Date: 2017-08-23
From: US 2, Gorham, NH

To: Success Trail
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today was our last full day in New Hampshire.  We started hiking the Mahoosuc Mountains.  The hike was 15.2 miles on the AT plus 2.5 extra to reach where the van was parked.  The trail was not particularly difficult, but there was just lots of it - lots of uphill, rocks, mud, steep downhills, etc.  Lizzie was tired and stayed with me today.  It took us nearly 12 hours to finish.  Warren picked us up at the hotel at 5:00 so we could be hiking by 5:30.  He was not going to stop for coffee, but Lizzie started questioning him about what was so difficult about the trail that we needed to start early. Then Warren remarked that I was very quiet this morning. I said that I liked to ease into the day and not talk till after I've had my coffee.  "If I don't get any coffee, I could stay like this all day."  He relented, and we got takeout coffee.It was a clear pretty day, and the views from the mountaintops were beautiful.  There was a lot of deep mud on Mount Success, and I had no success avoiding it.  In trying to get around a big mud hole I completely missed the solid land and went into the bog ankle deep.  The mud came over the top of my shoes and soaked my shoes and socks.  So even though there was no rain I'll start tomorrow with wet shoes.  Lizzie and I amused ourselves by figuring out who would play the characters in the Expedition in a movie. Terry Gross would play me, and I would play her interviewing me.  Arlene would appear as herself.  Katie Couric would play Terri.  Warren would be an animated character.  Bill Nye the Science Guy would play Bill. I can't remember who we picked to play Rennie.  We didn't cast the Lizzie part.Guest hiker: We have a new guest hiker.  Randy is a retired school principal from the Lexington, Kentucky area and is section hiking the AT.  For the past several years he's been alternately hiking for two weeks, then going home for two weeks.  (This seems like it would be a really difficult way to do it.  He's probably just starting to get fit when he leaves for home and loses the fitness he gained before returning to the trail again.)  He's going to be with us till Rangeley, ME.  When we were packing our food for tomorrow he said, "You guys are really fit."  I reminded him that we just hiked 1900 miles worth of mountains to get that way.  Guest hiker: We also have an 82-year-old man, Grey Beard the Adventurer, who's trying to set a record as the oldest person to thru hike the AT.  He has about 700 miles left to do and is starting to doubt that he can finish.  He stays and travels in a van outfitted with a bed and storage space.  Hiking with our group alleviates the need to locate people to shuttle him to the trail or his van.  He joined us the day we started up Mt Washington.  Guest hiker: Bobby Joe, who is about 66 or 67, is a retired Delta pilot from the Atlanta area.  He's been hiking for many years, having started when his son was in Boy Scouts.  He's tall, has long legs, and hikes fast.  He started the trail very early this year intending to do a thru hike, but he broke his ankle in February and had to go back home till it healed.  He returned to the trail with his truck but generally spends nights in a hammock.  He joined our group in Hanover, NH.  He generally hikes south with Rennie.  He intends to stay with us till we reach Mt Katahdin, then go back to make up the miles he missed.  Today we passed the 1900 mile mark - actually three of them.  I'm not sure which is correct, but I photographed the one on Wocket Ledge because it had the best view (see photo above).  Tomorrow we cross into Maine, our last state.  We have less than 300 miles to go.