White Mountain Magic

Hello everyone, Today is an important day for the Maineiacs for two reasons. First, today marks our fourth month on the trail; second, we only have 300 miles left to go! We arrived in Gorham, NH today at noon, marking the end of our time in New Hampshire. All that is left to do are the final few hundred miles in Maine. We have come a long way and I, for one, am tired and looking forward to seeing that sign on Baxter peak that marks the end of our journey.

If the Appalachian Mountains were a middle school, the White Mountains would be the malicious school bullies who take pleasure in giving swirlies and beating up other kids for their lunch money. Indeed, the Whites play by their own rules and are unlike anything else on the Appalachian Trail. The Trail consistently rises above five thousand feet above sea level and at Mt. Washington breaks six thousand feet. The amount of vertical feet lost and gained in the presidential range is staggering: hikers gain and lose 10,000 vertical feet in a twenty five mile section. As a result we scaled back our mileage to 10-12 miles a day from our usual twenty.

The White Mountains receives the most visitors of any park or national forest in the United States due to its proximity to Boston and New York. As a result there are strict regulations on backcountry travel. These restrictions throw a real wrench in the works for most thru-hikers because we have to plan around the crowds and the huts. The AMC huts are a series of alpine bunk houses that cater to weekenders who dislike the whole "camping" aspect of backpacking. For eighty dollars a night the hut crews will cook your meals and give you a soft bunk to sleep in. They are pretty posh accommodations for the backcountry.

The AMC allows thru hikers to stay at the huts in return for a few chores. Unfortunately, only a couple of thru hikers are allowed each night, so if you don't get to the huts early enough you might find yourself sleeping on the side of a mountain. Usually the huts are not a problem and depending upon the crew, most will allow a few extra thru hikers in each night. I felt, however, that as a thru hiker I was a second class citizen: someone whose presence is tolerated but rarely liked. It is an interesting feeling coming into the Whites as a thru hiker. It is the first place in the last 1700 miles where we've had to pay eight dollars a head to camp at designated campsites. (It certainly gives credence to the claim that the AMC really stands for "Appalachian Money Club.")

Each morning in the Whites, we awoke to the sounds of dishes rattling and the smells of pancakes cooking and coffee percolating on the stove. We would pack up and wait for the paying customers to eat before we were invited back to the kitchen for breakfast. After breakfast, the crews put us to work sweeping, washing dishes, and tidying up the bunk house.

Despite the added hassle of the huts, we had a fantastic time in the Whites. The weather was perfect; clear, sunny and cool. We had extraordinary views that stretched into Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.When we reached Crawford Notch, my friends Scott Guenther and Jono Newton joined us for a section of the trail. We hiked from Crawford Notch to Mizpah hut and the next day we summited Washington together. Although there wasn't much of a view up top, we had a good time together and I was very happy for their company.

The last hut in the presidential range was our most remarkable and interesting experience in the huts. We arrived late after a long day that took us from Mizpah Hut in the south over Mt. Washington to Madison Hut on the northern edge of the Presidentials. A few people were milling around outside when we arrived, and among them were a crowd of ten year old girls. At one point, they got up and walked past us toward the hut. When they were right next to us, I heard one of these little girls say, "Ewww, gross" and then proceeded to hold her nose and breath. Just what you want to hear after a long day of hiking. I didn't think that I smelled that bad...Oh, well. C'est la vie.