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.