Photo Album #1 | Photo Album #2
Jun 30
⁃ Hike 7.3 mi
⁃ Camp at Crocker Cirque Campsite
Jul 1
⁃ Hike 14.2 mi
⁃ Tent at Poplar Ridge Lean To
Jul 2
⁃ Tent at Poplar Ridge Lean To
⁃ Hike 0 mi
My first on-trail zero! Yay! (Not yay…)
I woke up around 7 am to some light rain starting to fall and decided to go back to sleep, either in hopes it’d stop raining, or that I’d muster the courage to get out of bed and break down camp in the rain. When I woke up again around 9:30 am, it was now steadily raining, and the lovely, flat campsite I’d picked the night before had transformed into a giant mud puddle overnight.
When I checked the weather, it didn’t look like conditions would improve much throughout the day. While there weren’t thunderstorms predicted, and wind gusts were only up to 25 mph, I made the decision to stay put for today to avoid hiking through ~2.5 mi of trail above tree line that’s just up ahead. So instead I slept thru most of the day and watched the second transformers movie (I really didn’t want to think about anything related to hiking while it’s pouring rain and I’m sitting in a mud puddle). I ended up only leaving my tent once to make a privy stop (and grab my food bag so I didn’t have to leave again).
Thankfully, the inside of my tent remained completely dry (save for some condensation), which was greatly appreciated. And funnily enough, the tent floor felt like a water bed underneath me.
Jul 3
⁃ Hike 10.7 mi
⁃ Stay at The Hiker Hut (Rangley, 220.6)
I think the universe hated me today. Probably for going back to sleep and then deciding to zero rather than pack up in the rain and mud. But I could care less—I was in a good mood today and nothing could change that. Especially because today was 10% day!
First, I realized I left my tent stakes while on top of the Saddlebacks, or about 4 miles south of the shelter where I left them. If it wasn’t as far or back down the mountain, I would’ve considered going back for them, since they’re, uh, pretty important for setting up a non-freestanding trekking pole tent. However, this would’ve meant an additional 8 miles of hiking (and about 2600 feet of additional ascent (and an equal amount of additional descent)), adding a further day onto this already slow day. So, I decided to leave them behind (and leave a note on farout in case some kind soul finds them) and press on to Rangley, where I hopefully pick some up there to hold my over I can order new ones.
Second, the hordes of day hikers and giant groups of high schoolers on organized backpacking trips (aka crowded summits and no peace and quiet) (good on them tho for getting out and enjoying the outdoors, but maybe be a little more willing to share the space with us stinky and introverted thru hikers while we both eat lunch? Kthxbye).
Finally, the sudden, urgent need to poop as I was descending Saddleback Mountain, miles before the next shelter, and still about 0.4 mi above tree line. This predicament was further aggravated with the number of non-thru hikers on the trail, who’d be rather mortified to think about pooping anywhere without a toilet seat, much less watch someone do in clear view while above treeline. Or even worse, have to face with, uh, soiled underwear. Thankfully I though, that day was not today, and I was able to make it below treeline, just out of sight of the trail, and get a hole dud just in time. It wasn’t my best cat hole ever since it wasn’t quite 6” deep because of some roots…sorry, I tried my best—but hey, at least it isn’t on a bare rock in the alpine zone I guess.
—
In hindsight, had I gotten up and broke camp when I first woke up to the rain yesterday, I would’ve avoided this entire sequence of events, as the ground would’ve still been basically dry at that point. But then I would’ve missed out on this fun experience (definitely type 2 fun), along with some cool photos and a great view from the summit.
—
Totally random, but the short blue-blaze trail through “The Caves” near Piazza Rock was really cool (it’s an experience somewhere between bouldering, a jungle gym, and mini caves; it’s also apparently a good taste of the experience going through Mahusuc Notch further south), as was Piazza Rock, and the privy, “Your Move”, at the Lean-To (it’s a two-seater with a cribbage board in between). If you ever end up in the area, I think it’s probably worth the easy ~2 mile hike in, and if nothing else, it’s worth the stop along the way if you’re already hiking up the Saddlebacks.
Jul 4
⁃ Hike 17.7 mi
⁃ Shelter at Bemis Mountain Lean-To
“Oh s***, was that lightning?” I thought to myself as I was sitting on an open ledge on Bemis Mountain, with about 2 miles to go until the shelter. Last I checked the weather, clear skies were predicted throughout tonight…so as the thunderstorms started to roll in, an adrenaline fueled sprint towards the shelter began, where I cautiously darted between the trees as I crossed the open rock sections of the trail, before finally descending into treeline for the last time. In the end, it seems the storm passed on both sides of us, as we never got any rain that night.
—
I was sharing the shelter with two other SOBO thru-hikers around my age and a group of much backpackers ranging in age from their 30’s to their early 70’s just beginning their hike, both lacking in a bit of what I’ll call “shelter etiquette”.
First, the term “hiker midnight”, the time where everyone should be in their sleeping bags and not making noise or disturbing anyone else. Most would agree it’s when the sun has fully set and it’s almost dark. In the summer, this ends up being around 9 PM.
In the hour or so before hiker midnight, generally, it’s still acceptable to be chatting around the shelter, wrapping up dinner, packing your bag, setting up your sleeping bag, and using the regular light on your headlamp. If you want to get an early night of sleep in, you should bring earplugs and be prepared to deal with other people still being up and moving around. After all, it was your choice to stay in the shared shelter instead of your own tent.
After hiker midnight though, the balance shifts. People should be courteous to anyone trying to get a good night’s sleep under the dry shelter. If you have to get up, be quiet and only use the red light on your headlamp as needed (failing that, use your phone screen on low brightness as a flashlight).
If you’re arriving to a shelter late, especially near or after hiker midnight, if at all possible, tent rather than disturbing others in the shelter as they’re trying to sleep. If you have to stay in the shelter, though, be especially courteous to others, keeping your noise and light to an absolute minimum.
Now, back to the case of tonight’s shelter. The two other SOBO thru hikers were already in their sleeping bags on opposite sides of the shelter when I got to the shelter at 7:15; weird, but ok I guess. While I was making dinner, I was chatting with the group of backpackers as they were also preparing their dinners. Aside from some occasional laughter, we were mostly talking at a normal conversation level.
At around 7:30, one of the people in their sleeping bags sat up and somewhat curtly asked us to please be quiet since they’d been trying to fall asleep for the past hour or so.
Look, if you’d like to go to sleep at 6:30, you’re more than welcome to, but don’t expect everyone else to as well. So, either wear earplugs and deal with it, or go sleep in your own tent away from the shelter.
On the other side of the coin, though, a late arriving member of the backpacking group didn’t arrive until well after dark, probably around 10 PM. If it was me, I’d have set up my tent (as there was plenty of tent space still left) and met up with the rest of the group in the morning. Even then, if I did have to stay in the shelter, I would have done my very best to set up without disturbing others (cook, unpack my bag, and blow up my air mattress next to the shelter; keep quiet; and use a red light to see as needed).
This guy was not me, though, and preceded to drop his bag on the shelter floor, unpack what seemed like his entire bag, and blow up his air mattress in the middle of the shelter, all while shining his bright white headlamp everywhere. Again, mind you, several hours after hiker midnight.
And, in general, this is why I prefer to tent rather than stay in shelters, as it’s a much more consistent quality, which translates to better sleep in the end. However, the balance does shift if there’s only wooden tent platforms (hard to set up a non freestanding tent on), if it’s pouring rain (a solid roof and no setup is especially nice), or if I have the shelter to myself (no drama to deal with).
Jul 5
⁃ Hike 18.8 mi
⁃ Stay at The Cabin (Andover, 257.1)
The other trekking pole tip fell out. When I first found out I lost the first tip, I was hoping it was a one-off occurrence, and I could just swap out the tip assembly at some point. Nope, it affected both poles just a day apart, so it’s pretty likely I’d have to deal with this issue repeatedly. So, I can now faithfully report that (in a surprise to no one) cheap trekking poles from Amazon are indeed cheap trekking poles from Amazon. Here’s hoping I can get a refund since they’re just barely within the return window. But hey, they did at least successfully convince me to continue using trekking poles, so they’re not all bad. I think I should probably just bite the bullet and get the best trekking poles out there and never have to deal with it again (or at least until *I* break one of them (likely snapping one by falling on it or catching it in a crevice)).
On the subject of gear wearing out far faster than expected, both my shoes now have through-and-through holes next to my toes, seemingly just through wear of the material (and then once hothead hole’s big enough, catching it on something and tearing it open).
Because of how the shoe is designed to fit, there’s minimal need for a structured toe box (aside from protection), so the tears are largely cosmetic at this point. However, i will need new shoes sooner than I’d originally anticipated. Based on Poet’s recommendation, I’m planning to try out the Altras Mont Blonc, which offer a bit more cushion than the Lone Peaks, which will be nice when I get further south where there’s sharper rocks. Ive also heard success stories of people contacting Altras and getting replacements after their shoes failed prematurely, so I might try that as well.
Besides shoes and trekking poles (and losing my nice, light titanium stakes), the only other piece of gear I’m not fully satisfied with is my sleeping bag. I think if I did it again, I’d get a quilt instead—not for the 3-4 oz weight savings, but for the extra space, comfort, and utility. Increasingly, if it’s warm out or I’m just taking a nap, I’ll use my sleeping bag like a quilt, that is, laid it on top of me rather than bring zipped up inside it, giving me more space and more ability to adjust how warm it is. It’d also be easier to use for hammock camping as well (combined with an underquilt).
—
Everyone seems to have an opinion on what my trail name should be. Yesterday, one of the other hikers recommended ‘Snaps’, since I carry a big, heavy camera with me. Then this morning, as I was packing up to leave, I got the suggestion of ‘Doc’, since I gave someone rock tape for a sensitive area on their foot. And when I called to arrange a shuttle to The Cabin, the guy I was talking to jokingly offered to give me a trail name for a $10 fee (lol). While I’m appreciative of the suggestions, I can’t say any of them really fit.
Jul 6
⁃ The Cabin (Andover, ME)
My right knee hurts now. Not even from hiking, but because I sat on it funny while putting on sunscreen and taping up my heels on Little Baldpate (though yesterday’s hurried pace from Old Blue Mountain through to East B Hill Road to catch a shuttle definitely didn’t help).
Fri 7
⁃ Camp at Full Goose Shelter
Note to self, you need cash when you’re hiking thru the Appalachian Money Club section of the AT. Don’t be me and and leave town with only $7 in cash (which is less than one night’s camping fee…). It makes logistics even more difficult.
—
Met someone else with a pride flag on their bag 😊. His “Hell yeah” almost made my day. Almost.
Sat 8
⁃ Stealth Camp 1.5 mi N of Gentian Pond
My gear is having some issues. In addition to the existing issues of my prematurely torn shoes and missing trekking pole tips, several other issues recently cropped up.
I finally snapped a pole. It may or may not have been while ~~yeeting~~tossing my trekking pole down the trail to down-climb a rock face with both hands free…
I’m also having issues w my rain jacket wetting out (not repelling water) and the seam tape and seam glue coming undone. While both of these issues are readily fixable, I think it’s time I switch to a lighter jacket anyway (which would save about 8 oz (14.4 oz to ~6.4 oz).
And my air mattress seems to also have a pinhole leak in it somewhere, as it will now loose 5-6 breaths of air overnight. I’ve visually inspected it and can’t find the leak, so I’ll probably have to submerge it to locate the leak (something I’ll deal with eventually while in town).
Oh, and my water filter is leaking out of the threads unless I wrench it really tight. And as of tonight it now it won’t unscrew because I over tightened it…great.
—
Officially finished my first state today! Goodbye Maine, Hello New Hampshire. Hopefully you’re less muddy.
Sun 9
⁃ Gorham
Yay! My water filter decided it would unscrew this morning. To hopefully avoid this issue in the future, I rinsed out the threads and it seems to be threading better now. Just to be safe though, I grabbed a sawyer squeeze from the hiker box in case the same issue reoccurs. Even if it hadn’t unscrewed, and I was without a filter, I carry enough purification tablets to make it to the next town, where I could get a new filter.
—
In addition to ordering a new raincoat (well, two sizes of one raincoat) and new shoes (I’m going to try out the Mont Blancs), I also ordered new dry bags and a set of reusable desiccant packets. I plan to to separate my camera and extra lens from my sleeping bag, sweater, and extra socks. Combined with the desiccant, I’m hoping this will resolve issues I’ve had with condensation on the camera viewfinder and the lenses (this has mostly been an issue the day after it rains, presumably since everything is still damp and there’s been a temperature change allowing condensation to form).
Mon 10
⁃ Stealth Camp on Wildcat Mtn
I’d originally planned to stay at Imp Campsite, but I made good time in the rain, so I pushed on to Carter Notch and checked whether the hut there still had space for work for stay. After arriving, they, somewhat curtly, let me know they weren’t doing work for stay tonight. As I was leaving, I chatted with a fellow thru hiker that was also at the barn and she mentioned she caved and decided to pay for a night in the hut (ouch!), and recommended I do the same. Nah, I’ll pass, for the cost of a night in the hut (typ $170-250), I could stay in town for 3-4 days, or pay for about a week of trail food.
While I’d passed some stealth sites on the north side of the notch, there was no way I was hiking back up ~1k feet of elevation, just to go back down it in the morning. As I was weighing my options, someone staying at the hut poked their head out the door and let me know there was a stealth site on the top of wildcat. Welp, guess I’m doing an extra 1200 feet of elevation gain today.
Thankfully, the stealth site was pretty flat, root and rock free, and not entirely flooded out.
As typical when ending a hike in the rain, the my priority was setting up my tent, then getting my wet clothes off (which at this point was basically everything, though I kept my fleece sweater on since it was still somewhat dry (also, since it’s synthetic, it won’t hold onto much water and will still keep me warmer than without it)). Once I got to the “sitting basically naked in my tent” stage, I used my sleeping bag as a blanket to keep warm while making dinner and setting up the rest of my sleep system. Needless to say, with the rain still pouring, dinner was prepared under the tent’s vestibule (with the stove just outside the vestibule)).
Tues 11
⁃ Gorham
My issues with the amc. Blocking camping in many the (sometimes limited) places where we could otherwise camp due to huts and their enclosed FPA’s. Charging thru-hikers to pay for caretakers just to tell day hikers and backpackers about LNT. Many of us already clean up their messes and pack out their trash, so why do we also have to pay for educating them?
—
Dropped the Sawyer Squeeze if borrowed back into the hiker box since my filter (Katadyn BeFree 1.0 L) was behaving again. As I’d mentioned previously, I still carry water purification tablets as an emergency backup in case the filter stops working for any reason.
Wed 12
⁃ Lake of the Clouds Dungeon
The Presidential Range are stunning. I’m infinitely grateful I was able to do the traverse on a clear day. Even if dense fog/clouds did finally roll in and linger as I summited Mount Washington (when does fog become a cloud??).
Perhaps my favorite point was reaching the summit of the day, on Mount Madison, where I could trace the path of the trail through, seeing where I’ve been to where where I am now and to where I’m going today. And, thankfully, after summiting Mount Madison, the terrain largely eased up, though my pace remained slower than normal with the rocky terrain.
—
Perhaps I was a bit too harsh in my dislike for the AMC—or maybe I was bribed by free baked goods, a bunk in “The Dungeon” (which is way nicer than it sounds), and dinner leftovers at the Lake of The Clouds Hut.
In any case, I think they’re overall doing a good thing, bringing more people into the outdoors, educating them on protecting and preserving the outdoors, and leading numerous conservation initiatives. In many ways, they act like the national park service, but without the significant government funding of the NPS.
Thurs 13
⁃ Stealth camp S of Mount Jackson
Before leaving Lakes of the Clouds, I snagged some breakfast leftovers in exchange for wiping down the dining tables after breakfast.
—
For the most part, the weather was great today, with mostly clear skies. They’re just a bit of haze, resulting in that beautiful layering effect with increasingly distant mountains. However, it seemed like each time as I summited a mountain, fog soon followed, only to leave soon after I descended.
—
Realized I left my Tyvek ground cloth in the dungeon after traveling about 6 miles. Welp, guess I’ll grab a new ground cloth whenever I’m in town, and just be careful until then.
—
I’d originally planned to make it to the Ethan Pond shelter, but I’m still a bit tired from yesterday and I wasn’t feeling like a big mile day, so I ended up stealth camping and getting a nice, early afternoon nap in instead.
—
Note to self: check the weather before picking a campsite.
There’s now a thunderstorm rolling in, and I’m basically on a forested ridge line not too far below the summits on either side of me. So, uh, hopefully I don’t get struck by lightning?
Fri 14
⁃ Stealth just N of Ethan Pond
Managed to snag some breakfast leftovers while passing by the Zealand Falls Hut.
—
Today was quite possibly the busiest I’ve seen the trail thus far, with countless backpackers, day hikers, and even a few trail runners out enjoying the great weather. Slightly curious why they picked this section of trail to trail run which how rocky, rooty, and muddy it is.
Sat 15
⁃ Stealth just S of Garfield Pond
Snapped the other trekking pole in about the same place. Thankfully, I have an extra tent stake to use to use as a pin to secure it to the tent (like I did when the other one broke).
After crossing Mount Garfield, I took a long break at a stealth spot just past Garfield Pond. While taking a break, a short rain shower came thru, and I decided to settle for the stealth spot I had found rather than keep going down the trail in hopes of a better one. Since the rain was just a small blip, I decided to have dinner before setting up my tent. The site only had one small spot for a tent, which was only somewhat flat, not level, had a few roots, had a small protruding rock, and was slanted such that I’d have to sleep in the tent backwards (head in the foot end and vice versa).
Sun 16
⁃ Work-for-stay at Lonesome Lake Hut
Last night’s stealth site was…adequate at best. At least I successfully identified the dry spot of the site, so I just have to pack up a wet tent, not a muddy tent. But it was not level, root free, rock free, nor far from the trail.
—
It seems like the good weather ran out last night. I’m glad I got across Mount Garfield yesterday, as there were a few climbs and rock slabs that would’ve been even more difficult in the rain. It also saved a good 2-3 hours today and I got a few more good views in before the next few days of rain.
Speaking of today’s rain, the forecast predicted 2.44” of rain today. No idea if that figure ended up being accurate, but the weather for my climb on Lafayette, Lincoln, and Little Haystack can be best described as very wet and windy. While on Lafayette, I could literally lean forward into the wind and it would keep me upright. Thankfully, the thunderstorms predicted for today never occurred (there were some last night, but they ended by 1 am).
And the two steam crossings today reminded me of the crossings back in the 100 mile wilderness, and even came with the same fearmongering of other hikers stating they were totally impassable. The first, Whitehouse brook, was roughly knee deep with fast current. Having crossed several in the 100MW in similar conditions, once I picked a spot, it was no big deal to get across. The second one, though, Cascade Brook, had its bridge washed out, so it “may be impassable after heavy rainfall”.
—
Tonight’s work for stay is nothing like I’d expected. Their one guest was a no-show, so it was just me and the croo. They also offered up the trail name of “Not Steven”, since the first question they asked when I walked in was “are you Steven?” referring to the no-show guest. The work was cleaning out cobwebs from the eaves of the two bunkhouses and the hut, which only took about 30 minutes. Dinner tonight was an amazing spread of kale salad, miso soup, spring rolls, scallion pancakes, leftover turkey, and mango cobbler. Each dish tasted just like home cooking. I can’t say I was ever expecting to have bok choy while on trail, much less in freshly made spring rolls. While the exact subject of the dinner gossip shall remain private, the vibe of the croo reminded me a lot of the camaraderie among camp staff while working at Bluestone several summers ago.
—
As the hut croo was checking me in for work for stay, they mentioned this was the last hut. I hadn’t quite realized it, but I’ll also be walking past the last paid AMC shelter or campsite, so aside from $10 for a stay in the dungeon, I managed to skip all of them, even without a purposeful effort. Perhaps the biggest reason I skipped out on them is the lack of earthen tent pads at any of the sites (setting up a non-freestanding tent on a wooden platform really isn’t fun, and I also generally avoid shelters as I’ve found I typically don’t sleep well at shelters).
Mon 17
⁃ Stealth Camp 3.3 mi from Kinsman Notch
This morning’s weather forecast indicated yesterday’s rain was 3.3”. Yikes.
—
Snapped *another* section off my pole today. Literally just while hiking. Glad I’m going into town tonight.
—
The section of trail from S Kinsman to Wolf Mountain just about broke me. Somehow the AMC has managed to make a trail worse by maintaining it. Oh, and I have a sore throat now. And I think I ate too many carbs for lunch, so my stomach and head hurts now. And the “outlook” at the top of Mount Wolf was just an insult after all of that.
I just want to faceplant into a soft bed and not wake up for the next week. Sadly, I have another 4.5 mi to hike and it’s already 5:45, so it’ll be a while till that dream’s a reality.
—
Lol nope I’m done for the night. Rather than deal w questionable signal at the trailhead and have to get a super late shuttle in tonight, I decided to, stealth camp 3.3 mi from kinsman notch.
I think I have a fever. Hopefully sleep makes it go away.
Tue 18
⁃ Stay at Old Colony Ski Club (N Woodstock/Lincoln) (from Kinsman Notch/389.6)
Everything itches. Everything stinks. Had an amazing nap last night from 6-8 pm. Didn’t get good sleep after that. Took my first Advil of the hike at about 2 am this morning—for a fever, not even for pain. Took another one about 9 am today bc I had a really bad headache and felt the fever coming back while hiking. Fun.
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Planning to take a nearo (near zero) today and a zero tmrw because I’m a little burned out, tired, and might have a cold.
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