Date: 2014-07-07
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.8

Whelp this is a half post. I'm currently sitting in a Starbucks (I know!) in Hanover New Hampshire, home of Dartmouth, sipping a latte, stinking up the place and charging my phone. Only five miles into the day so I'll chat a bit then head out for the last ten. This is the last trail town (where the trail actually passes though town) of the trip so I'm savoring the moment. And for a trail town it's a doozy. Fancy restaurants, a J Crew store, Starbucks. I haven't seen anything like it except for in NYC since I started. For the next four weeks it's hitching rides and dehydrated food.   It's also visits from friends and family and a little relief from the trail so their timing is impeccable! The bigger issue is the White Mountains are in three days and are generally considered the toughest part of the trail. Comparably huge ascents and descents. Erratic weather. The windiest mountain on earth. Can't wait! . Did I also say yet that I'm getting tired? I'm ready to wind this thing down but have to stay steely for another week or so until they're done with. I'm tired of being smelly and my clothes being dirty. And as Survivorman said - tired of being tired. So let me back up to this morning which has all been great and get you up to speed. Another great nights sleep on the spruce needles with a rushing creek as a little white noise. I really like the crowd I'm with and am sad were splitting up. Survivorman has a short day. Flossie and Gray Squirrel are going to stay at an organic farm and Inflammable hikes very fast and far so may go beyond where I am. Plus Survivorman and I both now have schedules. He's got a flight home booked and I'm meeting a friend so it's heading into the Whites a lone warrior. We all left about twenty minutes apart for the few miles into Norwich. In a creek right before the road someone had snugged bottles of beer all around as magic! Love it. They weren't twist off and I could have used my new lighter skill to uncap one but it was buried in my pack so I left them for someone else. Shortly after I hit the road. A beautiful little neighborhood on a hill and look there MORE trail magic! At someone's mailbox was watermelon and bread with a bunch of information about services in the local area. Going to be a good day. It's a long walk downhill. Probably a mile, onto the Main Street that eventually crossed under a highway then over the Connecticut river and into my thirteenth state right at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. There's some money in this town. I feel very out of place but have gotten more car honks in support then anywhere. The trail goes right through campus. Kind of like hiking down the Drag in Austin. Now were up to date. I'm sitting at the Starbucks and still have to get cash for the huge fees in the Whites, stop by the outfitters, get a little resupply, have a big lunch (thinking pizza - a place down the street offers a free slice to hikers) them back out there.Not sure what phone service will be like. Thinking pretty thin. Planning on staying at a hostel just before Mt Moosilauke and will get all charged up and my last resupply but imagine until I'm through the Whites you won't hear from me. Or maybe service will be great and you'll hear a lot from me.Later in the day:Pretty good day! Talk about trail magic. After Starbucks I walked across the street to the outfitter. Ran into Survivorman happy with a bottle of coke. He's going to hang out for the day as the next shelter is only 1.4 miles out of town. I'm going a further 9.5 beyond that so I wont get much time. Outfitter was more clothing but they were super nice and let me stash my bag there while I walked around town. Went next door to the gas station to resupply. Hate doing that. It's basically ramen and Vienna sausage as your choices so it'll be a blah two days but the market is a co-op and I'm worried they'll only have more perishable stuff. Decided I wanted lunch too and walked down to the pizza place. Found Inflammable on the way and we both went in. Guidebook says free slice for thru hikers and it was right. Trail magic three! Ordered more food too and saw Survivorman was there. I am more than full now.Forecast is for rain (again!). We had such good weather for a long time, now it's heavy rain every four days or so. Said my goodbyes and headed out of town. Passed the coop and I was wrong - seems a regular super market. Bummer. You walk right by the market parking and into the woods. Trail magic 4! Two 12 packs of Dr Pepper and ginger ale. If I wasn't already so hydrated and caffeinated I'd have grabbed one but needed to move. New Hampshire has got it good. Really pretty. And these cute hand carved directional signs. I like it. Trail is well maintained too. Wish they could do something about the bugs. I only have to hike about four hours so I think I'll avoid the rain but after just an hour the skies got dark, the wind picked up, I heard some rumbles and then the rain started. I really good heavy shower. And the whole previous hour I was looking out for all these overhangs that I could have crouched under but now of course there's nothing. Not a rock. In fact I'm in a clearly planted forest. All pines, all the same height, and all in a grid. A little surreal and 17th century French garden estate. Kinda cool really but the rain was a drag. Never got bad, just heavy rain. What are ya gonna do? I was drenched and my shoes all squishy but it eventually ended. Passed a lot of hikers including the same odd man twice who I think was out collecting mushrooms and wouldn't say anything but just wave. Then I passed the standard group of fifteen or so Boy Scouts and they're scout master. They were not a friendly group. I think the rain made them all miserable. And I knew one thing - I'd see them later at the shelter so I might as well hustle to find a good hidden campsite away from them. Boy Scouts can be loud and often a little weird. Got to the shelter about 5:30 and it's a very regimented place. Only a few tent sites marked so I took one up a hill. Happy to have the wet pack off. Decided to set up my tent, throw everything in, then do every chore I could so I could just peel off these clothes and sit in my dry tent breaking the "no eating in your tent" rule. I got it all set up, hung my bear rope, filled all my water bottles, and washed off. Nice being dry but annoying that I'll have to wear cold wet clothes in the morning.