Date: 2015-07-24
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 52.7
Weather: few clouds

7/20 Day 48 14 miles M403.3Began at 6:45am with a hike up Mt. Moosilauke, the final of the White Mountains, summitted by the AT as I move southward. The trail was very steep on the ascent alongside a fantastic and seemingly endless waterfall backlit by the morning sun overlooking Kinsman Notch. The pics do not do it justice. The thunderstorms yesterday and overnight made the climb more precarious so I had to take it one step at a time. The top (above the tree line) opened up to an occasional view between the remaining clouds from the storm. I could see a number of towns - unlike in Maine where towns could rarely be seen, even from the highest peaks, and then never more than one at a time. The descent was very slow once I moved back below the treeline. All the many, many rocks that were the trail were wet and all very slippery. I fell a couple of times when my feet couldn't grip a rock as I assumed it would. No harm done.Moosilauke took me 5.5 hours to ascend and descend. Then down to lower elevation, the trail character changed... easier to walk, maybe even stride. Had to ford across Oliverian Brook, first ford in NH. After climbing Webster and Mt. Mist, the trail became a slog through mud. As I approached NH 25C (road) and crossed Ore Hill Brook, I noticed a most excellent tent site. I convinced myself I'd walked 14 miles and was ready to stop anyway. I enjoyed a night in the tent, good water, and had a nice conversation with a Brit who was waiting at the road by the trailhead for his 22-year old daughter, "Copperhead", to complete the same 14-mile hike I had just hiked. Nice conversation, works for Microsoft and lives in Singapore now. He'd hiked 3 days with his daughter and now has a much better sense of what she's been doing during her NOBO hike from Georgia. I invited him to sit down in my camp space but he said he was unable to sit after having hiked with his daughter.7/21 Day 49 10 Miles M413.5Slow to start out of the tent. I enjoyed the privacy a tent affords and was able to sleep into the morning without hearing snoring and other hikers packing their gear (which I'm often one of the early gear-packers). So much mud today! Nice view on the 2000' Mt. Cube. Came to Hexacuba Shelter and time to decide if I go further or call it a day. 10 miles, and a storm seemed imminent, I chose the shelter. Hexacuba is a six-sided shelter. Rained all night. Very glad I didn't push on and stayed dry instead.7/22 Day 50 17.7 miles M431.2Trail much easier today. Not nearly as muddy, even with the rain. Met many NOBO's today, perhaps 20. Most seem very tired and want to get the hike over with. LOTS of women, several older. Many of the women are solo thru-hikers.I hiked over Smart Mountain with a fire tower. Views are nice. Also, the shelter here is the old fire warden's cabin. Down to the Grafton Turnpike and up to Holts Ledge, very precipitous drop-offs, cliffs, and nice views.   Then nice trail for another 5 miles during which I stopped at the home of Bill Ackerly, known as 'the ice cream man'. He wasn't home but left his screened porch open for hikers to help themselves to free ice cream, water from his hose, a game of croquet, use of the porta-potty he has on his property, and also invites hikers to pitch their tent in his yard if they wish, or if raining may sleep on his porch. He is a true trail angel. I felt refreshed after a short break and a little ice cream.   I stopped at Moose Mountain Shelter with the best view from the front of a shelter yet.7/23 Day 51 11 miles M442.1Very easy trail today, made 11 miles by 11:00am when I arrived in Hanover. Had lunch, picked up a resupply box from the PO, had a Starbucks, then took the free bus about 4 miles to check into the Days Inn. Soaked my feet in Epsom salts then watched TV until I was saturated with it. Boy, it's been nice not hearing the news for about 7 weeks! The trail is definitely a healthier, more safe place to be.7/24 Day 52 0.0 M442.1Was nice to spend some of the day on the Dartmouth campus. Nice to sleep in a motel... finally some private alone time after 50 days of shelters and hostels. Nice. Planned hike through Vermont.I have now hiked 20% of the AT and have completed 2 of 14 states. Glad not to be tied to a schedule and have the freedom to adjust hiking to what I need each day. I feel winter nipping at my heels, though, as my current pace has me home by February. I suspect my miles per day will begin to pick up as I have now completed 90% of the most technically difficult and challenging sections of the trail.On to Vermont...[Editorial note: loading pictures remains a challenge. Will update as I can]