Date: 2017-06-22
From: Liberty Campsite

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Woke early thanks to the longest days of the year giving me a boost.  Stacey and Kai headed off pretty early while I sat and polished off some homemade breakfast fruit leather.  They are hiking the Pemigewasset Trail.  It turns out that the Whites are a maze of trails that span the peaks and connect ridges and basically keep the hikers guessing which way to go.  I camel-ed up on electrolyte drink and headed uphill.  My quads were sore from yesterday's cramping.  Ouch.  Uphill I missed the turn to stay on the AT and instead found myself on a short uphill climb to the top of Mt. Liberty, which rewarded me with a great view at last.  They may be tough hiking, but the Whites don't skimp on fantastic views.  I soaked up the panoramic scenery for a few minutes then figured I'd best be heading out.  Ahead of me lay Haystack, the Franconia Ridge, Lincoln, and Lafayette, before I dipped below treeline again.  I wasn't sure how difficult the hike would be, and I am slow on uphills and downhills too.  On the flats I can hold my own.Well the trail after Liberty went along the flats for a bit and I enjoyed that part of the hike, taking advantage of the easy leg-swinging rhythm. Before long the fir and spruce gave way to open views and I was heading out on the famous Franconia Ridgeline.  Oh the beauty of that ridge!  On one side there was, in the far distance, glimmerings of civilization as tiny dot houses and barns.  On the other side of the ridge there was a vast expanse of nothing but hills and trees and sky and more and more and more.  My god I was stunned by the enormity of this place.  Such wilderness!  Such breathtaking beauty!  Everyone should get here.  See this.  Feel this.  It is transcending.  It is a spiritual explosion.I have to admit that I sort of stumbled a bit on the ridge.  The view was so fabulous that it was hard to focus on the trail surface.  But I had to move on ultimately since my first option for rest would be a tent site around 7.5 miles from my start point.  The view was perfect and the trail was challenging.  It was an up/down/up/down trail that entered the treeline again and then became very challenging.  I moved at about 1 mph - very slowly in other words - due to the rigor of the trail.  I was tired by the time I reached the campground since I'd been hiking almost steadily for nearly 8 hours, except for the time I'd spent filtering water and drinking electrolyte solution.  The campground was a decision point.  Do I keep going and try to reach Galehead Hut?  Do I set up here and try out another tent platform?  Heavy rain was in the forecast which pushed me toward the Hut, but my energy level was hitting LOW.  I had a snack and some more water, lifted my pack, and started down the trail.  Decision made.  Now I had to live up to it.  2.7 miles to go and I began to realize that I was struggling physically and mentally.  I kept thinking about how tired I was, how weak and shaky my legs felt, how creaky and old I felt.  It was a litany of woe, really.  This was not how to hike the Whites.  I had to change my mantra and came up with one that will probably sound ridiculous at other times in other places.  It was:  I feel young, I feel fresh, I feel capable, I feel strong.  I repeated this over and over, both aloud not.  Just over and over.  Step by step.  It worked.  The miles began to disappear without the same level of pain and distress.  I made it to Galehead Hut, about 11 hours of nearly continuous hiking, completely done and completely grateful for dinner and a bunk.  I cleaned up as best I could, ate dinner and fell into bed.