large bogs and puddles that had to be navigated and continual rocks and roots, all of them slippery.  Julie's shoes and socks were saturated in no time and stayed that way for the rest of the day.

The dripping forest was conifer and fairy-tale-like at the higher altitudes and deciduous lower down but it was hard to appreciate when all of our attention had to be on our footing.

About the only thing that made us feel better about our situation was that we met quite a few other thru-hikers out there dealing with the same conditions.  Originally, we planned to take a break after five miles, but the steady rain persuaded us to just keep walking and it was 12:15pm before we reached a shelter where we stopped for lunch.  About eight other hikers were also there, taking a break out of the rain, and there was a fair bit of dark humour about the conditions.

After lunch we walked another four miles to where there was another shelter where we took a break and then it was another five miles to the next shelter which was our target for the day.  There were no views all day, though there were a couple of peaceful beaver ponds near the end.

We decided we would stay in the shelter given that it is forecast to be raining in the morning as well and we wanted to avoid packing up in the rain and having a wet tent.

We're very happy with nineteen miles today, given the conditions, but it was very hard work and our average hiking pace wasn't much more than 1.5 miles per hour.  I guess we better get used to it as we hike through these northern states.

Appalachian Trail - Day 104 - Day Off in Bennington

Day: 104

Date: Sunday, 06 August 2023

Start:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) but staying in Bennington.

Finish:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) but staying in Bennington.

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her look around Bennington today.

Total Kilometres:  2671.3

Weather:  Warm and sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Farmers Omelette & hash browns, toast & jam.

  Lunch:  Mexicali subs 

  Dinner:  Meatlovers calzones, ice-cream

Aches:  Dave - resting his niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: No pictures today.

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Not much to report for this day off.

We walked down to the town centre to a diner for breakfast and Julie then walked a few miles further on to the Walmart to get the supplies we need for the next 4-5 days hiking, plus some other gear while Dave walked back to the motel.  The gear included a $10 electric hair clipper which Dave later used to drastically trim his hair and beard.

Later we donated the hair clipper to the Hiker Box in the motel office where hikers leave stuff they think other hikers might use.  The Hiker Box is just one more way in which the motel is "hiker friendly".  Apart from also offering free rides to and from the trailhead, the motel  has "loner" clothes hikers can borrow while their laundry is done and "loner" bikes hikers can use to get around town.  All very helpful.

We walked downtown again in the evening to get dinner and will have an early night, having booked a shuttle for a 6:30am pickup and lift back to the trailhead tomorrow.  We could get a lift for free from the motel owner but would have to wait until after 8:15am which doesn't suit us.  We would like to get some.extra miles done tomorrow.  The weather forecast, sadly, is for rain for the next few days.