Day 106 to 120 of Reed's AT Adventure

During this tour Reed has been traveling with his friend Christ Moyle (a.k.a. Sea). They bring us from the campus at Dartmouth College through the stoic White Mountains of New Hampshire to the last, but no least great State of Maine(okay I'm biased, I'm the author I can say anything) The White Mountains of New Hamphire dominate this page, as they should because they are so broad and majestic. At the end of this section Reed encounters Mahoosuc Notch, where there is is a saying "The Arm(Mahoosac Arm) will do you harm, but the notch will get you in the crotch" As Reed can testify, the notch provides one of the toughest one mile hikes in the country.

Our second night in Hanover, NH, Sea (that's Christi) and I stayed at the Panarchy House fraternity, where we had the run of the basement for free. I dare say it's good of those Dartmouth kids to let two Princeton alums shack up in their place! Here, we organize our stuff. Note that our blue tarp is drying out in the upper left corner of the picture.(8/8/99 7:54 PM)

Shortly after hitting the trail on Aug. 9, we came across and "official" AT sign reminding us that "No Pack Elephants" are allowed on the trail! Actually, another thru-hiker named Patches created a number of these signs -- with such reminders as "No Llamas" and "No Alien Abductions" -- and has posted them periodically along the trail. I'm sure the official look of the signs has confused quite a few hikers.(8/9/99 4:22 PM)

At a road crossing, Sea doctors her feet. She eventually determined that the tape she was using to hold padding on her heels was actually causing blisters elsewhere. By the end of the trip, she was bandage-free.(8/10/99 8:51 AM)

We had a terrific view off of Holts Ledge on the morning of Aug. 10, about 15 miles out of Hanover.(8/10/99 10:04 AM)

On Aug. 10 we passed this granite marker, alerting me to the fact that I had only 412 miles to go to get to Mt. Katahdin. This fancy marker is the only one of its kind I've seen along the trail and I have no idea why it was placed in this spot. It's cool though.(8/10/99 11:41 AM)

In Hanover, I switched my trusty tarp for my old 2-person tent, figuring it would keep us warmer and drier in the high elevations of the mountains. At the Hexicuba shelter there were so many people spending the night that the only place we could set up the tarp was along the trail to the privy. Note the blue blaze on the tree, showing the way to the outhouse. If I'd been smarter, I would have set up a little toll-booth and charged money for passage -- could have made a bundle.(8/10/99 8:18 PM)

On Aug. 11 we had a great view back towards Smarts Mtn., which we had climbed the day before.(8/11/99 8:31 AM)

We had more spacious accomadations at Jeffers Brook Shelter on Aug. 11. A funny thing happened this night. I had left a small tin can propped against a rock outside our tent. At about 3 AM, we were awakened by the sound of the can. Figuring a raccoon or porcupine was batting it around I went out to investigate. It turns out that a small vole (I think that's what it was) had crawled under the can and knocked it down, trapping itself underneath. I had to lift up the can to free the confused critter. Even with all of his "Tom Brown" training, I doubt that Jason Martin (aka Baby Powder) ever captured an animal so easily!(8/11/99 6:39 PM)

On the morning of Aug. 12, we climbed our first mountain that reached above treeline, Mt. Moosilauke, 4,802 ft. Although the mist was so thick that we couldn't see more than 30 feet in front of us, it was exhilarating to reach the summit. With gusting winds and no visibility it felt like we were on top of Everest! Here, Sea celebrates reaching the summit. (In my opinion, this might be the coolest picture I've taken this entire trip.)(8/12/99 9:42 AM)

The summit of Mt. Moosilauke.(8/12/99 9:43 AM)

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The decent down Mt. Moosilauke was the longest, steepest part of the trail I've experienced. In one section, we dropped over 1,500 feet in less than a mile. Here, Sea climbs down wooden steps that have been bolted into the rock.(8/12/99 12:32 PM)

Although the decent down Mt. M. was steep, it was tremendously beautiful, since we followed a series of waterfalls down the side of the mountain most of the way. As you can see, the weather got increasing clearer as the day progressed.(8/12/99 1:01 PM)

On Aug. 13, our climb up South Kinsman Mtn. provided us with views of Mt. Moosilauke (in the far background to the left) and Mt. Wolf (slightly closer, to the right), which we had summited to get here.(8/13/99 9:20 AM)

We stayed in North Woodstock, NH, on Aug. 13 and 14, getting supplies and waiting for bad weather to pass. Sea cleaned our our water filter in the bathroom of the Cascade Lodge, where we spent both nights.(8/13/99 6:05 PM)

I organized our food and gear in our room at the Cascade Lodge. Note that our sleeping bags are airing out in the closet behind me.(8/13/99 6:21 PM)

We created our own fine china (a Gatorade bottle, cut in half) to toast our successful climbs up our first "big" mountains.(8/13/99 6:32 PM)

"Welcome to the Alpine Zone!" In the White Mountains, we became quite familar with these signs, which warned hikers of the fragile nature of plants near and above tree-line.(8/15/99 1:13 PM)

Another mountain, another misty day. On Aug. 15, we hiked the Franconia Ridge, one of the more impressive sections of the AT, since several miles of the trail are above tree-line. Unfortunately, we didn't have any views until the mist lifted a bit at the end of the day. Still, it was great hiking in such different territory. This is the summit of Little Haystack, 4,760 ft.(8/15/99 1:37 PM)

We ate lunch at a busy trail intersection on top of Mt. Lafayette, 5,249 ft, on Aug. 15. The trail continues straight along the ridge behind us. As you can see, the mist had lifted a bit, but the white wall of mist visible behind us prevented any views down off the ridge.(8/15/99 2:56 PM)

Dinner conversation at Garfield Ridge Campsite. Here, (right to left), Sea, Claire, Baadai, and Patches cook their meals and discuss the day outside the shelter. The shelters and campsites in the White Mountains are maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club. Because of the high use of these sites and delicate nature of the area, the AMC posts a caretaker at each site and charges $6 per person to stay in the shelter or pitch a tent in the area. While the the issues surrounding this policy are complex, many thru-hikers are very upset at having to pay at shelters, since they have been free up until Northern New England.(8/15/99 7:05 AM)

Sea and The Peaceful Warrior finally enjoy a semi-clear day, on South Twin Mountain. If the clouds had lifted, we could have seen Mt. Washington in the distance behind us.(8/16/99 11:08 AM)

Yes, the day I've always waited for: I'm taller than the trees! In the White Mtns, treeline occurs at about 4,000 feet, producing some seriously midget trees at that altitude. Or, maybe I'm finally growing taller...(8/16/99 11:33 AM)

Two great views over the bald side of Mt. Guyot on Aug. 16.(8/16/99 12:34 PM)

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Since there are no trees on which to paint the white blazes above treeline, the tail is marked by piles of rocks, called kairns. Here, I climb up Mt. Guyot.(8/16/99 12:45 PM)

"I feel like I'm flying!" (note: this picture was NOT my idea)(8/16/99 12:47 PM)

We stayed the night of August 16 at Ethan Pond Campsite. The AMC shelters and campsites have terrific tent platforms, which make for a great night's sleep.(8/16/99 6:18 PM)

7 AM, Ethan Pond.(8/17/99 6:59 AM)

August 17 brought a long hike along the southern half of the Presidential Mountain Range, and a sign in Crawford Notch letting us know the peaks we were about to cross.(8/17/99 8:39 AM)

The climb out of Crawford Notch to Mt. Webster was long and steep -- about 2,500 feet of vertical elevation in 3 miles. The trail was made up of roots and rocks.(8/17/99 9:34 AM)

On the summit of Mt. Webster (3,910 ft.), Sea and Baadai took a rest and enjoyed the view.(8/17/99 11:19 AM)

With Mt. Washington in the distance, I enjoyed the last of my Auntie Karen's nut mix, which she sent all the way from Tucson, AZ! I'm rather impressed that by the end of this day, we had walked to within 1 mile of the summit of Mt. Washington! Perhaps the nut mix powered us forward.(8/17/99 11:22 AM)

I almost lost my hat in the wind on the summit of Mt. Jackson, 4,052 ft.(8/17/99 12:21 PM)

The view from Mt. Jackson of some of the Presidential Mt. Range, including Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Franklin, and Mt. Washington. The white dot to the left of the picture is the Mizpah Spring Hut.(8/17/99 12:25 PM)

Sea walks along the trail between Mt. Eisenhower and Mt. Franklin.(8/17/99 3:45 PM)

Before I left on my trip, Juliane and Chris Mills gave me a laminated photo of Yoda for luck and motivation. It is one of the few items that has been with me since the start. I figured that Yoda would most appreciate, among our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. Thus, I thought it appropriate that the Jedi Master and I should ruminate on the subjects of leadership, innovation, and originality at the summit of Mt. Franklin, 5,004 ft.(8/17/99 4:12 PM)

The AMC operates a series of huts through the White Mountains. The huts, at a cost of about $60 per night, provide bunkrooms, dinner, and breakfast and make the mountains more accessible to people (especially families) who might not be able to use the traditional shelters. The Lakes of the Clouds Hut, just over a mile from the summit of Mt. Washington, is the largest and most popular hut. We stayed here the night of Aug. 17.(8/17/99 5:27 PM)

Sea and I pose in front of one of the ponds after which the Lakes of the Clouds hut is named.(8/17/99 5:44 PM)

To avoid paying the full price of the hut, thru-hikers are allowed to sleep in "the Dungeon" at the Lakes of the Clouds, at a cost of $6. This stone room, with six wooden bunks, one tiny window, and NO extra room, is aptly named. Here, Sea and Grace's Son organize their gear and cook dinner.(8/17/99 6:12 PM)

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We climbed Mt. Washington on the morning of Aug. 18 in windy, misty weather. We were fully decked out in rain gear and hats to stay as warm and dry as possible. Here we are near a kairn, partway up the mountain. We discovered that the kairns were placed the perfect distance apart: in the thick mist, you could only see the next one when you reached the one before it. Sea, who led the way, managed to keep us on the trail.(8/18/99 8:28 PM)

There's a semi-city at the top of Mt. Washtington. Here, I'm mailing postcards at the highest mailbox in the Eastern U.S.(8/18/99 10:05 AM)

The summit of Mt. Washington, 6,288 ft. This is known as the home of some of the worst weather on earth, and is the site where the highest official surface wind speed on earth was recorded, 231 mph. The wind was slightly less than that when we were there.(8/18/99 10:08 AM)

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We took a break near the top of Mt. Clay to check our bearings. As an example of how little visibility we had, we thought we were at the summit when this photo was taken. A hundred yards down the trail, however, we encountered a steep climb that we hadn't been able to see through the clouds!(8/18/99 11:48 AM)

Like every good Canadian, Sea always carries her trusty placemat listing the Presidents of the United States. At the top of Mt. Madison (5,363 ft.), we whipped it out to read up on the facts about this fine president.(8/18/99 2:50 PM)

As we decended down Mt. Madison along Osgood Ridge, the skies began to clear a bit and I snapped this photo of Sea atop one of the several rock outcroppings along the ridge.(8/18/99 3:43 PM)

Sea crosses a small suspension bridge on our way to Pinkham Notch.(8/18/99 5:20 PM)

At Pinkham Notch, Sea's journey along the AT came to an end, as her grandmother and mother met us to pick her up. In the visitor's center, we checked out this 3-D map of the White Mountains.(8/18/99 7:25 PM)

Sea and I show some of the peaks we had hiked over earlier that day (Aug. 18). I had a great time hiking with Sea for two weeks, and it was a bit lonely to go back on the trail by myself the next day. Still, I felt highly motivated by the prospect of soon reaching my home state.(8/18/99 7:27 PM)

As I climbed Wildcat Mtn., I was treated to a great view of Mt. Washington and Huntington Ravine on Aug. 19.(8/19/99 2:38 PM)

Major equipment failure! As I raced to get to the shelter on the evening of Aug. 19, my "economy-pack" finally started to show the wear and tear of 1,000 miles. The shoulder strap and hip belt on the left side ripped out. Fortunately, six safety pins temporarily fixed the problem.(8/19/99 6:57 PM)

Although the AMC charges $6 to stay at their high-use shelters, they offer thru-hikers the chance to do an hour of work in exchange for staying the night. At the Imp Campsite, I got down and dirty in the composting process to earn my stay. Here, I'm sifting the humus out of the bark chips, the final stage in composting the privy waste.(8/20/99 7:00 AM)

The composing procedure is quite interesting. The privy at left is where, obviously, solid human waste is, um, "deposited." Hikers are told very clearly not to pee in the privy, since that slows decomposition. Next, the waste is removed in small batches, mixed with bark chips, and placed in the first bin. Here, it "cooks" under its own chemical reaction for several days or weeks. It is then transfered to bin 2, where it continues to "cook" and dry out. Then, it is placed on the rack (which is covered by a green tarp at right) where it finishes drying. It is then sifted through the rack and the non-toxic compost (which, by the way, does not smell at all) can be spread in the forest and the bark chips can be reused. Quite a lot of work, but much better on the environment than the pit-privies common along most of the trail.(8/20/99 8:23 AM)

The Imp Campsite caretaker, Jody, and her fancy tent. Jody explained the composting process and we also had a great discussion about the policies of the AMC and how the organization approaches forest managment.(8/20/99 8:20 AM)

Mt. Washington (far right) and Mt. Madison (far left) and the rest of the northern Presidental Range fade in the background as I head north on Aug. 20.(8/20/99 9:59 AM)

The last mountain in New Hampsire is, fittingly, Mt. Success. Indeed, I was feeling quite successful (one might say smug) at having walked across 13 states.(8/21/99 7:54 AM)

HOME AT LAST! The Maine border, which I reached at 8:45 AM on Aug. 21 has a cute little sign proclaiming, "Maine, The Way Life Should Be." Indeed!(8/21/99 8:49 AM)

Just 281.4 miles to go!(8/21/99 8:55 AM)

AT hikers in Maine are quickly greeted by the Mahoosuc Notch, certainly one of the most notable sections of the entire trail. Though only a mile long, the Notch is eagerly anticipated by most hikers. For a mile, you walk through a boulder field at the bottom of a steep valley. The section, which takes many hikers 2 or more hours to get through, it like a giant obstacle course.(8/21/99 1:23 PM)

In the Mahoosuc Notch, blazes and arrows showed me what to go around, between, and under.(8/21/99 2:03 PM)

It took me a minute to figure out how I was going to get myself through this porthole.(8/21/99 2:10 PM)

I had to take my pack off and slide it through first before squeezing myself through this narrow opening.(8/21/99 2:17 PM)

To get through this tunnel, I had to take my pack off and push it in front of me as I crawled through on my hands and knees. "The Notch" certainly lived up to it's billing, as it proved to be the most strenuous mile I've done on the trip!(8/21/99 2:25 PM)

The trail up Mahoosuc Mtn. was a steep, slippery one. The trail for most of the way was a smooth vein of rock that was rather tricky on this rainy day.(8/21/99 3:59 PM)

My first morning in Maine was a beautiful one. This is the view at 8 AM on Aug. 22 from Old Speck Mountain.(8/22/99 8:02 PM)