Dan and Rocky’s Big Adventure

Days 138 to 155

August 16 to September 2

Arlington Road, Stratton, Vermont, to

Mizpah Spring Hut, White Mountains,

New Hampshire

Days 138 to 140

Arlington Road, Stratton, Vermont, to

Cold River Road, Vermont

Sally's Note for Days 138-139:

Titanium and Slugger, with Slugger's husband Bill helping them to slack pack, were moving so fast that Titanium missed a couple of days in his blog notes. They hiked 22.6 miles on Day 138 from Arlington Road in Stratton to where the AT crosses Vermont 11 and Vermont 30. Then on Day 139, they hiked 17.5 miles to Danby Landgrove. Titanium picked up his blog again on Day 140.

Another rainy and foggy day of slack packing on the AT. The trail was a lot less rough than the last few days. The creeks are swollen due to the rain.

We hiked up a ski slope. It was so foggy that I didn't realize I was on a ski slope until I was about 30 feet from an observation tower.

We passed by a rock garden, a location where hikers show off their artistic rock-stacking talents. I named my contribution "Rocky," after my trail dog.

"Rocky"

There were a lot of orange newts on the trail. They obviously like the rain.

Day 141

Cold River Road to U.S. Route 4 at mile 1708

The first six miles today made for a steep climb to the top of Killington Peak. The Cooper Lodge Shelter is located near the top of the mountain. This is the highest shelter on the Vermont AT.

Cooper Lodge Shelter

We crossed two 1700-mile AT markers today.

The trail conditions were very steep and rocky. It rained hard the second half of the day, making the trail very slippery. The creeks were rapidly flowing with muddy brown water. I actually managed NOT to fall today; that makes two days in a row, a record for me.

I was having stomach issues and sore-swollen knees, so I cut my hike short. I'm going to take a day off tomorrow to recuperate.

Day 142 (Zero Day)

Recuperation Day

Day 143

Stage Road, Vermont to

Hanover, New Hampshire

This trail section is one of the best I've experienced. Yes, there were a lot of ups and downs; that's expected on the AT. What was missing were all of the rocks. There were actually times that I could cruise down the trail.

It rained this morning for about an hour. the rest of the day was cool and overcast, perfect for hiking. We passed into New Hampshire today.

Slugger at the Vermont/New Hampshire Border

I met Shade today, a 79-year-old retired teacher. Shade taught high school and then grade school in a North Carolina school district until she retired in 2012. When asked why she is section hiking the AT, she responded: "To prove that I can." In my eyes, the fact that she's on the trail has proven that she can.

Shade

I find the hand-stacked rock walls, built in colonial times, fascinating. We pass by these walls daily. The time and manpower it took to build the walls were truly incredible. I'm glad to hear that the combined walls have been declared a national monument.

Day 144

Hanover, NH to Lyme Dorchester Rd.

Our day started with light rain that lasted for about an hour. Today's trail was a bit more rocky than yesterday's, but it was definitely good for cruising.

I, on the other hand, was a bit out of sorts. I've been dealing with some stomach and joint issues. This AT walk is turning me into an old man rousing about the weather and what ails me.

We passed by the hallowed grounds of Dartmouth College, and then about a mile up the trail, the Velvet Rocks shelter.

Velvet Rocks Shelter

There were frequent boardwalks through the marshy areas.

I passed an interesting graveyard with dates in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Day 145

Lyme Dorchester Rd. to

New Hampshire Route 25C at mile 1793.4

It was a very nice day with no rain. Today we started hiking the White Mountains. There were lots of loose rocks on steep slopes that were definitely ankle busters.

I climbed Smarts Mountain Tower. There was a great view.

There were two major climbs in this trail section. I opted to take a blue-blaze trail to avoid the second climb and to see two waterfalls. Ankle busters or waterfalls? It was an easy choice.

I passed by an old ranger cabin.

There were lots of berry bushes on the blue-blaze trail. A gravel biker came up behind me. He told me that this area is real big for mountain and gravel biking. It's easy to see why. I really appreciated when the biker passed me and cleared the way through the blackberry bushes.

I came across a giant pile of purple bear poo. I guess the bears have been enjoying the blackberries.

Purple Bear Poo

Day 146
New Hampshire 25 to Glencliff Trail Parking

Slugger and Bill were going to see family, so we had a short, 6.5-mile hiking day. The trail was steep and muddy, and we had blue skies.

I am in Lincoln, New Hampshire, at the Mt. Liberty Motel. It is a very comfortable place to stay.

I ate lunch at Arnold's Wayside Diner. I had a great burger and onion rings.

Day 147

Glencliff Trail Parking to Kinsman Notch

Today was a very rough day. The weather was cool and overcast, with brief sunshine, and a soft rain in the afternoon.

We started the day with a 3300-foot elevation gain in four miles, climbing to the top of Mt. Moosilauke. The trail to the top was pretty much a rock fall and a very strenuous climb.

When I got to the top, there were people everywhere, most of whom were not equipped for the type of climb I had just made. Apparently, they walked up an old buggy road. If I had known about the buggy road, I think I would have taken it.

The trail down was even more challenging. It was very rocky and steep. About two miles down, the trail became a survival course. The terrain became stepper, wetter, and very slippery. This section of the trail has been deemed the worst on the AT.

We passed 1800 miles today. We've been hiking about 100 miles per week. That's about to slow down a lot as we get into the more difficult sections of the White Mountains.

1800-Mile Marker

Today I ended up slipping and falling four times. My last fall I managed to tweak my right hip hard enough that I felt and heard it pop out of its socket. I wouldn't be surprised if folks a few miles away could hear me swear.

I'm spending the next couple of nights in Lincoln, New Hampshire. I received a text from our friend from Oak Ridge, Wiley Peck, and he is also in Lincoln. He and his brother are section hiking the same section I did today. His thoughts about this section of trail reflected mine.

Day 148

Kinsman Notch to Lonesome Lake Hut

Today was the worst day I've had on the trail. I plain hated it except for the last few hours. The trail was much like yesterday -- rocky, wet, slick, with cliffs and boulder scrambling.

Our intent was to slack pack an 18-miler. I didn't make it. I hiked for 14 hours and still had four miles to go. It was dark, my headlamp was getting dim, and it was raining.

I received a text from Slugger that she made it down at 8:00 p.m. She estimated that it would take at least three hours for me to get down the mountain, and then I had two river crossings.

I definitely didn't want to cross rivers in the dark. I made up my mind to find a "dry spot" and hunker down until morning. Because I was slack packing, I wasn't carrying my tent or sleeping gear. There just aren't any spots in this area that are dry and not ankle deep in mud. I kept walking.

The map showed an AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) hut, the Lonesome Lake Hut, about a mile down the trail. It took a while, but I made it there. The huts are like high-end hotels in the woods that cater to those who want the trail experience without as much work.

The hut crew was playing cards when I arrived there at 9:30 p.m. I bought a bunk for the night, which included dinner and breakfast. I figured I was too late for dinner, but I asked anyway. They said no problem, come back in 20 minutes.

I stowed my pack and came back to a dinner of gingered pork loin, blackened corn and rice, fresh-baked sourdough bread (still warm), apple cake, and herbal tea. This was far more than I expected.

I was the only person in a bunk room built for seven. It was sparse, but it had a comfortable bunk with three heavy wool blankets. Perfect for a wet hiker to sleep, and it sure beat the hell out of sleeping in the mud under a tree.

Lonesome Lake Hut

Day 149
Lonesome Lake Hut to Liberty Springs Trailhead

I woke up to a hut crew member playing guitar and singing, "It's a Wonderful World." The wake-up call was at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast served at 7:00 a.m.

I sat down at a communal table in the dining room, was served coffee, and watched the staff finishing breakfast preparation.

I ended up getting more of a cultural experience than I was expecting. A large Jewish family from New York joined me. The family included grandparents, moms, dads, aunts, children, and a very wiggly baby. I felt like I was sitting with Fran Drescher's family. It was very entertaining.

Breakfast consisted of oatmeal and fixings, scrambled eggs, bacon, veggie sausage, coffee cake, coffee, apple juice, and hot chocolate. I ended up with most of the bacon. One person in the family wasn't Jewish.

The hike down to the trailhead was hard. I am very glad I stopped when I did last night. There were spots that would have been extremely dangerous in the dark.

There was an AMC shuttle at the trailhead that dropped me off at my hotel. I took the rest of the day to relax and get ready for my next push through the Presidential Mountain Range.

Day 150

Liberty Springs Trailhead to Greenleaf Hut

I got a late start this morning. I went into Lincoln to buy a replacement bear-bag throwing line.

The weather was a mixed bag. It was raining when I started hiking, and it continued off and on throughout the day. As the day progressed, it became windy in the higher elevations. The mountains were socked in with clouds but with brief periods of clearing.

I was told that the trail was pretty difficult and that on average it was taking over an hour to hike a mile. Let's just say that my hiking rate was well below average today.

The AT crossed over Mt. Lincoln (5089 feet) and Mt. Lafayette (5060 feet). Mountains over 5000 feet in the East are equivalent to fourteeners in the West.

I summited Mt. Lafayette about 6:30 p.m. The wind was howling, and the mountain was socked in with clouds. I had about an hour of daylight left.

My intended destination was still three miles (four hours) away. The AMC Greenleaf Hut was 1.1 miles (1.5 hours) away. I didn't want to repeat my late night hiking experience, so I chose the hut. I got there just as it got dark.

I was served a dinner of curried tofu with rice, kale and asparagus, lentil soup, crusty bread, and spice cake. Very tasty, and it beat the hell out of the Ramen I was planning for dinner.

Greenleaf Hut Interior

Day 151

AMC Greenleaf Hut to Stealth Site at Mile 1834.7

I woke up to a serenade by the hut crew and the scents of bacon frying and coffee brewing. I think I like staying at AMC huts. I sat at a communal table across from a family from Toronto, Canada. Their two sons and a daughter were frantically completing their Junior Ranger workbooks so that they could earn their Ranger patches. They made the deadline.

Breakfast consisted of oatmeal, pancakes (plain, blueberry, and chocolate chip), and hot coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast.

I packed up, and just before I left the hut, I was offered a piece of chocolate mint cake. Of course, I said yes. I really do like the AMC huts.

AMC Greenleaf Hut

The sky was clear, and it was warm -- very different from last night's cold, fog, and wind.

The trail today was extremely hard. It took me 6.5 hours to hike, scramble, and claw my way through 4 miles of what New Hampshire calls trail. Most of the day was spent rock scrambling and bouldering.

I was hoping to get a bit farther down the trail but decided on a stealth site when I was running out of daylight. Finding a stealth site around here is difficult due to the dense vegetation consisting mainly of fur trees. Luckily I found a site near a creek.

Days 152-154

Stealth Site at Mile 1834.7 to AMC Highland Center

Labor Day Weekend with Sally & Dogs

I broke camp and headed to the AMC Highland Center to meet Sally for the Labor Day holiday weekend. It was a great day for hiking. The sky was clear except for a few wispy clouds.

The trail down was rather steep and rocky for the first three miles and then began to smooth out. Walking on a smooth trail was a treat.

I arrived at the Highland Center about two hours before Sally. This gave me a chance to enjoy a turkey panini sandwich and cookie from the Center's restaurant and study some hard-copy maps.

Sally finished her 1200-mile drive to meet me inside the lodge just as I was putting away maps. After greeting Sally, I headed with her to the car to a very excited Rocky. Zap and Rosie were also happy to see me, as I was happy to see everyone.

We spent the next few days in Gorham, New Hampshire, resting and enjoying the restaurants and our little dog-friendly motel, the Moose Break Motel. It was very nice just watching movies on the TV. Sally enjoyed an icy dip in the little pool.

I had decided that it was time for this rest break rather than trying to slack pack on the long weekend. Slugger was on an even tighter timeframe than the one enforced by the weather in Maine because of a family event in late September, so she decided to move on up the trail rather than taking a break. As with Commando, we continue to be in communication via text and to follow each other's journeys to Mount Katahdin.

On Sunday, Sally and I drove to the top of Mt. Washington just to do a bit of sight-seeing. The road to the top was windy and slow. I was surprised to see how many people had the same idea. There were actually traffic jams on the road, parking was a bit dicey, and there was a long line of people waiting to have their pictures taken with the sign at the top of the mountain. This was a surreal and uncomfortable scene for a thru-hiker who hasn't encountered many people in a while.

Mt. Washington's Tip-Top House

Mt. Washington Cog Railway

Mt. Washington "Auto Road"

Day 155
AMC Highland Center to
AMC Mizpah Spring Hut

Sally dropped me off at the Highland Center, and she and Rocky and Rosie accompanied me for a short time on the trail (Zap was happy to wait in the car). The dogs enjoyed burning pent-up energy by running up and down the trail. Soon we said our goodbyes around 3:30 p.m., and I continued on.

I'm now carrying a talisman (a healing hand pocket spirit) from my friend Jim to help keep me healthy and safe. Hopefully, it will keep me from falling so often. I've fallen so many times I stopped counting.

In spite of the local weather prognostications of clear, warm weather, it was cold and rainy on the trail. Luckily, it was a relatively short but steep hike to the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut, my destination for the night.