Date: 2003-09-02
From: Hanover, NH - Glencliff, NH

To: Hanover, NH - Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 43.5
Weather: light rain

Hanover, NH - Glencliff, NH43.5 miles (1774.1 total miles)It was a busy zero day on day 151. We drove first thing out to Glencliff to pick up mail drops, so we wouldn't have to wait there for the holiday weekend to pass. Mine still hadn't arrived. I was nervous, as my winter clothes was in that package. Then we drove to EMS, Friendlys, the grocery store, and to rent a video for the night. All of this was made possible by our amazing hosts, Rick and Jeannie, who just gave us the keys to their car for the day. We came back, and barbequed for the evening. Their neighbor, Bob, came over with a homemade dessert for the hikers. Then we watched The Blair Witch Project. We all immediately spotted a white blaze in the movie, as it was filmed on the AT.We did a 20 mile slack on day 152. We had a quick breakfast and headed out. Once again we used their car for the day. Hopeful and Double Dare dropped Last Minute, Charity, Willow, and I off in Hanover, then drove to a road crossing 20 miles away. We hiked past the Dartmouth College sports fields, then slowly up. It started with an easy, gradual ascent.We finally hit a steady ascent up Moose Mountain. We stopped for lunch at the top. It was about the halfway point, and we met Hopeful and Double Dare on top. They gave us the key to the car, so we could drive back to pick them up. From there the trail got tougher. The climb down from Moose Mountain was tougher than the ascent. The trail crossed a stream and road, then immediately headed straight back up. Finally after another moderate peak, we headed back down to the truck. We had dinner and headed back to Rick and Jeannie's.We had to slow down a little to get mail my drop after the holiday weekend, so we zeroed again on day 153. Henry and Linda drove us around Hanover so we could eat and shop and do what we needed to. We got food to get us to Glencliff, then food to get 3 days past Glencliff. We left our food at the hostel in Glencliff to pick up later. We had dinner at Applebees, then crashed for the night.We had breakfast in Hanover on day 154. Thanks so much to Henry and Linda for breakfast, the hotel rooms, and shuttling us around. You have been too generous to us! We said goodbye and headed up the trail. The trail ascended straight up Smarts Mountain. It was a long arduous climb. After 2 zeroes and a slack, it took some time. We hiked on, higher and higher until we finally hit the summit. There was a firetower with beautiful views of the White Mountains.We hung around the summit for a while, then headed down. It was a long slow downhill. We did a few miles, crossed a bridge, then headed straight back up. I was exhausted. We stopped at the Hexacube Shelter at about 9.5 miles on the day, halfway up Mt. Cube. By the time I had dinner and set up the tent, it was dark. The days were getting shorter, and the miles were getting harder.I overslept on day 155 and didn't get out until 8:00. We left the shelter, and finished the ascent up Mt. Cube. There was an incredible view of the blue mountains with clouded valleys below. We hung out for a while, watching the fog roll in and out. We hiked down the steep and rocky path.We hit a road 5 miles into the day. It was 12:00. It took us 4 hours to do 5 miles. Why are we so slow??? We sat at the roadside, fantasizing that someone would show up and give us a slack. Suddenly a truck with an AT sticker pulled up. An AT groupie offered us a slack if we would help move a rock out of his friend's yard. We needed it. We slacked the last 10 miles in 4.5 hours. We got to the hostel in Glencliff, helped move the rock, and ordered dinner.Next up is the White Mountains. I am nervous because I have been so exhausted lately. But I have confronted all the other challenges of the AT, so I can face the Whites. The is the section of the AT that the the northbounders have been talking about for 1700 miles. And tomorrow I journey off into it. How exciting! 398.5 miles to Katahdin!