Feeling Presidential

The past two days of hiking have included some fast thinking and some grand sights.  We entered a very famous section of the AT known as "The Presidentials," since most of the mountains over this 20+  mile stretch of trail were named after…you guessed it…former presidents of the USA.  This is a section of the AT that hikers anticipate with both excitement and a healthy dose of fear.  Excitement because the Presidentials, like the rest of the Whites, boast stunning scenery, as well as a huge Trail milestone -  the summit of Mt. Washington, the 2nd highest peak on the AT.  The fear comes into play because this area is known for its incredibly volatile weather.  As any local hiking enthusiast will tell you, hikers have been seriously injured and even killed in these mountains due to the extreme and often unpredictable conditions, even in summer.  I think that Team Nano got a truly Presidential experience on our journey over the past two days, in more ways than one.

DAY 1
Living up to their reputation immediately, The Presidentials threw us a curveball before we even attempted the first summit.  After spending the evening relaxing with Trail Angel, we awoke on the day of our planned Presidential Outing to rain.  Lots and lots of rain.    We were promised volatile weather after all.  Nevertheless, after waiting out the rain for a bit we were able to hike about 7 miles and visit our first "Presidents":  Mounts Webster and Jackson.  Even in the cloudy haze, this part of the AT, lots of it above treeline after an initial ascent, is truly beautiful.  We spent the night at Mizpah Springs Hut looked after by another wonderful crew and went to bed warm, dry and with a belly full of homemade food. The hut hiking life is going to be dearly missed after we pass through the Whites. 

DAY 2

Day 2 of this outing had us meeting a few more "Presidents": Mounts Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin, Monroe, and one of the crown jewels of the AT - Mount Washington.  The entirety of this hike was above treeline and we were blessed with a beautiful mountain day.  The climb up Mt Washington took us over 6000 feet above sea level, and it was easy to see why hikers are warned so adamantly about this part of the Trail.  Exposed, rocky, sparsely marked and both stark and stunning, it's not somewhere I would want to be trapped in a storm.  Luckily, the Mountain put on a truly spectacular show for us and we enjoyed 360 views all day.  After stopping for lunch at Lake of the Clouds Hut, we ended this stretch of time on the AT at the summit of Mt Washington, feeling very "Presidential" indeed.  Overall this was one of my favorite sections of the AT so far, and I can't wait to be back.  Stay tuned friends of Nano, the Grand Adventure will continue.    

Climbing Mt Washington, Lake of The Clouds Hut in the distance.

Team Nano at the Summit.

Return to the Whites - July 23-27, 2014

Nano is back in the Whites

Hello, friends of Nano.  Though it has been a year since our last adventure, I am very happy to be venturing out onto the trail again, if only for a short time.  Now that another year of medical school is on the books, I have a little bit of time to enjoy myself before pushing on to the MD.  What better way to do that than a return to the AT?  And with our favorite trail friend Hooter with us!  I had been looking forward to getting back on the trail all year.  We are right in the middle of the White Mountains, which boasts some of the most spectacular and most demanding (spectacularly demanding?) hiking of the entire AT.  We've actually been on-trail for a few days, but I haven't had a chance to update until now.  It's going to be a long post to cover all the days we've been out.  So here we go.  Hold on tight.

DAY 1  
Not ones to dip our toes timidly into the AT, our first day back started with a long, steep, very rocky climb.  We plotted our course assuming that we would go about 1mile/hr, which even seasoned local hikers here will tell you is a decent pace given the terrain.  There was a designated campsite only a few miles into our climb, and because we got a relatively late start and camping in the Whites can be precarious if you get stuck in one of the many exposed sections, we considered staying there.  However, we had some of the most famous hiking on the entire AT ahead of us.  Motivated by the promise of a view we'd never forget, we pressed on.  After 5 very difficult uphill miles, we were not disappointed.

Our trail on Day 1 of our return

What you see in the picture above is Franconia Ridge, and it is one of the most famous pieces of the entire AT.  It is a little over two miles of trail that follows a knife-edge ridge above the treeline, with near-vertical drops on either side of the trail, which is about 2-3 feet wide.  And of course, stunning views in all directions.  It's a place thru-hikers hear about often and dream of getting to.  It was windy but a beautiful day, so we took our time crossing the Ridge, stopping to take lots of pictures and take in the sights.  We were not sorry we passed on the "official" camping sight at the south end of the Ridge, and by the time we settled in for the night after descending back into the forest at the north end, we were a bunch of happy hikers.    

DAY 2

Our second day out greeted us with more hard hiking.  Like the vast majority of the hiking in the Whites, today was a long series of steep downhill slides followed by even steeper uphill climbs, with nary an inch of anything resembling flat trail in between.  We started the day by finishing our climb down the mountain following Franconia ridge.  There was a pond at the bottom of the mountain, where we stopped for "second breakfast."  As we munched our granola bars, we heard whoops and shouts from near the water.  A group of college boys who had camped slightly north of us had just discovered the pond and decided it was a perfect time for skinny dipping.  Background information:  it was approximately 9am and 50 degrees outside.  The filtered water in our bottles had just come from the pond, and it couldn't have been any colder if it had come from the fridge.  No wonder those boys were whooping.  Fully fed and hydrated, we headed up the next mountain, where the trail really started earning its reputation for challenging all who dare set foot upon it.
 

Nano on the AT:  Billy Goat Style

What we did on our way up this climb (and indeed, quite often throughout this section of AT) more often resembled rock climbing than hiking.  But as always, the reward at the top was well worth it. 

Taking in more views

 We tried not to linger too long at the peak, because we had a real treat waiting for us at the end of our hike today.  The Appalachian Mountain Club operates a series of 8 "huts" here in the Whites, the first of which we passed through last year.  But on this trip we actually got to enjoy some of the huts in full, starting with Galehead Hut, the most remote of the 8.  After traveling at slightly less than our 1mile/hr pace due to the difficulty of the terrain, we arrived at our home for the night.

 Nano, Amicus and Hooter at Galehead

 Ready for our feast

Galehead is a special hut, not only because it is the most remote hut, but because when it was renovated in 2000, it was specifically built to withstand hurricane-force winds.  That was put to the test just a few years ago, when a record-breaking storm ripped through the Whites, with winds recorded at 125mph.  The forests surrounding it were flattened, but Galehead stood strong.  Needless to say, we thought it was a great place to spend the night.  In the summer, each hut is staffed by 5 college-aged "croo" members who run the place and take care of guests.  They serve a full dinner and breakfast and provide bunk rooms and eco-friendly bathrooms for overnight hikers.  Our "croo" at Galehead was actually not the normal staff, but an "All-Star Croo" made up of former hutment and women who had returned to take over for the weekend so that the actual staff could have a weekend off together (usually the staff members are given days off individually in a rotation).  There were married couples who had met and fallen in love working the huts in their college days, some of whom brought along their kids to help.  Needless to say, if I had known about these huts in my college day, I would have been all over it.  What an amazing way to spend the summer.  We feasted on homemade herb bread, pea soup, chicken casserole, salad and blondies for dessert.  Stuffed and warm, we settled into our bunks for a great night's sleep (interrupted only briefly by one of our hut-mates very loud snoring.  I hope you get that checked out, friend).

DAY 3

After being awoken by the Galehead crew's rendition of "You are My Sunshine," being treated to an Olympics-themed skit about proper blanket folding, trash packing and croo tipping, and feasting once again on oatmeal, bacon and pancakes,  we set out from our hut home to conquer South Twin Mountain, our last "big climb" of this piece of trail.  It was one mile of constant near-vertical climb, but once again, the Whites did not disappoint.  We got to enjoy more great views while staying at a relatively high elevation for a bit along another small ridge. 

   Ridges north of South Twin 

After South Twin and some ridges, we gradually descended to another hut.  Zealand Falls Hut is one of the most popular huts, both because it is relatively easy to get to (since multiple trails of varying lengths and difficulty climb up to it) and because it boasts some pretty spectacular scenery, since it is located right next to the waterfall it is named after.  The weather was calling for rain the next day, and we debated staying or pressing on in order to avoid getting wet in the morning.  But we ultimately settled on staying, since the huts are one of the greatest attractions in the Whites.  Because of the high demand for this hut, Amicus and I actually had to find alternate lodging for the night, though I can't say I was sorry when we finally found a place to settle in.  

 Camp Nano by Zealand Falls (water's edge at right)

 Nano taking a dip (Camp Nano at immediate left just out of frame)

After setting up shop at the falls and braving the icy waters (which are very refreshing after your skin goes a little numb) to rinse off and clean up, we did get to visit the hut for dinner.  We actually witnessed one of the Zealand croo members arriving with one of the famous "pack boards," which are nothing more than wooden beams with canvas and rope, which croo members tie (often 50-120 lbs worth of) supplies to, sherpa style, to carry them to the huts.  

 Waiting for supper at Zealand

Zealand's dinner was Thanksgiving in July, complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, peas and (vegan) chocolate cake.  The croo members at this hut were the "actual" crew, i.e. a bunch of earthy college kids, but they were no slouches in the kitchen and it was another great night.  I fell asleep listening to the waterfall just outside my tent.

DAY 4
Because we opted to stay at Zealand even though the forecast called for rain on our last day of this leg of the hike, we skipped breakfast at Zealand and hit the Trail bright and early.
 

 Hooter and Nano saying farewell to Zealand Falls

We only had about 8 miles to go to reach our pick-up spot for the day, and luckily those 8 miles happened to be on what is widely known to be the "easiest stretch of trail in the Whites."  From Zealand Hut to the pick-up, the AT followed an old logging road, which meant it was nearly flat and fairly wide.  Most of it was in the woods, but it occasionally emerged from the trees to give a peek at the awesome world around us.  

 Hiking the Logging Road

We made record time on this section, averaging over 2miles/hr and even having time to stop for some food by a pond at just past the halfway point.  The pond was a little off-trail and the caretaker of the tenting site next to the pond came to check on us after hearing Amicus yell at Hooter and I to follow him down the side trail.  She gave us some intel about the area and the weather (just as it started to sprinkle) and asked us to please not leave any food in "her" pond when we left.  It's nice to know someone is paying attention out here.  We made it to the pickup spot in record time (considering we were still, in fact, hiking the Whites, even if the logging road let us forget that for a bit), and didn't even get rained on until we got in the car.  As Hooter would say, timing is everything.  

The first few days back on the AT after a year were a truly wonderful time, complete with some truly "quintessential" AT and White Mountain experiences.  Stay tuned, more adventures ahead. 

   

 Team Nano, version 2014

I prefer my AT on the rocks - June 25/26

 1800 Miles Officially Hiked!

The past two days were pretty difficult for Team Nano, but also quite rewarding.  In two days, we hiked a little over 16 miles, which doesn't sound like much, but felt like quite the accomplishment to us.  We worked for every step of this section.  We hit a pretty significant milestone during this outing - we have officially hiked 1,800 miles of Appalachian Trail.  That's a lot of AT under Nano's feet.  On our first day of hiking we went a little over 7 miles.  It was very slow going.  The trail was extremely soggy (standing water along most of it) and we struggled to find any dirt free of rocks and roots to step on.  It's the kind of trail that seems like it's just waiting for you to lose focus and break a hiking pole or an ankle.      You have to watch every single step you take, and plan two steps in advance.  We were going at about 1mph, and we weren't sure how far we would get.  In the middle of the afternoon, we got to a shelter by a river. Since camping is only allowed in the vicinity of shelters in the White Mountains, we had a choice to make.  We could either stay there or hike 4 more miles up and over one of the taller Whites to the next shelter.  The weather forecast was calling for storms, and we thought hiking the wet rocks up a mountain in the rain was probably a bad idea.  So we set up camp by the river and called it an early day.  I think we made the right call, because after a quick dip in the river and starting dinner, the storm found us.  It rained pretty heavily and we were glad to have a good spot to wait it out. 

 Camp Nano by the river in the rain

The next day, the rain had stopped but the fog was thick and the trail was still very wet.  We got a bit of a treat though, because the first mile of hiking followed the river up the steep south side of Kinsman Mountain.  That meant we were hiking next to waterfalls for about an hour. 

 Trail Waterfall

We had about 3 miles to hike to the summit of Kinsman Mountain.  I am starting to discover a pattern that seems to describe 90% of the trails here in the White Mountains - steep rocks.  These trails would be tough even in perfect conditions.  After a heavy rain, when the steep rocks are covered in about a quarter inch of running water, they are even tougher.  Hooter discovered the key to hiking the Whites though - "Stay Focused."  Better advice could not be had. Climbing Kinsman was quite the task.  It was almost as steep as the north side of Moosilake, and just as rocky.  Often, we were crawling on our hands and knees and pulling ourselves up using tree limbs.  We had seen some hikers traveling with dogs along the trail, and all I could think was, if I was struggling up the rocks, how did the pups manage?  Every now and then, the trees would clear and we would get a glimpse of the summit through the fog.    

Our destination

It took up about 3 hours to get to the top of Kinsman.  1mph once again.  I think that's as fast as you are guaranteed to go here in the Whites.  When we reached the summit, it was completely fogged in.  It looked like something out of a horror movie, but getting there meant we had made it up and we thought it was beautiful. 

Foggy Summit of Mt Kinsman

The descent of Kinsman was just as steep and rocky.  It didn't really occur to me while I was hiking (probably because I was so focused on where I was going to put my feet from step to step), but looking back on it now, this kind of trail is legitimately dangerous.  Any pictures I could post would not really do justice to the steepness of the trail.  And with rocks and roots dominating the path, stable places to step are a rarity.  I'm glad that we were careful and took our time.  It's not hard to see how someone could fall and get hurt out here.  Tough going though it was, it was still beautiful.  And very rewarding when you complete it. 

The steep, wet rocks are our favorite...

 Treacherous River Crossing 

There was a very special treat waiting for us with three miles left to go in our hike.  For 125 years, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has maintained a series of "huts" here in the White Mountains for adventurers to use.  They have evolved over the years from nothing more than walls to the current wilderness palaces they are, complete with bunk houses, bathrooms, a full kitchen and a full time staff that maintains the hut, cooks meals, packs all the supplies up the mountain and offers talks and programs on the local habitats and mountain survivial (what a great summer job that would have been when I was in college).  To top it all off, the huts are largely powered by sustainable energy sources.  Unless you are one of the first two thru-hikers at the hut for the day and can get a work-for-stay deal, there is a (rather substantial by Trail standards) fee to stay at the Huts, but from what I saw they are worth every penny. The hut on our hike today was the Lonesome Lake Hut, one of the newer and more popular huts, since the 3 mile hike to it is relatively forgiving.  It was like Disney World for hikers and we thought we were in heaven.  It had started to rain on our way down Kinsman, so we stopped in to dry off and eat our lunch.  We were so temped to stay (lentil soup, salad, potato rolls, pork chop with homemade applesauce, bow tie pasta, broccoli and homemade dessert were on the menu), but we had to press on. 

 

Lonesome Lake Hut

Lonesome Lake Bunkrooms.  Real Mattresses and all.

Hut Kitchen

It rained for the rest of our hike down Kinsman, but we were in the woods so all we felt was a sprinkle.  As the Hut staff had promised us, the Trail south of the Hut was much more forgiving than the Trail we had put behind us, and we made much better time.  By the time we found Trail Angel at the bottom of the mountain, we were wet as drowned rats and probably just as smelly.  But we were happy to have explored another of the famous Whites.

Team Nano after 2 tough days

The Whites, The Whites are Calling

 On Top of Mt Moosilake

Today was a really special day in the world of Nano.  Today we officially entered the White Mountains, one of the most celebrated and feared sections of the Appalachian Trail.  Spanning about 60 miles of Trail, The Whites are famous for their stunning beauty.  Many of them have "bald" tops or rise above the timber line and thus offer some pretty spectacular views.  However, to enjoy these views you must pay the admission fee in the form of completing a very grueling climb and/or descent.  The AT in the Whites is steep and rocky and the weather is often wet and windy.  It is a place AT hikers approach with both excitement and caution.  As Northbounders, our first White was Mount Moosilake.  It was 9 miles up and over Moosilake, and we headed out extra early to make sure we could complete the hike in one day.  When we started hiking, it was breezy, damp and very foggy.  I didn't mind, since the first 5 miles of the hike were a fairly steep ascent and I welcomed anything that would help keep me cool.  It was slower going than usual, but after a few hours the trees started to thin our and we knew we were getting close to something special. 

      

 Ascending into the fog with giant cairns to mark the way

The last half a mile before the summit was lined with cairns taller than I was.  Some serious time and effort went into building them.  When we reached the top, the entire peak was surrounded in dense fog.  I admit that I was pretty disappointed, since Moosilake has one of the most famous views of the Whites.  But I was feel great after completing a hard climb.  We settled in at the peak to eat our lunches, and 20 minutes later the heavens opened and revealed to us the Whites in all their beauty.  

360 Degrees of Moosilake

The summit of Moosilake was everything I hoped it would be - stunning, challenging and rich with history.  There was once a hotel here (over 100 years ago - now the only thing left is ruins) and the carriage road the patrons used now serves as a hiking path.  Over the years, hikers have used the abundant stone of the summit to build not only cairns here, but elaborate windbreaks, which we took advantage of while we ate our lunch.  We sat enjoying the summit of our first White for over an hour and when it was time to press on, it was hard to tear ourselves away.  Once we realized what we had to do to get down, we were missing the gorgeous summit even more.  Moosilake's "admission price" is paid on her north face, which is one of the steepest and slickest trails I have ever encountered.  We barely traveled at 1 mph, having to watch every single step we took and often using handholds or crouching to slide from rock to rock.  Though it is beautiful, descending next to a waterfall for the entire 4 miles, this particular section of Trail is described as "treacherous" in our guidebook and there are warning signs posted on the Trail itself.  Climbing down Moosilake was definitely one of the tougher hikes I have done out here on the AT, but as I told Trail Angel at the end of the day, this mountain was worth getting out of bed for. 

A Treacherous Descent 

After a slow but successful descent, we completed our hike of Moosilake - and put our first White behind us - just in time to beat a thunderstorm to the car.  I can't even imagine what that descent would have been like in the rain, and I thank my guardian angel that the storm held off long enough for us to get down safely.  It seemed we could not have timed this day better if we had tried.  Clouds to shade us while we climbed, sunshine at the summit to brighten our spectacular view, and rain that held off long enough for us to get down the mountain without breaking a hiking pole or any bones.  Our first experience with the Whites was a resounding success.  Days like this are the reason I come here.  

  

The Famously Beautiful White Mountains

Hanging out at the Hike-In - June 23

Your Friendly Neighborhood Trail Salamander

Today's hiking (about 10 miles) was relatively uneventful.  There were no panoramic vistas or large mountains to climb.  It was all hiking in the woods on a very soggy trail (it had rained the night before).  All of the forests here are remarkably green - think Crayola Green - and it makes me smile to see a piece of nature that is so obviously thriving and doing well.  There was a road about halfway into our hike today and Trail Angel met us there and brought us lunch, so we got to have cold drinks and chicken salad during our hike, which was so special.  However, the real highlight of the day, or rather, the previous evening, was the place we spent the night before hiking today.  We stayed in one of only two motels in the entire country that has a Drive-In movie theater in the backyard.  There was even a speaker in our room, so we could sit in our beds and watch the show on the Drive-In screen.  It was, quite possibly, one of the coolest things I have ever seen.  I had no idea we were staying in such a glorious establishment until we pulled in the parking lot in the early afternoon, and I spent the rest of the day barely able to contain my excitement at being able to watch a Drive-In movie from my motel bed.  When darkness fell, we all gathered around the window with our pie and ice cream and were treated to a double feature of WWZ and the new Superman movie (though I fell asleep with 30 minutes left of Superman and am still antsy to find out how it ends - a hazard of watching a Drive-In movie in bed rather than car).  I had never heard of a motel-Drive In combo before, and it is not something I will soon forget.  I was still talking about it while we hiked the next day.    

 Eating breakfast in the room with a view of the Drive-In

Overall, I was thankful for an easier day of hiking, since tomorrow we will have our first taste of the infamous White Mountains of New Hampshire.  I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.  

 NH Frog Pond

Camping Out in NH - June 21-22

 On top of the Fire Tower before our first Overnight of 2013

Not wasting any time, Team Nano has marked another milestone of our 2013 Adventure - our first overnight of the year.  Over the course of two days, we broke out the big backpacks, hiked almost 20 miles and summited two decent-sized mountains.  It was the perfect time to be camping, too.  Perfect weather, constant breeze, plenty of shade trees to pitch a tent under.  There were several interesting sights too.  On our first day out, we passed a sign advertising free ice cream and croquet (a classic combination if ever there was one) for hikers in a local's yard.  We also climbed a fire tower on top of our first mountain and had lunch at the old Fire Ranger's Cabin, which now serves as the hiker shelter.  

 Picnic at the Fire Ranger's Cabin

This stretch of trail didn't have as many accessible roads as previous sections, so we didn't get to see our Trail Angel for a night.  But after refilling our water bottles in the stream at the bottom of our first mountain, we found a great camping spot.  We set up camp nano in the woods overlooking a steep ledge.  It's rare to find a place to camp that has the magical trifecta of 1) being a permissible place to camp (the park service is sometimes picky about where they officially allow hikers to overnight) 2) a place flat enough to pitch a tent and 3) a view.  With this spot, we hit the jackpot.  We made ourselves some Ramen and happily settled in.     

 Dinner and a Show at Camp Nano

We had made really good time on our first day of hiking, so on Day 2 of our overnight, we didn't have much farther to go for our rendezvous with Trail Angel.  We did have one more mountain to climb - Mount Cube - and it did not disappoint.  The top of Mt. Cube was exposed and offered a great view.  

 Mt. Cube in the Morning

We continued to make good time hiking and made it to the rendezvous in time to spend the afternoon taking in some local culture.  Rural New Hampshire, much like Vermont, is known for its Maple trees.  And Maple trees can only mean one thing - Maple Sugar.  Sugar farms are abundant here.  Most of them family owned and run and very neat to visit.  We drove by several, and on many of them you can see the rubber tubing running from the trees downhill to the collecting houses.  We also got to take in some local cuisine at the Whippi-Dip, which serves everything from burgers to fried clams and whose medium ice cream cone would feed a family of 4.  After two days of hiking we were definitely glad for the treats.    

 Genuine New Hampshire Maple Sugar Shack - Probably one of the last places on earth you can shop on the honor system.   

The Whippi-Dip.  Home of the most generous ice cream portions ever.

"Real" Hills

 Our First Big Hill

The second day of our 2013 Grand Adventure brought us our first "Real Hill" of the trip.  The AT in New Hampshire definitely has a reputation for being tough hiking, and we got our first small taste of that today.  Over the course of about 9 miles, we had two big climbs.  The first was up Moose Mountain, and though one of my AT dreams is to see a moose on a hike, it didn't happen there.  The second was up to a place simply named "The Ledges," and once we got there it wasn't difficult to see where the name came from.  It was our first scenic overlook of this trip, and it didn't disappoint.  

 The Ledges - Our First Vista

Our first "Real Hills" meant more breaks and a little slower going for Team Nano today.  But it was another perfect day outside, good for taking our time.  We got some good comfort food at a local dive for dinner and I even discovered one of my new favorite special treats - Gelato Affogato ("drowned ice cream" - look it up).  Maybe tomorrow we will be ready for some more "Real Hills."

Team Nano at The Ledges 

Motto of the Day:  "The only easy day was yesterday"