White Mts

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Conversation with a little girl about 6-7 years old as I exited the office of the White Birches Campground in Gorham, NH:
"You look like a traveler."
"I am. And that (pointing to my backpack) is my suitcase."
"Oh.....Are you a hobo?"

The White Mts. begin with Moosilauke which is a relatively easy hike up and then a downhill of boulders that follow a stream with waterfalls. About a mile from the top you walk on the Carriage Road which indeed was a road once that went to the top where there was a hotel. Must have been an epic journey in a carriage.

                                    Foggy at the top but still rather enchanting with the mist.

Reports of the down climb had me quite apprehensive, but I found it to be loads of fun. It included wood and rebar footholds that may sound or look scary, but were not hard at all. The going is slow for sure, but the walk was a good one.

                                                                 helpful steps

                                        the way down was by this stream with may waterfalls

At the bottom is a parking lot that was a good place for magic. One box full of Little Debbie snacks and pop. Here we also met a hiker who we had not seen since Virginia and had wondered about. He lives nearby, has quit the trail, and just happened to drive in that parking lot with his family as we were getting ready to leave. It is a small world occasionally on the AT.

Kinsman Ridge follows and this is a tedious section, full of rocks, mud and something other than delightful tread! Near the end you go by the first of the Huts in the White Mts., Lonesome Lake Hut. And finally is Franconia Notch and Chet's, a hostel in Lincoln, where we spent a zero day while it rained and rained. I realized that about 6 miles from town was the New England Ski Museum and so we found a ride out and spent about an hour looking at all their ski memorabilia.

The true beginning of the Whites starts now. This section is about 80 miles and includes Mt. Washington. You are "required" to stay either in huts or at shelters. The shelters charge, so most AT hikers avoid those as we've been staying free in them for 1800 miles. A hut-to-hut stay would be very pricey as they take reservations for $120 a night. But the AT hiker can sometimes get a work-stay at them and that comes with about 30 minutes of work, a floor to sleep on plus dinner and breakfast. If the work-stays are full though, there is a third option - stealth camping, camping wherever you can out of view. 

Day one was supposed to be sunny, but typically it was not so when we got of the ridge of views, all we could see was fog. At the end of the day things improved and there was a view from Galeshead Hut, but no room for more hikers. they directed us to a good stealth spot and said to be sure to return for breakfast which we did. Eggs and marvelous coffee cake later next morning and we were off for sunshine and views.

 

Day three provided more good views in the morning with stops made along the way at Zealand and Mizpah Huts partaking of the their hospitality and leftovers. That night was a work-stay at arguably the best of the huts, Lake of the Clouds where twelve of us enjoyed dinner with a special dessert of peppermint chocolate truffles made by hand by one of the "Croo."

     looking down where we began hiking his morning  
 

The Croo is made up of young people who spend their summer at a hut. Part of their job entails packing food in weekly on their backs. They reportedly carry as much as 60-100 pounds on these packs.  

Next morning after breakfast and doing our work sweeping out the bunk rooms, we headed up the mountain to the top of Mt. Washington. What a perfect morning! The sun was shining, it was 57 degrees and the winds were a light 10 mph! Yes, there were clouds too but the views were grand.

                                                towers at the top of Mt. Washington

                                      Lake of the Clouds Hut can be seen (tiny) in the distance

                                           taking the cog or driving up is also an option

From the top we left the AT and descended via Tuckerman, another beautiful but tedious boulder climb, to Gorham where we took a well deserved zero day after which I didn't feel so much like a hobo!

                                                 coming down Tuckerman Ravine