Decided

Si I've decided: I will be heading back up to New Hampshire on
Thursday to try to complete this darned hike.

I wish I could say that I am excited to be heading back to the trail,
but it's not quite true. I certainly am not yet ready to give up my
life as a thru-hiker. It is, after all, a pretty sweet way to live.
You hike. You camp. You see new places and meet new people every day.
You eat as much of everything as you can possibly get your hands on.
You breathe fresh air. You exercise your body. You have time to le
your mind wander where it may.

But my hike should be finished by now, or at least close to being
finished. The people I hiked with way back at the beginning of my
thru-hike have all either completed their hike, or have gotten off the
trail. It is no longer summer. The cool weather of fall is arriving in
New England. It is 65 degrees here in Quincy this morning. The days
are shortening rapidly. It is strange being here at home now, since I
left here last March when winter was just winding down. It feels like
I somehow missed summer.

This is wonderful weather for hiking of course. If the weather holds
fair I will be treated to the full glory of New England's autumn. But
in a big way it feels like this is going to be a lonely hike. That is
strange, since I have by choice hiked most of the trail alone, but it
feels lonely I guess because everyone I know is done, or at least well
ahead of me.

Anyway, this will be my last shot at finishing my thru-hike this year,
so here's hoping my knees are up to the task!

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Pondering

So, I am home again. I walked out from Carter Notch Hut along the
easiest route, which was down the 19 Mile Brook Trail. Boy, what a joy
that was! Apparently, there are 'normal' hiking trails in the Whites.
Instead of scrambling up and down rock ledges and giant boulders, the
trail simply followed along beside the brook for 4 miles until it
reached the trailhead at Rt 16. There were a couple of rocky places,
and I did feel my knee when stepping down from rock to rock, but all
in all it was a comfortable walk.

It is getting close to the end of August now. There is probably 7
weeks left in the thru-hiking season; that is, there are about 7 weeks
left before snow and ice descend on Katahdin and the Baxter Park
rangers will no longer allow hikers to make the climb. I am trying to
figure out if it is worth making one more attempt to finish this hike.
I could take as much as another two weeks off to rest up my knees, and
assuming my knees are back in hiking shape should still have enough
time to finish the hike well before October 15.

Pushing my hike into the end of the season does present some
challenges. It gets cold in northern Maine in October, so I will have
to carry my heavier sleeping bag, and warmer clothes. And the days get
shorter, whivh means less hours and thus fewer miles in a given day.
But cold weather also means fewer bugs, and fall in New England is
glorious; at least, it is if it doesn't bring day after day of cold
rain.

It also means breaking my promise to Jodi to be finished hiking by the
middle of September. She says she is willing to make that sacrifice
for me. She's a pretty great wife, isn't she?! And I have promised to
be somewhere with my daughter Anju on September 21, so that would
necessitate another break from the trail.

Nothing has been decided yet, but these are the things I am thinking
about today. These last weeks sure have been frustrating. This is not
at all how I envisioned my hike ending. All this starting and
stalling! I keep thinking back to Virginia, when I could get up in the
morning, walk for 8 hours, and chalk up another 20 miles. It was all
so easy then!

--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Pinkham Notch to Carter Notch Hut

Sunday, 8/23

AT Miles = 5.9 / 1865.2
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 5.9 / 1924.1

Miles to Katahdin = 313.1

Good grief, Charlie Brown! It took me 5 hours to hike less than 6 miles today, and that was carrying a pack barely heavier than a day pack. My knees hurt just as much as they did when I hobbled in to Pinkham Notch last Monday. Six days of rest seem to hqave dome absolutely nothing for them. I can barely walk now.

My plan for tomorrow was to hike 15 miles from here to Rt 2. There is no way that is going to happen. I've got to find the easiest way out of here and take that tomorrow.

Unless some miracle happens while I sleep tonight, and I wake up with healed knees, this is it. My thru-hike is over. I can't believe I even typed those words. I just sat and looked at them for a few minutes. I'm so damned close! But my knees have betrayed me; or maybe it's that I have betrayed them. But whichever it is, there is no way I am going to hike the last 313.1 miles to Katahdin this year. 5+ months of effort down the toilet...

I know that in the great scheme of things this is no big deal, but it sure feels like it is right now. Not a good day today.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

The Backpacks

See that big backpack? Well, that one is not coming on this next leg
of the hike. The big pack will be spending the next couple of days in
the trunk of my car here in Gorham. Instead, I will only be carrying
that little backpack, with just some warm clothes for the evening, and
some snacks for lunch today and tomorrow. Yee-haw!

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Gorham, NH

I am in Gorham, NH tonight. I left home after lunch today and drove up
here. It sure was hard saying goodbye to Jodi!

I am staying at Hiker's Paradise here in Gorham. Tomorrow morning I
will leave my car here tomorrow and take the bus to Pinkham Notch,
which is where I got off the trail on Monday. All I have planned for
tomorrow is to hike the second half of what I was supposed to hike
last Monday; the six miles from Pinkham Notch up and over Wildcat
Mountain and on to Carter Notch Hut. I have a reservation at the Hut
so will have a bunk there, which will let me hike with a small, light
pack. On Monday I'll hike the 15 miles from Carter Notch to US 2, then
will call and get a ride back to Hiker's Paradise for the night.

I am looking forward to hiking without my full backpack. It should
also be good for breaking in my third pair of boots, which have
exactly zero miles of hiking on them so far.
--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Frustration & Back To The Trail

Well, I've been home for most of the week now. It sure has been nice
to shower every day, and to partake in this very strange custom of
wearing clean clothes every day!

My plan is to ty to slack pack (hike with only a day pack) as much of
the rest of the trail as I can. Towards that end, I have made a
reservation for Sunday night at Carter Notch Hut. Tomorrow I will drive
up to Gorham and stay overnight at Hiker's Paradise hostel / motel. On
Sunday morning I will have them drop me off at Pinkham Notch, and make
the climb up the several summits of Wildcat Mountain and down to
Carter Notch and the Hut. On Monday I'll hike the 15 miles to US 2.
Since I have a reservation at the hut I don't have to carry my
hammock, tarp, sleeping bag, or food for dinner and breakfast. That
should make the hike easier and more enjoyable.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I will hike the ~31 miles to Grafton Notch
with all of my camping gear. This leg includes Mahoosuc Notch,
Mahoosuc Arm, and more of the Mahoosuc Range, so should be quite
challenging hiking. I was hoping to be able to slack pack this
section, but haven't been able to find anyone who shuttles out to the
back roads in this area.

Once I reach Grafton Notch I will move my base of operations up to
Andover, Maine, where the folks at Pine Ellis Hostel will help me
slack pack for a few more days.

Once past this area I haven't got definite plans, but if Jodi isn't
busy with work she is going to drive up and join me, helping me slack
pack. I hope to slack pack most of the trail up to Monson, Maine. Once
there I will have just the 100 mile wilderness left between me and
Baxter Park.

Over the last few days I have heard from most of the group I hiked
with so much at the beginning of my thru-hike. Sir Richard is
currently in the midst of the 100 mile wilderness and expects to
summit Katahdin on August 24. Topofgothics is somewhere in Maine and
still heading north. Paulman and CuppaJoe are off the trail due to
Paulman's knee injury and unsure if they will be back this year or
not. Spitfire and NoToyz are off due to knee injuries, and definitely
will not be back this year. It is sad to think how close they got to
finishing and serves to make me more determined than ever to finish.

I am totally unprepared to head back to the trail tomorrow. I have my
gear spread from one end of the house to the other. I have to pack
everything up tomorrow morning, and I hope I don't screw up and leave
anything important behind.

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Photos

Photos for the section from Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch are here:
http://www.allenf.com/gallery2/main.php/v/AT2009/FranconiaNotchToPinkhamNotch/

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch

Thursday, 8/13 - Monday, 8/17

Thursday, 8/13
AT Miles = 12.9 / 1818.6
Other Miles = 0.8 / 58.9
Total Miles = 13.7 / 1877.5

Friday, 8/14
AT Miles = 11.8 / 1830.4
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 11.8 / 1889.3

Saturday, 8/15
AT Miles = 14.0 / 1844.4
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 14.0 / 1903.3

Sunday, 8/16
AT Miles = 7.1 / 1851.5
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 7.1 / 1910.4

Monday, 8/17
AT Miles = 7.8 / 1859.3
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 7.8 / 1918.2

Miles to Katahdin = 319.0

My apologies to everyone for dropping off the face of the earth. It
has been impossible for me to post to my blog because my phone died
when it got soaking wet in a thunder and lightning storm last Tuesday
while I was climbing South Kinsman. That was the last day I blogged
about, using my laptop while staying at the home of my new friends,
Dave and Pam. Dave picked me up in Franconia Notch and I spent two
nights at their home, enjoying their hospitality, doing all of my town
chores, drying my boots, and resting up for the next legof my hike.

Pam dropped me off back at Franconia Notch bright and early on
Thursday morning, and I climbed up the very steep Liberty Springs
Trail until I reached the Franconia Ridge Trail. The forecast promised
clearing weather, and the morning was a mixture of cloud and clearing
bits which gave me hope for a fair weather day. As I walked along the
Franconia and then the Garfield Ridges I passed over a few of the 4000
footers: Little Haystack at 4760', Mt Lincoln at 5089', Mt Lafayette
at 5249', and Mt Garfield at 4488'.

Just past the summit of Mt Garfield I reached the Garfield Ridge
Campsite where I stopped to eat lunch. About 10 minutes into my break
it started to rain, so I packed up my things, put the rain cover on my
pack, and started hiking again. From here the trail descended down
until it looked like it crossed a brook just before it goes over a
waterfall, but looking across the brook I could see no trail. Slowly
the realization dawned that the waterfall actually is the trail! From
the campsite to Galehead Hut is only 2.7 trail miles, and it took me
over 2 1/2 hours to walk it. Mostly, that's because you can't actually
walk the trail. You climb the trail. You clamber down wet rocks and
boulders, holding onto small trees, cracks in the rock, and whatever
else you can find. After I got down the waterfall the trail turned up
again as it climbed to Galehead Hut. The rain was coming down harder
and harder, and the trail up to the hut was running a small white
water stream. The water was ankle deep and certainly didn't improve
traction on the rocks. I arrived at Galehead Hut about 4:30 and was
grudgingly granted work-for-stay by the unfriendly croo* there.

The next day the weather was much better, and after a very meager
breakfast -- 5 pancakes and a bowl of cold leftover oatmeal, split
between three hungry thru-hikers -- I set off for Ethan Pond Campsite.
A bit after noon I reached Zealand Falls Hut and spent a couple of
hours sitting on the porch eating lunch and relaxing while my boots
dried out a little bit in the sun. About 2:00 I left the Hut and hiked
the remarkably flat and smooth 5 miles to Ethan Pond. What a joy it
was to be able to stride along at full speed! I had a relaxing evening
at Ethan Pond chatting with a group from Harvard Medical School that
was out for three days. I also did my laundry and took a sponge bath,
which I hadn't been able to do at the hut.

From Ethan Pond, on Saturday, I made the 3 mile descent into Crawford
Notch, crossed the Saco River, and made the ridiculously steep ascent
to the Webster Cliffs. Whew! It was tough, slow going to Mizpah Spring
Hut, where I took a 30 minute break for lunch. Then I pushed on up to
Lakes of the Clouds Hut, which sits just below the summit of Mt
Washington. I got work-for-stay again at the hut, and they sure did
make us work for the privilege of sleeping in the dining room and
eating left-overs. I swept floors, cleared and washed tables, set
tables, cleared and washed them again, swept and scrubbed more floors,
and folded 300 blankets in the morning. In return for this we got a
pretty good dinner, eating leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, green
beans, and three bean salad. The breakfast was quite meager, though.
All we got was a few pancakes and some farina.

On Sunday I had a short day planned as a bit of a reward. I left Lakes
of the Clouds Hut and made the short climb to the summit of Mt
Washington. I spent a couple of hours hanging around here and eating
in the visitor center, then I left for the 6 mile hike to Madison
Spring Hut. The hike was remarkably difficult, andd I was more tired
than I expected when I arrived. I asked if they had any bunks left as
I was intending to pay for a bunk and thus get a full dinner and a
full breakfast, and not have to wait until all the paying guests had
eaten and then eat left overs, but they were full and the best I could
do was to get sork-for-stay again.

I had a big day planned for Monday; the 8 miles down to Pinkham Notch,
then the 6 miles up and over the four peaks of Wildcat Mountain and
finally to Carter Notch Hut. Alas, it was not to be. The trail down to
Pinkham Notch was steep and rocky, and my knees rebelled from the
pounding they had been taking through the Whites. It took me 5 1/2
ours to hobble down into Pinkham Notch, and it was clear I would be
going no further for a while. I called Jodi and asked her to drive up
to Pinkham Notch and pick me up. We got home last night and I have
spent today sleeping late, eating, napping, eating some more, and
napping even more.

All in all I was remarkably lucky with the weather through the White
Mountains. Over the weekend, while I was above tree line and climbed
the summit of Washington and on over the peaks and down into Pinkham
Notch, the weather was better than anyone has a right to expect up
there. For something like 270 days a year the summit of Washington is
fogged in, but when I was there it was sunny and warm and calm. I am
sure there are people that climb the mountain year after year and
never have such good weather. Yet, I resented every moment of my
hiking in the Whites. To me it is all just a huge obstacle between
wheree I am and where I want to be, which is at the end of this hike.
Burnout and fatigue, I guess. And there is plenty of tough going ahead
of me. Sigh.

No, I am not giving up. I have 319 miles to go, and I intend to finish
them all. But I am home for a few days, and rethinking my strategy. I
am trying to figure a way to slack-pack as much of the rest of the
trail as possible. I am worn down physically, and I don't see myself
hauling my full backpack for another 4 weeks through this very tough
terrain. I am not sure exactly when I will be back out on the trail,
but it won't be long; a few days at the most.

Oh, while I was staying at Dave and Pam's house I did get photos
uploaded for the section between Hanover and Franconia Notch. They can
be found here: http://www.allenf.com/gallery2/main.php/v/AT2009/HanoverToFranconiaNotch/

* Croo - the traditional spelling for the crew that works at any of
the AMC huts in the White Mountains.
--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch

Tuesday, 8/11

AT Miles = 16.4 / 1805.7
Other Miles = 0.8 / 58.1
Total Miles = 17.2 / 1863.8

Miles to Katahdin = 372.6

I had a nice night in North Woodstock, with a good dinner followed by
a nice, filling breakfast this morning. After breakfast I positioned
myself on Rt 112, the road back up to Kinsman Notch, and tried
hitching. After 40 unfruitful minutes, I gave up on hitchhiking and
called The Shuttle Connection. That 5 mile ride cost me $12.00, but it
got me to the trailhead.

It was a few minutes before 9:00 when I started hiking, and it took me
4 hours to hike the 7.5 miles to Eliza Brook Shelter. I stopped here
for lunch, and met a couple out for an overnight heading south. We
chatted a bit about the climb up and over South and North Kinsman
which they had just done and which I was about to do. Just as they
left the woman remarked to me "Well, at least the rocks will be."
Jinx! I packed up from lunch and started up the trail with the sun
shining. 5 minutes later I heard the crash and boom of thunder, and
the skies opened up and poured on me. It was a biblical storm in the
amount of rain that came down. The water was so deep in some of the
usually wet low spots that in one place the puncheon were actually
floating. At least, they were until I stepped on it. Wet feet!

I spent the next several hours climbing and clambering up step, wet
rocks. It was not fun. My socks and boots were squishy wet. When I
finally got to the summit of South Kinsman I stopped very briefly to
take a few photos. The view was actually quite spectacular and the
storm was clearing down below me, but I could still hear thunder so
was scurrying up the trail as quickly as I could to get back down
before another storm came through.

It was 4:00 by the time I got to Kinsman Pond Shelter. From here it is
only 2 miles to Lonesome Lake Hut, my goal for the day. Pushing as
hard as I could, it was after 5:00 when I finally reached Lonesome
Lake. I just don't know how to figure the time it will take to hike
between any two points around here. So much of the trails here are not
really hiking at all, but slowly climbing up and down rocks and huge
boulders.

Back while I was eating lunch at Eliza Brook I had turned on my phone
to find a voice-mail from Dave Smith, telling me that if I wanted to
hike the few extra miles down to Franconia Notch he would meet me
tonight and bring me home for a shower, a steak dinner, and a bed.
This was an irresistible offer after the soaking I had taken, so when
I got to Lonesome Lake Hut I wanted to call Dave and tell him I would
take him up on his offer, but my cell phone had gotten wet in the
storm and was not working. I borrowed a cell phone from one of the Hut
staff and called Dave to arrange for him to pick me up at the
trail-head parking area near The Flume in two hours, then pressed on.

Whew! I made it down to the trail-head with about 20 minutes to spare.
I waited for Dave, then he showed up and whisked me off home for a hot
shower and a big steak dinner. Civilization is a wonderful thing!

This was a tough day. 10 1/2 hours to hike 17 miles! Back in Virginia
17 miles would have been a 7 hour hike. After Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and Vermont, I was just getting used to only being able
to cover 2 miles per hour rather the 2.5 I had gotten used to through
the Mid-Atlantic states. Now it looks like I am going to have to start
figuring 1.5 mph at best through the Whites. Ugh!

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff NH to Kinsman Notch and the Carriage Motel in North Woodstock NH

Monday, 8/10

AT Miles = 9.5 / 1789.3
Other Miles = 0.9 / 57.3
Total Miles = 10.4 / 1846.6

Miles to Katahdin = 389.0

The weather toyed with me this morning. In my "Appalachian Pages" book there is a notation that "North side of Mt Moosilauke is steep and often slick," and I had heard that there are signs on the trail warning that it is hazardous when wet or icey. Since it was raining when I went to bed last night, I was determined to try to ascertain the weather before venturing up and over Moosilauke. Well, when I went outside this morning there were bits of blue sky showing and it looked like the weather was going to break up, so I was at the post office when it opened at 7:00AM to get my food drop and the warm clothes Jodi had sent to me, and by 7:45 I was walking up the road towards the trailhead.

As soon as I left the road I had to climb down a mud bank, then swap boots and socks for my sandals so I could wade Oliverian Brook, which was more a river than a brook. After a short warm up wherein the trail climbed rather easily, the world turned quite vertical and I spent the next few hours climbing steeply and steadily. The weather, meanwhile, had closed in again and I climbed through a heavy fog with quite warm temperatures and 100% humidity. I poured gallons of sweat and thousands of calories into climbing to the summit of Moosilauke, and in return I was treated to views that went on and on for two, sometimes three feet! I did prevail on a couple of day hikers who were also at the summit to take my photo next to the summit sign. I haven't looked yet to see how that turned out.

Some of you may recall that I climbed Moosilauke last February, on snowshoes, from the east. That was quite a clear day, though bitterly cold at the summit. If you go to the hiking folder in my photo gallery, there should be a Moosilauke album there from that trip.

With the wind blowing shreds of cloud across the summit sideways, my glasses were totally fogged up and covered with water droplets. I couldn't see anything with my glasses on, and without my glasses I can't see much of anything anyway, so I was pretty much blind. I managed to find a white blaze and started across the summit and down the north side. I missed the turn for the Beaver Brook Trail, which is the route the AT follows, and started down what I later figured out was the Benton Trail. After descending a couple tenths of a mile, I noticed that I was breaking through a lot of spider webs. I knew other AT hikers were ahead of me this morning, so those webs shouldn't have been there. That's when I stopped to study the map and figured out what I had done. So, I turned around and climbed back up those couple of tenths, then started down the correct trail.

I picked my way down the rocky trail until I reached the Beaver Brook Shelter. This was my nominal goal for the day, and I could have stayed here, but it seemed early to stop and it wasn't a very inviting spot anyway. I thought of pushing on 9 miles to the next shelter north, and was getting ready to leave when another thru-hiker, Baltimore Andy, showed up. We fell into a very pleasant conversation and then a couple of day hikers stopped by and they joined the conversation. Again I was going to leave, then I remembered my promise to myself to stop pushing so hard for miles all the time and let myself enjoy the hike more, so I settled back and let the conversation flow until it was well past 2:00PM.

Finally I left, with the goal simply of hiking down to Kinsman Notch, at which point I would decide whether to go on another 7.5 miles to the next shelter, or to hitch into town for the night. Well, the 1.6 miles from Beaver Brook Shelter to the Notch took me nearly an hour and a half to negotiate. The Beaver Brook Trail here descends very steeply over a jumble of wet rocks and boulders. Even going downhill, I was sweating up a storm and was exhausted from concentrating so intently on foot and pole placement to avoid taking a bad tumble. It was nearly 4:00 when I got to the trailhead, much too late to set off to hike another 7 1/2 miles, so I turned my attention to trying to hitch a ride into town. I've been told that it's tough to hitch around the Whites, and so far my experience bears that out. I lucked out, though, and a family I had passed on the trail just in from the road, and exchanged pleasantries with, saw me and offered me a ride into town. It turns out that they, too, are
from the Boston area. The husband said he used to climb Moosilauke all the time as a teenager, and that he had proposed to his wife at the summit. They are in the Whites on vacation, and were trying to decide when their daughters would be old enough to be able to make the climb to the summit. They asked a lot of questions about thru-hiking, and very kindly went a bit out of their way to drop me right at the motel here. Now I just hope I can get a ride back out of town and up to Kinsman Notch in the morning.

My plan for tomorrow is to hike the 13 miles from the Notch to Lonesome Lake Hut, where I am going to make my first attempt at getting work for stay. Hopefully that will work out. That will leave me just a few miles from Franconia Notch on Wednesday morning, where I need to go into the town of Lincoln to pick up my bounce box at the post office. On Wednesday night I will be staying with a couple that live near Franconia Notch. They have been reading this blog and very kindly offered their hospitality wqhen I reached the area. I am greatly looking forward to meeting them.

I was hoping last week's weather was a portent of a changed weather pattern for August, but it seems now we are back to warm humid weather with a chance of thunderstorms pretty much every day. I hope the weather treats me well as I make my way through the Whites. Being above treeline in a storm is no fun, to say the least!

So, goodnight from North Woodstock!
--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Smarts Mtn Fire Warden Cabin to Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff NH

Sunday, 8/9

AT Miles = 19.9 / 1779.8
Other Miles = 1.3 / 56.4
Total Miles = 21.2 / 1836.2

Miles to Katahdin = 398.5

Last night was a beautiful night. I went up in the fire tower to take some evening photos, and also to get cell service. That was the first place I had been able to get service since leaving Hanover. There is no service at all here in Glencliff, so I don't know when I will be able to send this.

This morning was sunny and I had some great views while climbing over Mt Cube. By noon the sky was starting to cloud up, and by 3:00PM it started raining lightly.

The original plan for today was to hike 12.4 miles to Ore Hill Shelter, but soon after starting off this morning I decided I would try to get all the way into Glencliff if I could. I hiked pretty hard all day and got here before 5:30. I've showered and my laundry is in the washer. It's a bit pricey at $5.00 for wash and dry for 2 pairs of socks and a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, but clean dry socks are important and I have to send the shorts and T-shirt home in the mail tomorrow. Jodi probably wouldn't appreciate opening a package of dirty, sweaty clothes.

The post office opens at 7:00 tomorrow, and I will pick up my food drop and my warm clothes that Jodi sent. If the weather clears up I will leave here and climb up and over Mt Moosilauke, the first of the White Mtn peaks. If it rains all day tomorrow I may stay here and postpone the climb a day. The guidebook warns against climbing down the north side of Moosilauke in wet weather.

I have a sort of schedule that puts me at Katahdin on September 15. That schedule includes no zero days, and there is no way I am going to hike for y6 weeks without taking any days off, but I am determined not to let the 9/15 date slip, so I will have to 'earn' any zeros. I arrived here in Glencliff a day ahead of schedule, so I have one zero day 'in the bank.' It would be nice not to have to use that banked day tomorrow.

I got an email from Paulman and CuppaJoe today. Paulman fell just across the Maine border and hurt his knee, so they had to get off the trail for a while. Luckily he is apparently healing well and they will be back on the trail in a few days, but you just never know what mishap could end your hike.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

View From Smarts Mtn Fire Tower

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Moose Mountain Cabib to Smarts Mtn Fire Wardens Cabin

Saturday, 8/8

AT Miles = 12.4 / 1759.9
Other Miles = 0.1 / 55.1
Total Miles = 12.5 / 1815.0

Miles to Katahdin = 418.4

Boy,it was cold lat night! I wore every bit of clothing I have, which isn't all that much, while sitting around after supper. Normally I wiuld have crawled into my sleeping bag to stay warm and passed the evening reading, but there was a nice group of weekenders and section hikers at the shelter, and I greatly enjoyed their company as we all sat around the campfire and sipped shots of Jack Daniels from a bottle one of them had brought. After watching a bright orange moon rise around i8:30, I finally did go to bed and barely stayed warm during the night.

I allowed myself the luxury of sleeping in a bit, and thus didn't get moving until 7:30 this morning. It was a surprisingly tough day's hike, which found me at the summit of Smarts Mountain about a quarter of two this afternoon. It surprises and worries me how tired I am and how much my knees ache after hiking only 11 miles yesterday and 12.5 miles today.

I set up my hammock near the Fire Wardens Cabin here near the summit, and after reading for a while managed to fall asleep for a while; I'm not sure how long. It is 6:00PM now and again I am wearing all the clothes I have but am not quite keeping warm. I will be in Glencliff on Monday morning where I will pick up a food drop and some warmer clothes that Jodi mailed to me there. I decided not to have Jodi send my warmer sleeping bag yet, planning to continue using my summer bag. I hope that doesn't prove to be a mistake. I will have my warm long johns to wear at night, as well as my down jacket which I add to the bottom insulation of my hammock on cold nights.

I saw a bear this morning; my fourth to date. I heard him moving through the underbrush and stopped to look. Once he was far enough away to not feel threatened, he stopped and looked back, and we stood for several minutes studying each other. Any day I see a bear is a good day.

Two of the section hikers that were at Moose Mountain SHelter last night had said they were planning to be here tonight, but they haven't showed up yet. There are two other southbound hikers here tonight, who I haven't really had a chance to talk to yet. I am going to stop typing and cook my dinner now. I haven't had any cell coverage since leaving Hanover yesterday morning, so I'm not sure when I'll get to send this.

Oh, I think yesterday I said I assumed the Dartmouth colors were orange and black since the DOC uses those colors for their blazes and all their signs, but I have since been told the school colors are green and something, so I guess my theory is shot to heck. That'll teach me to assume anything.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Hanover NH to Moose Mountain Shelter

Friday, 8/7

AT Miles = 11.0 / 1747.5
Other Miles = 0.1 / 55.0
Total Miles = 11.1 / 1802.5

Miles to Katahdin = 430.8

Jodi and I had such a wonderful evening last night! I spent the afternoon doing zero day chores, mostly working out logistics for the upcoming sections. I never did find time to take a swim in the hotel pool. Then it was dinner time and I asked Jodi what she wanted to do for dinner, and she suggested we head over to Chester and find someplace to eat there. Chester is only a dozen or so miles over the pass from Springfield, and we had stayed at an inn there last year on Memorial Day weekend when we spent the weekend cycling and running.

We drove over to Chester and decided to have dinner at the Inn which is right on the town green. It was a gorgeous evening out, with cool, dry air and just enough puffy cumulous clouds in the sky to add a bit of depth. We got a table on the front porch of the inn, and soon after we sat down we noticed a concert about to start in the park across the road. It was a jazz ensemble, and they were very good. So we sat outside sipping our martinis and eating our dinner, listening to big band jazz and watching the locals enjoy the concert. A great way to end my latest zero day.

This morning Jodi dropped me off at the post office in Hanover, where I mailed my bounce box up the trail to Lincoln, NH, then I started walking. It is only 44 miles from Hanover to Glencliff, my next town stop. If I pushed a bit, as usual, I could make it there in 3 days, which would put me there on Sunbday. But I have a mail drop at the post office in Glencliff, so getting there on Sunday makes no sense at all. That leaves me free to take it very easy for the next 4 days, and get there on Monday.

I really enjoyed hiking without any time pressure today. I left Hanover after 10:00AM. Around 12:30 I was at a point where the trail crosses a road, and just up the road is an old cemetery with fresh-cut grass and nice sunshine, so I walked down there and sat in the sun while I ate my lunch. I left there around 1:00, and by 3:00 I was here at the shelter.

The weather is quite cool today. It feels like late summer in northern New England. It is breezy in a way I haven't felt for months. The forecast calls for the temp to fall into the 40s tonight. It should be great sleeping all snugged into my bag tonight.

This is Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) territory. The DOC has been blazing trails between Hanover and the Whites since long before the Appalachian Trail existed. Traditionally the DOC blazes trails in alternating orange and black stripes, which I assume are the school colors. The DOC maintains this section of the AT and they do use the standard white blazes, but they also mix in some of the old orange and black blazes, which are sometimes referred to as Halloween blazes. The signs the DOC puts up are also black on orange. Tradition counts for a lot in New England!

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Zero Day in Hanover, NH

Thursday, 8/6

AT Miles = 0 / 1736.5
Other Miles = 0 / 54.9
Total Miles = 0 / 1780.5

Miles to Katahdin = 441.8

The title of this post is a bit misleading. Jodi and I aren't staying
in Hanover. Hanover is quite an expensive town. The Hanover Inn,
directly across the green from Dartmouth College, has rooms starting
at $275 per night, and goes up from there. Jodi and I are comfortably
settled into the Holiday Inn Express at an exit off I-91 in
Springfield Vermont, where the prices are much more reasonable. But
Hanover is where I got off the trail, and where I will get back on
tomorrow morning, so in reference to my hike, Hanover is where I am.

Yesterday afternoon Jodi and I drove to the Eastern Mountain Sports
store in West Lebanon, NH, wigth my broken backpack. That is where
Osprey had sent the part to repair my pack. Sure enough, the package
was there, marked in bold to "HOLD FOR APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKER ALLEN
FREEMAN." Their backpack expert, Jeff, and I set out to figure out how
to replace the broken rod. Getting the broken one out was easy enough,
but installing the new one was a whole other story. With the new rod
in place, there is a large flap of fabric at the top of the pack that
has to be stretched until it goes over the rod. This places the whole
mechanism under tension, and gives the pack its stability. When I had
talked to the woman at Osprey she had told me we would have to pry the
fabric over with some kind of lever. Well, we tried several different
tools, and even enlisted the aid of another employee so that there
were three of us trying to lever this rod into place, but to no avail.
After struggling wityh the pack for what must have been close to an
hour, Jeff decided to simply replace my pack wqith a brand new one,
and to send my old one back to Osprey. Considering that I did not buy
my pack at EMS, and that EMS received nothing for all their effort in
helping me try to install the replacement rod, this was a very
generous offer. Jeff went well above and beyond in helping me out, and
I am now the happy owner of a brand new backpack, so I expect no
further troubles in that department for the rest of my hike.

I told Jeff I thought they should hold on to the broken backpack, and
the next time the Osprey rep is in their store, he should ask him to
demonstrate just how easy it is to replace a broken side rod. ;-)

I slept late this morning, then after breakfast did all of my errands;
laundry, food shopping, gear cleaning, etc. The weather is mostly
sunny and dry.I can hardly express how happy it makes me to think of
the trail drying out every day. I am starting to get my hopes up that
this summer's weather pattern has finally broken, and we might get a
string of dry weather.

My next stage of the hike is the 40+ miles from Hanover to Glencliff.
The terrain outside of Hanover starts to get a bit more vertical, and
I have decided that I am not going to push hard for miles for a while,
so I am giving myself four days to get to Glencliff, which gets me
there on Monday. It would do me no good to get there sooner anyway, as
I have a food and equipment drop at the post office there, which I
won't be able to collect until Monday anyway. After Glencliff I head
up into the WHite Mountains, so I will pick up my warm clothing again,
and also my Thermarest pad. I need the Thermarest because I hope to
get work-for-stay at at least some of the AMC Huts in the Whites, and
work-for-stay just gets you a place on the floor to sleep, and
whatever the paying guests don't eat for dinner and breakfast.

Right now I am sitting outside at the hotel typing this. I am thinking
about going swimming in the pool, but that almost seems like too much
work.

Oh, I seem to have created some confusion with my reference to blue
blazing a few days ago. To clear things up, blue blazing means simply
to hike a trail other than the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian
Trail is marked with white blazes, and many side trail are marked with
blue blazes. My reference to blue blazing as a "gateway drug" was just
an analogy, folks! Here are a few definitions to help clear things up:

White blazing - following the Appalachian Trail (AT). Sometimes the
term is used to denote a hiker who makes it a point to pass every
single white blaze along the entire length of the trail. Some hikers
even mark the trail in some way whenever they leave the AT, so that
they can be sure to start back up in the exact same spot.

Blue blazing - walking some trail other than the AT

Yellow blazing - hitching rides along the road, and thus bypassing
parts of the trail. So called because of the yellow lines on a road.

Pink blazing - this can have a couple of different meanings, but
usually it refers to a male hiker who is hiking long, hard days trying
to catch up to a female hiker he has taken a fancy to.

So, I have blue blazed a little bit. I have never yellow blazed, and I
certainly haven't pink blazed, unless you count that morning I nearly
dropped from exhaustion trying to get to my rendezvous with Jodi way
back in Virginia.

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Photos

Photos for the section from Manchester Center VT to Hanover NH are
here: http://www.allenf.com/gallery2/main.php/v/AT2009/ManchesterCenterToHanover/

--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Happy Hill Shelter to Hanover, NH

Wednesday, 8/5

AT Miles = 5.8 / 1736.5
Other Miles = 0.1 / 54.9
Total Miles = 5.9 / 1780.5

Miles to Katahdin = 441.8

It was warm last night.Warm enough, and muggy enough, that I actually
had a bit of trouble sleeping. Also, I think I was just so tired that
it actually made it even harder to relax and fall asleep, if that
makes any sense at all.

I slept a bit later than usual this morning. I usually wake up about
5:30, and lie in my hammock for another 10 or 15 minutes waiting for
it to become just a bit lighter outside before getting up. This
morning I didn't wake up until about 6:10. I knew I had only 3.5 miles
to hike before reaching the town of Norwich, so I didn't even bother
to eat my usual breakfast of cold cereal. Instead I put a granola bar
in my pocket, packed up my gear, and started walking.

Wow. Knowing I had only a few miles to go, and no time pressure on me
today, I relaxed and really enjoyed hiking for the first time in a
long time. By 8:30 I was walking down Elm Street in Norwich, past some
lovely little homes tucked into the lush summer landscape. A few
minutes later I was at the corner of Elm and Main Street, and walked a
block up Main Street to Dan & Whits Grocery, where I bought a bacon,
egg, and cheese sandwich, a bottle of orange juice, and a copy of the
New York Times. I took my purchases back down Main Street to a bench
in front of the post office, where I sat reading the paper, eating my
breakfast snack, and chatting with the occasional passer-by. Boy, was
that wonderful. I so enjoyed this morning. I need to slow down this
hike, even though I am already moving so darned slowly, so I can enjoy
the places and moments that come along.

Eventually, though, I hoisted my backpack onto my back and turned east
heading for the bridge over the Connecticut River and thus into New
Hampshire. I was at the post office in Hanover a few minutes before
10:00, where I picked up my bounce box that I had mailed from
Manchester Center, VT. Then I went outside and sat on a bench while I
waited for Jodi to appear about 10 minutes later.

--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Winturri Shelter to Happy Hill Shelter

Tuesday, 8/4

AT Miles = 20.4 / 1730.7
Other Miles = 0.5 / 54.8
Total Miles = 20.9 / 1774.6

Miles to Katahdin = 447.6

My apologies for being a couple of days late with this entry.
Tuesday's hike just kicked my butt. I started hiking at 6:45 in the
morning, and I hiked hard all day until I finally reached Happy Hill
Shelter at a few minutes before 6:00 in the evening. That made just a
bit over 11 hours to cover less than 21 miles. I sincerely hope it was
because the terrain was difficult, and not that I am simply losing my
ability to hike.

It was really nice outside, and the trail even offered up a nice view
now and then. In the afternoon I came to one spot where there was a
grassy knoll -- not THE Grassy Knoll -- high atop a ridge with a long
view of the Green Mountains stretching into the distance, and someone
had even taken the trouble to put a comfortable looking Adirondack
style chair up there. It looked like a perfect spot to relax for a
while and enjoy life. But I didn't have time to stop, and just pushed
right on through without breaking stride. I find that so frustrating!

When I arrived at Happy Hill Shelter there was one other hiker there;
a young woman with the trail name Nico. I hadn't met her before so I
asked if she was a southbounder. "Well, sort of," she replied. When I
pressed a little bit more, she told me that she had just finished her
northbound thru-hike, and was now hiking back to the Long Trail to
finish hiking that trail as well. So, she left Springer Mountain on
March 25 -- one week after me -- and summited Katahdin on August 2nd.
On the 3rd she got a ride back to Hanover, NH, and was now hiking from
Hanover back to the junction of the Long Trail and the Appalachian
Trail, in Sherburne Pass. I told her I hated her. She understood.

--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

No Blog Tonight

Very tired after hiking 11 hours today. Will catch up tomorrow, from New Hampshire!

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

The Inn at Long Trail to Winturri Shelter

Monday, 8/3

AT Miles = 19.9 / 1710.3
Other Miles = 0.2 / 54.3
Total Miles = 20.1 / 1753.7

Miles to Katahdin = 468.0

Whew! Up, down, repeat ad nauseum. That was today's hike. I haven't had to climb like this since I don't know when. I am tired tonight in a way I haven't been tired since probably back in the Smokies.

One might think that since the trail left the crest of the Green Mountains and turned east towards the Connecticut River, the trail would be gradually descending down to the river valley. Well if one did think that, one would be very stupid. There are multiple ridges to the Green Mountains, and the trail has to climb up and over every one of them before it gets to the river.

Most of these climbs were really steep, and many of them were quite long. And it's not like there is a reward for climbing; maybe a nice view with a sunny spot to sit and rest and appreciate it. Oh, no. This is Vermon t. You climb in the trees. You summit in the trees. You descend in the trees.

I got a late start today, and even though I hiked flat out, it took me from 9:00AM until 6:00PM to cover the twenty miles. And it absolutelt kicked my butt! Tomorrow's hike will be a little bit longer, and I hope my legs recover enough over night to be able to do it.

It's not that I think 20 miles is the perfect distance for a day's hike or anything. Rather, it works out this way because the shelters / campsites in this area are spaced about 10 miles apart, and 10 miles is too short a day so the days end up being 20 miles by default.

I am sharing the campsite tonight with a woman and her son. She started section hiking last summer and is now on her third ever backpacking trip, while this is her son's first ever trip.

Oh, a first today! I met, on the trail, an actual United States Forest Service Ranger. In 1700 miles he is the only USFS or NPS employee I've met out on the trail. I've seen plenty in frontcountry settings, but never in the backcountry.

You might have noticed that I passed the 1700 mile mark today, and I have well under 500 miles to go. I told someone today that I wished the trail were 500 miles shorter, as then I would be done and back home now.

Hiking isn't all misery or anything like that, but it hasn't been fun for quite a while either. I hope it becomes fun again.

Oh, I almost forgot. I spent about 35 minutes on the phone with someone at Osprey this morning, and they are supposed to be shipping the part needed to fix my backpack to the EMS store in Lebanon, NH by Wednesday. I will be in Haanover on Wednesday, and if the stars align correctly Jodi will be meeting me there, so then we can drive over to Lebanon and get my pack fixed. If Jodi does meet me, I will likely take a zero day on Thursday.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com