Daily Miles: 16.3, Total Miles: 1,946.3 A later start this morning but I had to take care of a few things. A 2,400′ vertical climb was a rough start to the day – more alpine bogs near the top. Got up and over the mountain slab granite summits of the Baldpate Peaks, nice views to be had. At the end of a long descent were Dunn Cascades and upper Dunn Falls, a nice break for a late lunch. Good looking…

Daily Miles: 9.5, Total Miles: 1,930.0 I asked my shelter mates if I snored last night. I know at some point I had to grope around for my earplugs. One teacher responded that we all took turns which I’m sure was the case. Early start to tackle what is reported to be the hardest and steepest section on the AT, the Mahoosuc Notch. About 1,500′ up and one mile long, full of huge boulders – going over, under and around….

Daily Miles: 9.8, Total Miles: 1,920.5 Not a comfortable evening sweating in my tent – finally cooled early in the morning. I almost immediately started climbing this morning to the summit of Mt Success, the southernmost peak in the Mahoosuc Range. Walked across the summit ridge on glacially smooth granite slabs, also having to cross several alpine bogs on sometimes submerged and very slippery boardwalks. I tested a few bogs with my poles – two to three feet of mud…

Daily Miles: 11.8, Total Miles: 1,910.7 Got back to the TH out of Gorham NH and crossed the Androscoggin River on a road bridge across the Shelburne Dam. I headed up Mt Hayes and up and down over some smaller peaks. Good views back to Mt Washington and Mt Madison and the Carter-Moriah Range. I passed by a few ponds and small alpine lakes in the Mahoosuc Range. Pretty inviting on a really warm afternoon but I had heard something…

Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 1,898.9 Good sleep but I needed some more “prone” time today to recharge my body and mind. Gorham is a nice trail town but a bit spread out. I had to visit the hardware/outdoor store for strong duct tape to re-cover holes and tears in my backpack, a fuel canister and to replace a beanie that I lost somewhere on the trail yesterday. One of my best breakfasts I have had on the AT at…

Daily Miles: 18.1, Total Miles: 1, 898.9 Another really nice day with less wind but increasing insect activity. May have to break out my head net before I get to Maine. The White Mountains aren’t slowing down. The last push to Wildcat Mountain, Carter Dome, South and North Carter Mountains and finally Mt Moriah, the last of the major peaks in the White Mountains. I must say that the Whites have been real highlight and a significant challenge of my…

Daily Miles: 17.9, Total Miles: 1,880.8 With earplugs, I actually slept pretty good in my bottom bunk although I was wide awake at 4:30am. I enjoyed a big breakfast of oatmeal, sausage and eggs while viewing Mt Washington from the dining hall. The forecast for clearing skies was correct – good day for a summit bid! Today just happened to be the Mt Washington Road Race and the summit was already packed with people by the time I arrived. I…

Daily Miles: 11.1, Total Miles: 1,862.9 A filling dinner, deep sleep and hearty breakfast made a difference on today’s climb to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut. On a mostly overcast day, I skirted around Mt Eisenhower and Mt Monroe on the way to the hut with the much taller Mt Washington still shrouded in mist. Got checked into the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, the largest (capacity of 90) of the 8 AMC huts in the Whites. This hut…

Daily Miles: 17.7, Total Miles: 1,851.8 Probably my earliest start on the northern half of the AT from Garfield Ridge Campsite at 5:30am. I must have been excited by the clear skies! Finally a beautiful, sunny day in NH’s White Mountains with great, panoramic views. Only 3,100′ of ascent today with most of it from a rocky, steep climb up to the rocky, open summit of South Twin Mountain, and to a lesser extent, Guyout and Zealand Mountains. But it…