This post is going to be oddly phrased. I’ve been writing over several days so “todays” and “yesterdays” are going to be off. Also, I seem to have service about a quarter of the time as my hiking mates. Assuming the older phone is the problem. :/
A few days ago, I was about a mile from the planned camping site and it just started pouring down rain. That’s the mountains I guess. I walked for about 20 minutes getting soaked and made it to a shelter where everyone was huddled up. The rain stopped about an hour later. Only 3 others stayed in the shelter so I called it a night and stayed in there as well.
The next day was beautiful! I caught up with the group at the summit of Smarts Mountain. We got an amazing view of the Whites as well as Vermont mountains from a fire tower on Smarts Mountain. My favorite part was all the wild blueberries along the way! So nom.
The next day we tackled Mount Moosilauke our first of the 4000+ foot mountains in New Hampshire. That sight was incredible! The climb down was right by a waterfall the whole time. It was really really steep and a slow descent. We continued on and went into Lincoln where we stayed at a donation-based hostel owned by a thru hiker, Chet. He’s a super nice guy!
We crossed 1800 miles meaning we have <400 miles to go!
Two days ago in the morning I got to hold a mammoth fibula or tibia. Then got back on the trail and hiked 8 miles. It’s a shorter day but that’s expected in this area. We have exactly 100 miles left of NH.
Yesterday we started some of the presidentials and climbed Lincoln and Lafayette yesterday. It was a tough climb but an amazing view from the top. We had 3 miles on the ridge above tree line. So. Amazing. Sunset was at 8:12 and I arrived at a stealth camp spot right at that time. It was a really cold night but thankful I was really comfortable.
Today (8/5) we climbed Mount Garfield. It’s been a hot day but nice with the elevation! Starboi was lying on rocks and said, “I can see why reptiles do this all day.” I can’t explain the beauty out here. Pictures do not do this justice. It’s so huge. Amazing. Majestic. Words can’t describe the beauty out here. I thought you could see forever in Texas because of how flat it was… But out here, you truly can see forever. I ended the day picking blueberries as I hiked to find a stealth campsite.
One thing that is annoying is being half way up a mountain and looking up to see you’re only half way up after climbing for an hour plus…. But the hard work is so. Freaking. Worth it.
I have a pet peeve on the trail. Dogs not being leashed. It’s a respect thing for hikers. It’s also a safety thing for the dogs… There was a woman at a hostel who told me about how her dog ran off out of sight; they expected that she was chasing a squirrel or chipmunk. After a few minutes they called out to the dog. No response. They then heard the poor pup squealing and screaming. The dog got her backpack caught on a log. As they approached, she was still squealing. They looked up and but a few feet away was a bear. They’re lucky they didn’t lose that dog that day and a leash could have prevented all of that from happening. A comment was made that they had hiked so many miles without a problem. I replied that it only takes that one mile to lose your dog… /rant
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