After work today, I drove northeast of Hanover on back roads until I reached the AT Trailhead on Goose Pond Road. Started SOBO at 1530, with clear skies and temps in the high 60s. This section had a steep climb of about 1,000 feet in the first mile - the trail leveled out a bit as I got closer to the North Peak of Moose Mountain and then I was treated to some great views of the valleys on both sides of the ridge. The next few miles consisted of gently rolling terrain - it was actually pretty easy after all the rocks, roots and mud I’d traversed to get there! The thick canopy overhead made it seem like dusk and kept me cool. I passed a dad and his son (backpacking towards the north) but didn’t see any other people or animals. However, I encountered thousands of bugs (mostly mosquitos) - they descended on me anytime I stopped to take a photo. So I kept up the speed and the hike was comfortable. When I reached the turnaround that I’d targeted (Moose Mountain Shelter), I found that the Dartmouth Outing Club had once again built a “D-shaped” shelter area, meaning that I had to hike beyond the first entry point/sign to the one on the south end - this probably added about a quarter of a mile but I didn’t mind, since it was mostly flat. Started my backtrack immediately and made good time to my car, arriving before 1830 after a little more than six miles. On the way home, I encountered a baby deer and its mother - had to wait for them to get off the road... Felt great after three straight days on the AT! AT Today = 3.10 miles / G.T. AT = 1579.76 miles
