Date: 2008-06-26
From: Hanover NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Here is the story of my 11 day hike in the woods¢¦a wonderful walk across New Hampshire on the Appalachian Trail from Hanover NH to the Maine border, or at least as far as I could get in two weeks. A good two weeks to walk, think, enjoy.The first day was a dull one. Up early, going over the list of stuff I had brought, thinking 42 times I forgot something (how could I with a 46lb pack!). My eternal thanks to Cindy who put up with my nuttiness leading up to the hike and actually getting up early to drop me off on the trail. After my lack of preparedness in getting the actual starting point (like directions to the AT trail over the Connecticut River!) I was off. The whole time I was thinking I was going to get in after dark. Not a good start. But you know what¢¦after many winter hikes of everything between 5 and 12 miles in all kinds of snow, ice, and everything in between, I sort of forgot how fast the miles go underfoot in the summer. For a fat man with one square wheel it was nearly light speed! Six hours and 11 miles later I¢m on the final ascent to Moose Mountain. There wasn¢t a lot to see or talk about on this overcast day, not that the mountain had all that much to see on a good day. I saw a ¢commercial¢ maple sap line. It was about 30 nice trees linked together with a tube with ends in the trees. There was an end where a large bucket was attached during sap season to collect it all. It was such a thrill I just walked past without a second thought. Well, there was a second thought¢¦.that of a news blurb on a local station years ago where the squirrels were getting stuck and drowned in the old fashioned buckets. I remember them showing a pic on the news. Like I said, it was a lot of years ago and once again, it really was a pretty boring day one. Continuing on, the day¢s climbs were small, the walk pretty flat, and the views non-existent. I¢m certainly looking forward to the big hills but glad after a winter of walking with snowshoes underfoot I get to seemingly run through the woods! I guess the highlight of the day was meeting a pair of section hikers. Like me, they were doing New Hampshire but they (or the Dad) also added in the Maine section. Let me describe my new trail pals for the day; Brian, a 55+ year old, very out of shape father and ¢ex-Army Ranger¢, was ¢planning¢ on doing the whole section. He had set aside 40 days of his life to do this as a test for doing the entire AT in the upcoming hiking season. Upon seeing him struggle with a 50+ pound bag, hiking sandals, and a body full of cotton I really had my doubts. His son whom I¢ll nickname ¢J¢ because I just can¢t remember his name was a very in shape college age kid. I should say, a strapping young man with a pretty funny outlook on Dad¢s adventure. ¢Mom sent me to make sure he doesn¢t get himself killed the first week¢¦this was all his idea!¢ I got to see how enthused he was later on when I saw them on the trails and he let ¢the old man¢ struggle mightily, though short of hurting himself. Dad earned the trail name ¢Peg Leg¢ the moment I met him. It stuck even after he found the cause of his discomfort days later as a blister forming on his big toe which migrated under his nail. OUCH!So, funny remembrances day one. On the ascent to Moose Mountain no more then a mile from the shelter I first ran into Brian. I stopped and chatted a few minutes as I like to do, passed on my ¢good luck to you¢ before I wandered on. He didn¢t show up at the shelter for over two hours. Kind of funny in itself as that is a screaming 12 mile per hour! What was even better was his son ¢J¢ sitting in a hammock as I strolled in, sipping on water and eating snacks when he asked if I saw a ¢fat old man¢ somewhere on the way and ¢if he was still walking¢. The second was a little later when I decided against the primary water site as it was nothing but a disgusting mud puddle. I¢ve slurped some crappy goo from some shit-holes while hiking but this was too much even for me. I decided with Brian to strike out for the secondary which wasn¢t in my AT guide but where someone had noted in the shelter log book. Well, since it was 34 of a mile back I told Brian I¢d get there, find it, and wait for him. Well, I took a left first because the shelter book mentioned only the intersection of the two trails. Fifteen minutes later I¢m back waterless in a pouring rain with no sign of Brian. Off to the right side trail, another ¢run¢ down 12 mile and no water. Now it¢s monsooning and still no sign of Brian. I figure I¢ll head back thinking he¢s on the trail still hobbling towards me, that¢s how slow he was. Well, I¢m back at the hut, off the other side to the primary water source now flowing freely with monsoon water and back for ninety minutes worrying. I ask J; ¢think we should go for him?¢ His response¢¦¢he¢s slow, fat, but never stops. He¢ll get here sooner or later. I did see him wearing his headlamp, he¢ll be back!¢ At this point even the three thru-hikers were wondering when we see a light approach in the dark very slow with a smiling Brian with his bladders full of water. I couldn¢t stop laughing!