Day 22
Vermont Route 100 To Winturri Shelter. 16.6 miles, over 17 if you include the road walk
Left the Greenbriar Inn after having a nice breakfast of yogurt, milk, granola bars, and applesauce. They serve a bigger and more official breakfast later in the morning, but I wanted to be on trail early.
Another humid morning. Scenery was pretty though. Started with a path by water, saw a nice waterfall, walked through a meadow with a long and lovely boardwalk. Then began the climbs. Over 3000 feet of elevation gain maybe? Up down up down up down. No viewpoints. That is par for the course on the AT, I am learning.
Passed a memorial for Steady Eddy, the thruhiker who died in Vermont a couple years ago. He was swept away at a swollen water crossing after heavy rains. RIP, hiking brother.
There was a breeze much of the time, and that helped with the heat/humidity. There was also at least one annoying deer fly that kept me company for many miles buzzing around my head. Never bit, though.
Arrived at the shelter and thought I might have it all to myself apart from the millions of mosquitoes. Got my tent and everything set up, changed, went to the shelter area to eat, and then along comes Mark Trail and Roadrunner, two hikers I keep running into. Also a Harper’s Ferry Flip Flopper named Vancouver. Later, a NOBO named Stretch arrived. He set up his tent close to mine (after asking) since tent space was now limited. Everyone here lives in the Northeast except Vancouver, who lives in…Vancouver.
Had a good time talking with everyone. Got good advice from Stretch and Vancouver about parts of the trail farther south. Had fun talking NH trails with Mark Trail and Roadrunner.
I’m actually glad I won’t have the place all to myself. This introvert is starting to like having other people around.
Day 23
Winturri Shelter to Thistle Hill Shelter 12.3 miles. Close to 13 if you include the ice cream detour.
Barely slept. My legs ached, and someone tented close to me since there was no room left elsewhere (he asked first) and we heard each other moving around on our individual sleeping mats. Should’ve put earplugs in right when I went to bed. Instead, I waited until after midnight and finally put them in, then I kind of slept until 4. Totally my own fault, sometimes people need to sleep close to one another, and my earplugs should have gone in right when I went to bed.
Hiked four miles down to the road and took a mile round trip detour to a coffee shop that according to FarOut had pastries, but alas…only coffee, ice cream, and probiotic sodas/tea. Got a soda, some tea, ate ice cream, then went back to the trail.
I am keeping the mileage mild today and tomorrow. Just 12.3 today and 13.1 tomorrow. I am glad for the lower mileage, the humidity won’t let up and slows me down.
Experienced torrential rain much of the day. Went through many meadows with lovely views, and I would have taken tons of photos had my hands not been soaking wet and my phone at risk of water damage. The rain was cold, and I hiked quickly to stay warm. Fell once on my ass on a trail-turned-stream.
Hiked with Mark Trail and Roadrunner most of the day today. They are good company. Roadrunner is a YouTuber and interviewed me about the T25. She and Mark Trail are the only people I have told about my White Mountain experiences. When I meet people, I say I lived in NH and know the Whites well, but I don’t go into everything I’ve done/hiked, and I don’t mention the T25 or anything else in particular. Mark Trail is a NH hiker, I guess that is why I told him since we were talking NH trails and peaks. Roadrunner hikes with Mark Trail, so that’s why she now knows too. I like to just be me without all my history out here – I think a lot of hikers feel that way. I didn’t mind the interview though. Hope Roadrunner got what she needed; I was soaking wet and exhausted, so I likely was not the best interviewee. I probably look and sound like I am borderline incoherent and half out of it…which I was due to the rain and fatigue, hahaha.
The sun came out and the rain stopped, we did the quick interview, then I bade the two of them farewell. I will likely see Mark Trail again, but Roadrunner is getting off trail soon. I enjoyed their company. They did invite me to keep hiking with them five miles farther to stay at a specific tenting area tonight, but I didn’t have the legs for it and decided to sleep at the closer Thistle Hill Shelter area instead.
Got to the shelter area, set up my tent, got everything inside it, ate dinner, stored my bear canister, used the privy-with-a-view, got in my tent…and then came more rain. Thunderstorms, too! Thankfully it seems this area is on the outskirts of the storm system, so the lightning wasn’t severe.
Happy to report my compactor bag and my pack cover are doing a great job keeping everything dry even during torrential downpours. Felt good to get into dry clothes, and it is nice to snuggle inside my sleeping bag while the rain hits my tent.
Day 24. Thistle Hill Shelter to Norwich, VT. 13.1 miles
Lots of people, including Vancouver, ended up at the shelter area and tenting space last night. Met Chipper and a couple of other Harper’s Ferry FF. Several thunderstorms and heavy rain came through last night, but my tent held up nicely and everything inside stayed dry. I am very happy with my Zpacks Duplex.
Had a relaxed day walking into Norwich. Just a few minor ups. The temps were cooler today, but the mosquitoes were out anyway.
Ran into a SOBO named Crochet. Nice lady from Australia. She said she was enjoying her hike thus far. Maybe I will see her after I flip.
Walked over the bridge at West Hartford. There is a tradition of thruhikers jumping off that bridge. I did not jump, looked like a good way to die to me.
Norwich is a cute New England town, and I am zero-ing at the Norwich Inn. The Inn was built in 1797 as a stagecoach tavern, and apparently the 1980s show Newhart got its inspiration from the Inn and surrounding Norwich.
There’s a local general store right next to the Inn, and I was told by someone coming out of the store that I was the best and most uniquely dressed thru-hiker they’d seen.
I am a mile and a half from NH now!
I am noticing that anything under 15 miles feels fairly easy to me now unless I am exhausted from the heat/humdity. That will change in the Whites, of course.
Day 25 – rest day in Norwich. Ate and lounged about.
Day 26. Norwich, VT to Trapper John Shelter (NH). 18.3 miles
Hello, New Hampshire! Feels like I’m home.
I already did all the AT miles in NH as day hikes during my years of living here. Now I have all kinds of memories coming back to me from when I did some of these trails the first/second/etc time. Of course, when I day hiked I never chose to hike in extreme heat and humidity, and I wasn’t carrying a thru-hiking pack/gear/food.
Left Norwich at 4:30am to avoid most of the forecasted heat. Got ten miles in before things got steamy. Walked into NH, through Hanover, then up and over Velvet Rocks. Next came the south and north peaks of Moose Mountain. Got hot and humid and, according to the weather station, into the low 90s while I was hiking Moose. Sweat dripped off me nonstop, and I took breaks and drank a lot of water. Took all I had to struggle up Holt’s Ledge, that climb after everything else I had done and in the heat/humidity was hard!! Made it though, and what nice views up there!
The bugs today were awful! Deer flies especially, they were the worst I’ve had yet. Mosquitoes were also horrible this morning. There was one short section by a bog where I was attacked and bitten by every kind of flying insect in New Hampshire. It was so horrible it was almost comical. If I had tripped and fallen in that area then I think the flesh would have been stripped from my skin in less than ten minutes.
Met a section hiker named Plaid Pastor. He is now in the Trapper John shelter area with me. Mark Trail showed up at the shelter a little while later, followed by Nobody (NOBO) and a SOBO. I am glad for the company, especially since there are notes in Far Out about a mama bear and her cubs frequenting this area as recently as yesterday.
In spite of the heat/humidity/terrible bugs, it is nice to be back in NH. Very much looking forward to seeing my old friends Moosilauke/Kinsmans/Little Haystack/Lincoln/Lafayette/Garfield/South Twin/Presidentials/Carters/Moriah again. Will probably take the official AT detour and skip the Wildcats since I have already done them literally 15 times.
Day 27. Trapper John Shelter To campsite by Brackett Brook. 15.3 miles
The mama bear and her cubs never made an appearance last night. My bear canister wasn’t touched, and nobody’s bear bag was disturbed.
Got on trail as early as possible since it was to be another hot and humid day. The air was perfectly still as I started out. Mark Trail, who arrived at the shelter not long by after I did yesterday, caught up and we spent most of the day hiking together. I enjoyed our conversations, and the long and steep climb up Smarts Mountain went by faster than it would have had I been alone. Also, the temps cooled slightly and the humidity decreased as we ascended.
Nice views from the fire tower. I’m proud of myself for going up there as climbing the stairs up fire towers always unnerves me.
The air warmed again as we descended Smarts.
On the way up Mt. Cube, Mark Trail checked his phone and saw a text; he needed to temporarily get off trail for personal reasons. We said our goodbyes and he picked up his pace to reach the next road crossing. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.
I continued up Mt Cube on my own. Love Mt Cube with all its ledges and rockiness! I am back in normal White Mountain territory now, and I love it. The summit had a great view and a lovely breeze. Finally had some peace from the deer flies and mosquitoes.
A male day hiker on the summit asked me a bunch of questions and then gave me a Cliff Bar. Some of his questions were intrusive, and I answered as I saw fit, always keeping in mind my safety. My spidey senses were up, something felt off. I never saw him again after he left the summit, though. And I did appreciate the Cliff Bar.
Met four or five SOBOs today. That makes 8 or 9 overall that I’ve met. Maybe I will see some of them when I flip south.
Didn’t have the legs to make it to the next official shelter/camping area, but I did see a note in FarOut about a spot halfway down Mt Cube. I followed a spur path after a water crossing and there are indeed some sites by the water. I wonder if anyone else will use this area tonight.
It is stifling hot in my tent since the breeze I hear going through the trees is not reaching the forest floor. Oh well. It is supposed to cool down a bit tonight and then be in the mid-70s tomorrow. That will be a nice break from the 85+ temps I have been hiking in of late.
The deer flies and blackflies are horrible at this site, and I ate and did camp chores as quickly as I could before diving into my tent. Now they are landing on my tent and trying to get to me in vain.
The flowing water sounds lovely. Hoping for a sound sleep tonight with no human, bear, moose, or other visitors.
Day 28. Campsite by Brackett Brook to Hikers Welcome Hostel. 11.3 miles
Managed to pack up my stuff this morning before the deer flies ate me. Two thousand foot climbs today, Ore Hill and Mist. Plus some minor things of course. Crossed roads I have driven on many times taking my daughters to various places. Each time I drove on those roads, I noticed the AT crossing and told myself one day I’d be coming through as a thruhiker. Now here I am!
First part of the day was hot and humid. A breeze came through during the second part. That breeze felt wonderful. Nearly all my trail days thus far have been hot and humid. And now they are hot and humid with deer flies.
Saw five more SOBOs today.
NH friend Suzanne is planning on meeting me at Glencliff parking area to give me breakfast. So nice of her!
Deer flies were awful awful awful today, for basically the third day in a row. I am grateful they didn’t bite much. Annoyingly flew around my head all day, bzzzzz. I am sick of them and have hit myself in the head a few times trying to smack them away. I do have a head net, but I get too hot wearing it.
Meant to go to the tenting area near the base of Moosilauke but when I stopped at Hiker’s Welcome, I kind of got sucked inside. I am staying here for the night. My first hostel! There is one large bunk room, but everything still feels kind of private. It is nice to not hear flies buzzing. I never thought I would stay in a hostel unless it was a private room because I like my space, but I have a corner bed and don’t feel smushed.
Unfortunately, as I was eating a pizza at the hostel, one of my bottom molars broke. A third of it is gone, and the inside is exposed. Called my dentist, they had me take photos and send them. They got right back to me and said they thought it was the crown that broke, so as long as I don’t have pain, I should be able to hike on and then just get this fixed after my thru. Just have to remember not to eat or drink on that side if possible.
Honey Badger is here. So is Vancouver. Also Nobody, whom I met a couple days ago.
