Date: 2016-08-09
From: Gorham, NH

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

After a very tough sixty mile stretch of the trail, I was supposed to zero today. That didn't quite happen....I arrived at the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel, and, quite happily, found Cinderella and Waterboy already checked in. I had met them early on in their SoBo trek, but hadn't seen them in some time. The White Mountains are a particularly intimidating section of the trail for thru-hikers. Part of that is due to the excitement and anxiety generated by the elevations involved and the long, unprotected stretches above tree line. But another part is due to the "logistics" of hiking through them: How many miles per day should one count on? Where best to stay? How much food to carry? What are the best options should the weather close in?When I arrived at the hostel, I asked for input on my plan from Marnie, Melissa and Mellow, the staff there. To a person, they recommended that I hike the very first section of the Whites, between Gorham and Pinkham Notch, twenty-one miles in all, in one day! That being far beyond my mileage expectations for this part of the AT, it took me a while to wrap my head around it. But when I better understood their reasoning, and heard that Cinderella and Waterboy had already signed on, I jumped aboard, and pushed off my zero until the next day. Hiking the 21 miles in one day would be a significant challenge. Between Gorham and Pinkham Notch stood the Carter-Moriah Range and the Wildcats, with elevations topping 4,800 feet. With the satisfaction I felt still fresh from tackling the mountains of Maine in rather good form, I was ready to take it on. Since we would be returning to the hostel after what would prove to be a long day of hiking, I did not need to carry my tent, sleeping bag, stove and other gear required for overnight tenting. Instead, I would carry only a day pack, with food, water, layers, rain gear, head lamp and emergency gear. With a pack weighing about 12 pounds, half of what I would normally carry, I set out with Cinderella and Waterboy. We'd be hiking from Pinkham Notch back to the hostel in Gorham to simplify the logistics. This way, the steep climb up the Wildcats would come early. The weather, especially for the White Mountains, was ideal. As we climbed up and up, the views we had of the Presidential Range on the other side of Pinkham Notch were spectacular, whetting our appetites for what was to come in the next few days. With Waterboy out front, putting on a spirited pace, we hiked up and out of Pinkham Notch, up and over the Wildcats, and then climbed through the Carters and Mt. Moriah. Our experiences in Maine had prepared us well for the drops in between the various peaks we climbed. Without the burden of full packs, we kept moving at the fast clip we knew we had to maintain to get the twenty-one miles done before daylight faded. Our last climb, up Mt. Moriah, was particularly wonderful, and not just because it was the day's final ascent. The trail up followed bedrock almost the whole way, and the late afternoon views in all directions, softened by the sinking sun, were breathtaking. It was a joy to be in alpine surroundings late on a summer day in great weather. The hike down off of Mt. Moriah back to Gorham was long and very wearying on legs already tested by such an extended day. By the time we pulled into the hostel at 7:30 pm, we had been on the trail for 11.5 hours. I was thrilled with how well I had responded to the challenge. With Cinderella and Waterboy leading the way and providing welcome camaraderie, what could have been a tedious march was instead a real joy. What a wonderful way to start my trek through the White Mountains. Tomorrow's zero will be welcome and well-deserved.