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