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