Still hiking south

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Since we last checked in from the Mizpah Spring Hut, we have covered many miles on the trail. Thankfully the hiking has been much better than it was that dreadful day on the Presidential range. Though we encountered more cold winds and frozen precipitation, the rest of New Hampshire's high peaks were more manageable.
On the Franconian ridge we did spend another night in an AMC hut but under much different circumstances. When we arrived after battling the wind and rain, the croo was out of character. That night they did not have any guests and the dinner tables were being used to play beer pong. Because of this, we were able to arrange a stay with food but without any of the annoying chores of a usual work for stay.
The day after we left the AMC hut corridor, the weather took a turn for the better. The clouds broke to expose the sun that we had not seen for nearly two weeks. This was the start of a long stretch of unbelievably nice weather. Fueled by the pleasant weather, we flew through the remaining miles in New Hampshire. We pushed a 36 mile day into Hanover to complete our traverse of the White Mountains. We were feeling pretty good about our hike at this point for we had made it through the sections that had most concerned us.
The celebration continued as we resupplied at the Hanover Consumer Co-op. Feeling that we deserved a good meal to leave town with, we bought all the necessary ingredients to make burritos for dinner. We carried out tortillas, cheese, salsa, fresh guacamole, Spanish rice, and red peppers. In addition to the meal, we bought cookies for desert and Coca-Cola to top it off. In our rush to purchase all these ingredients, we did not take into account how much fresh food weighs. When we arrived at the shelter I threw down my pack with pleasure. Though the dinner was delicious, it was terrible carrying all that food for an entire day.
As we sped through the remaining miles of New Hampshire, we learned of another southbounder moving at about the same pace as us. We did not actually meet the hiker but rather met his support driver. As we pushed 30+ mile days through Vermont, we did not meet him on the trail but continued to see his support vehicle at the road crossings. Finally after dangling in front of him for many days, Ben passed us while we were setting up camp. He is actually running the trail for charity to raise money for ALS research. We were certain that no one would start the trail after we did but Ben started three days after we did and is heading to Georgia.
After Maine and New Hampshire, Vermont was a wonderful hike with beautiful weather and pleasant trails. Much to our surprise, the trail was very busy. The nice fall weather, peak foliage colors, and holiday weekend brought all kinds of people to the trail. We were forced to use our tents because the shelters were full.
Last night we stayed at the Birdcage in Dalton, MA. It was a great stay as we had not slowed down for nearly two weeks. Rob was as kind as we remembered him to be and invited us to shower and wash our clothes.
Today the nice weather came to an end with a series of rain showers. The week of nice sunny weather that we enjoyed through Vermont is a distant memory. Our shoes are wet and our socks are no longer clean but the rain is moving out later tonight. We are staying on the porch of a cabin that is closed for the season. Last summer we stayed in the cabin with the caretaker who cooked pancakes for hikers. This year there are no pancakes but we do have shelter from the rain.
In the next two days we have an ambitious plan to cover nearly one hundred miles. Not sure if we will be able to pull it off but we will try nonetheless.

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Photos

Mt Moosilauke, NH
A sunny day after two weeks of overcast skies. The snow capped mountains in the distance are the Franconian and Presidential ranges that we crossed.

Comments

[Cynthia Albrecht]

Hi from a home with a furnace
You guys are amazing! I took a 6 mile hike in Glacier Park and thought I was doing good. I am glad you are making quick tracks south. It's getting cold up here in Wisconsin!