Day 33 to 43, Mile 298.2 to 389.4

Day 33, 34, 35 Gorham, NH

Got in the Hiker Yearbook 2015 Edition today!
https://www.facebook.com/thehikeryearbook

We went from mile 286.5 to 298.2 to make it into town. We are thankful to be here because we were in desperate need of water. We started with 5 L at 6:15 AM but were down to 1 L with 4 miles to go. Our filter malfunctioned but our backup worked. However, we didn't come across a water source when we expected to (according to guidebook) because the brook was dried up. We ended up giving Corinne our last bit of water since she was really hot even though Keith was carrying her pack. We made it across the bridge to White Mountains Lodge and got our mail drop. We took the shuttle to Town and Country Inn and enjoyed the hot tub, pool, steam room, and sauna.

Day 36 Gorham, NH

21 miles today!

We are at the Barn Hostel to slackpack the first leg of the Whites. We got dropped off at trail head around 7 AM and hiked 21 miles up and across Wildcat Mountain peaks A,B,C,D, and E. We saw gondolas and observation towers. The white blazes are few and far between but we figured our way from Pickham Notch to Rattlesnake River by 5:30 PM. It took us 10.5 hours to go 21 miles-our biggest mileage day so far! We celebrated by eating dinner at Saalt Pub and slept real good at Libby's B &B (even though it was haunted). We couldn't even stay awake to watch the Goonies 'Movie On The Lawn' that played in the park at 8:30 PM.

Day 37 Madison Hut/Valley Way tent site

We started up with a huge elevation gain for 3 miles via Osgood Trail...really rough until we got above tree line then breathtaking. We got to see Mt. Washington from a distance (2nd highest peak on AT!) One of my favorite hikes overall-even though it began so tough. The trail along the ridge line was rocky and ragged but there were so many cairns along the way it was easy to navigate. First glimpse of famous huts...didn't realize they would be so big....they look just like a stone house/cabin. Tons of day hikers. Big campsite along the VW. SEE VIDEO BELOW!

Day 38 Lake of the Clouds Hut 5106 ft.

We are in the dungeon-seriously. We are staying in the "emergency" shelter below the AMC hut at mile 334.2 because the huts don't take dogs. No dogs allowed because the huts serve food but we don't mind the lodging because thru hikers get the leftovers from dinner that they serve to their bunkhouse guests. Also, it was so cloudy and windy and wet today that we were grateful to have a place to get out of the harsh elements. Still cold down underground but if Corinne is warm enough to sleep then we are too! Sure do wish I was on a cruise ship to the tropics right about now! Bummer of a day though...couldn't see Mt. Washington or view from it for that matter...couldn't even see 10 feet in front of my face for the whole day. Went 7 miles in 7 hours; slow. Trying not to slip on slick rocks. Only busted it a few times-mentally exhausted from watching every single step and trying to control my forward momentum. Corinne did a fantastic job trail blazing. I am beginning to wonder if she knows to follow the cairns!?! We know now that she is not following the white blazes because you couldn't see them today-too foggy; zero visibility. Proud of Keith for keeping up with her so we didn't get lost-would be cool if we could track scent as well as hound dogs. Corinne was such a trooper and was truly our guardian angel guard dog/guide dog. The favorite part of the day was listening to the ecology presentation about the White's alpine zone. I learned that the record high on Mt. Washington is 72 F. CRAZY!

The Dungeon

Day 39  Crawford Notch Campground

11.3 miles in 8 hours

Woke up at 4:30 AM to the most breathtaking sunrise-especially so because we didn't even get a glimpse of the Whites yesterday through all the drab. We could see view of Mt. Washington up close and the colors were so vibrant. SEE VIDEO BELOW! Really enjoyed hike down to road even though it was wet and slippery rock. Although we slid on our bottoms most of the way-think water slide! It rained so much that we were walking into and out of flash food rain wash waterfalls. Although it was easier on our eye--hand (foot) coordination because we didn't have to avoid the puddles and pools of water...instead we just waded right through them. Overall, our day was full of the lesser of the two evils, so we called it a great day! Got to mail drop/dog food at AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Highland Center and Corinne got lots of love because grounds are not pet-friendly and visitors must have been missing theirs. We met lots of friendly animal lovers and answered questions about what it is like being an AT thru-hiker...many curious outdoor enthusiasts at AMC Center. We are staying at sweet riverside campsite waiting out bad weather and getting ready for next leg of the Whites. It is tough physically but not nearly as terribly terrific as Maine.

Day 40 Crawford Notch Campground ZERO DAY!

Sat on shore of the river all day. There were designs people made with the rocks on the beach so we enjoyed walking along the water and looking at the "alien artwork." We stayed out long enough to watch the sunset and even see some stars! We loved being outside all day on our zero day-we are not used to being able to since we usually stop in town. We were extra careful to follow our bear safety rules since we saw a bear! Our first sighting of a black bear cub since we started trail. Way cool! We watched it from across the river looking for food. Sorry/not sorry that Corinne missed it-she was already asleep in the tent.

Day 41 Stealth Camping

15.3 miles in 9.5 hours

BUT 13 miles in 6.5 hours from Crawford Notch to Gale River Trail. We were able to make such great time this AM because we had the best terrain yet. There are more gradual inclines and the descents are still steep but there are rocks spaced apart just right...think nature's staircase. It was still a pain in the knees, but we are able to move a little faster-love single stepping. Thanks NH! Much better than the "Paul Bunyan" steps in Maine! We got soaked in the rain showers right before we made it to camp spot so we had to quickly pitch tent. I didn't mind being wet/cold since we had been so hot/sweaty all day. Go figure.

Day 42 Liberty Springs Campsite (AMC)

10 miles in 6.5 hours

Today we summited Mt. Guyot (4,597 ft.), South Twin (4,902 ft.), Mt. Garfield (4,500 ft.), Mt. Lafayette (5,291 ft.), Mt. Lincoln (5, 089 ft.), and Little Haystack Mt. (4,800 ft.) then descended via Franconia Ridge Trail. We saw the most people we have ever seen on the trail today, but mostly day-hikers and a lot of foreign visitors. However, we have not seen any dogs! We loved watching folks love on Corinne. She did great today since Keith was carrying her pack. He had to because it was still soaked from yesterday and her harness rubs her too bad if its wet-no wonder she seemed so happy. I thought she really must have been enjoying the spectacular views-we were! The rain made the morning cool, but it was exceptionally chilly since we had to put on wet clothes! It warmed up nice but it wasn't so hot that we had to stop and filter water. Actually we didn't stop at all. The cloud cover burned off at the perfect times and we had the best 270 degree views of the rest of the Presidentials. We could see all the ridges and it was fun knowing what to expect next since we could actually see the trail's path. We walked 2 miles straight above tree line surrounded by sheer cliffs of rock; lots of alpine zone...no bugs! Loving the cooler weather but not so much at night. Good thing Corinne is here to keep our feet warm!

Also, I now understand why the Whites got their name.

FUN FACT: Many "white mountains" are so named because of their appearance when covered with snow. The Whites of New Hampshire, in particular, have also been called the "Crystal Hills" when their snow caps were viewed from far out to sea in the Atlantic.

Day 43 Eliza Brook Shelter/Campsite

The Whites are not easing up on us yet. Kinsman really rocked our world-literally. Although the trail into Lincoln, NH was delightful; gradual downhill to start the morning and we even got to go under the highway! The trail to the hut was an uphill battle-but flat! So we were able to go 5.7 miles in 3 hours. The Lonesome Lake Hut is by far our favorite AMC Hut-the scenery was spectacular and the layout was huge. The ascent up to N. Kinsman and back down to S. Kinsman was a total of 4,000 ft. elevation change. The climb was the steepest we have done since the 100 Mile Wilderness in ME. Keith had to help Corinne down several rock faces, using her harness, the most times today since the 100 Mile Wilderness. Then we did 5.8 miles in 4 hours-slow due to all the rock scrambling. I am using only one pole so that I can have a free hand to grip on tight. It was not a graceful technical climb at all! We finally made it to Eliza Brook and walked parallel to it for 0.8 miles-GORGEOUS! One of my top favorite hikes because the 'brook' was more like a series of waterfalls spilling into deep pools of clear water lined with giant boulders. We enjoyed the endless cascade full of swimming holes all the way to the tent site. Also, Eliza Brook was our favorite shelter/tentsite so far-its brand new! The best part is that we have the place to ourselves! It was super weird sharing a campground with 'the public' last night. Although, non thru-hikers sure do smell nice!