Date: 2022-07-27
From: Zeta Pass

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Joni had one of the best nights of sleep yet. The woods in Zeta Gap were dark, quiet, and we were far away from the footpath. It was one of the coldest nights, too; probably in the mid forties. We had 13 miles of trail to cover before meeting Mom & Dad in Gorham. Joni and I got moving at 6:00 and had our bags packed in about 20 minutes. We got the boys moving as I started water boiling. We haven¢t done hot breakfasts on the trail. I¢ve boiled water for coffee on occasion but we¢ve relied on bagels, bars, pop tarts, and honeybuns for our morning calories. We¢ve overheard and participated in several conversations over the past week where seasoned NOBOs say they¢re getting 1000 calories at breakfast. That¢s bonkers. I can do that at Reid¢s cafe with a plateful of food but getting it on the trail is not easy. Hot breakfast is one way to get those calories in. It comes at the expense of time and fuel. I brought along instant oatmeal and instant grits packets. We carefully poured the hot water into the packets themselves. Grits got bacon bits poured in them. I¢d like to get cheese in there, too, in the future. Everyone had two of these packets for breakfast. I added a bar and a ¢cup¢ of vanilla coffee (protein powder and instant coffee made in doubled up grits packets). I¢m not sure if I hit 1000 calories but I must have come close. I did feel much better than usual walking out of camp. A breakfast like that keeps the fire burning longer. Mount Moriah is the last of the peaks in the Whites. As we made our way towards the summit throughout the morning we got some impressive views of the presidential range. The clouds and light made them a new sight each time they came into view. The range is a pretty imposing spectacle. We were glad to be northbound with the memories instead of southbound with the unanswered questions.We ate an early lunch at Imp campsite. Jasper and I walked the 0.3 of a mile to the shelter and campsite to get water. It was stunningly quiet. It made me want to set up camp there at 10:30 and listen to the forest for the rest of the day. The shelter was a newly built, log cabin style structure. The water was flowing down a rock slab next to a rock wall for 20 yards. Moriah came and went with little pomp or circumstance. The White Mountains are behind us! The White Mountain National Forest continues north of Gorham for another 10 miles but it has no more major peaks. Dad was waiting for us on the south side of US 2. He had left Mom on a park bench in town so there would be room in the truck. As we passed the park on the way to the pizza joint Dad dropped me off to hang out with her. The pizza joint didn¢t have Wi-Fi - a deal breaker since Joni was uploading videos. We all eventually ended up at the BBQ place. We toasted July and our successes. Mom and Dad have been a huge help to us. I¢m writing this after they¢ve left us. We have 5 days of food on our bags - more than we¢ve ever had. Having them here in Vermont and New Hampshire has allowed us to carry only two or three days at a time. They slackpacked us twice - once on a key stretch of trail over Moosilauke. We spent several nights at the camper complete with dinners and breakfasts. Grandies sandwich lunch in Clarendon Gorge was a Vermont highlight. We had dinner with them in Manchester and again in Gorham. Dad was with us at Moe¢s on the ride from Rutland to Hanover. The truck came in handy for Rutland X-rays and the North Conway REI run. We seemed to have timed the ¢boost¢ pretty well. Skipping a section of trail was a tough decision but lining up their help with our trail was worth the extra logistics. Grandie says it was like a mission trip - you¢re just out there helping other people. We feel honored to have been helped. After dinner we distributed the resupply food. Mom & Sad made one more run to dollar general for us. We packed packs and said goodbye to Grandie. She waited at the Dunkin Donuts next door while we all loaded up the truck. Dad drove us back to the trail and we hauled our stuff 100 yards into the woods where we set up camp for the night. After meeting us at Stratton-Arlington road on July 4 two hundred trail miles ago, we said goodbye on Hogan Road in Gorham, New Hampshire. Thank you, Mom & Dad.