Left my house at 0700 this morning for a week of AT hiking - very excited! I used a lot of back roads to reach the White Mountains and stopped for breakfast at McDonalds in Lincoln (0810). After a bit more driving, I ended up in Franconia Notch (on I-93) - I almost stopped to hike there because the weather was so spectacular! But I really wanted to explore the area north and east of there so took US-3 and US-302 and checked out some AT access points (Haystack and Zealand). There were SO many people everywhere I went - despite my early departure I got worried that I’d never be able to park... In the end, I got lucky - when I reached the AT crossing at Crawford Notch, there were plenty of spots (because of another big lot nearby). Left my car at 0930 and walked north (AT SOBO) towards the Ethan Pond area. It was chilly (low 50s with a stiff breeze) so I layered up (2) at the start. There weren’t any clouds at all, though. On the way uphill (initially on a paved road), I noticed a sign that apologized for the fact that social distancing would be difficult (SMH). Passed a railroad track (will have to figure out what that is later) and then started a nearly 2000 foot climb to reach the ridge. The trail was rocky, rooty and muddy - typical New England AT. Passed lots of families who had come to hike to Ridley Falls and one adventurous one that planned to camp at the Pond. Actually, there were so many people out for the day that I lost count - I may have seen 100 people within three miles of US-302 but, fortunately, only a handful farther away from the road. After mastering the climb (within the first two miles), I settled into a rhythm on a long, flat section. When I passed the sign for the shelter, the distance to the Zealand Hut made me consider hiking that far. After putting one foot in front of the other for a few more miles, I was convinced that it would be possible and kept on going. To the north, I saw Mount Willey - much higher elevation than I was but (for some reason) not on the AT. Actually, I was stunned by how flat the trail was - haven’t seen anything like that in a long time... Hadn’t tried a 15+ miles day in a while, either, and I was really careful of my footing all day. Was able to peel off a layer while I was on the ridge - still felt cooler than the last visit to the area. Passed several backpackers after the five mile (outbound mark) - almost none of them were AT Thru hikers (one trail runner lady went by too fast to query). Highlight of the day was reaching a place where I could see the Zeacliff - breathtaking view (and a bit worrisome, since I may have to climb it one day)! I reached my turnaround point (Zealand Trail Junction) and stopped for a snack. Several other people passed by while I was resting and gave me intel on the Zealand Parking and Trail (so I can access the area from the north next time). After a little while, I headed back towards my car. Took my time, both to preserve my fragile bones and so I could chat with all the people I met on the way. The short conversations ranged from an unfortunate encounter with a Masshole Mom, a rousing cheer with two female Nationals Fans (I was wearing my bottle top popper hat), camping stories from a young family and (later) a trio of college guys. Also shot the breeze with Jared / AKA “Wander” (from Georgia), who’d started his 2020 Thru from Glasgow, Virginia. We traded a lot of good stories and encouraged each other to get done with the Trail. After leaving him, I felt pretty good - it really helped me to finish the day. By the time I reached the descent point, the sun had dropped low enough that it was dusk in the trees. Like I’ve seen on almost every hike this summer, I saw more masks the later the day went... My feet started to hurt a lot but I kept going until I saw Nessie - I was finished (after almost 16 miles) by 1615. This was a great hike to start my trip - somehow, I was able to get a long section done while half of the tourists in the Northeast were just a few miles away! Got cleaned up and headed towards my vacation destination - Maine or Bust! Used US-302 to reach NH-16 and then drove north. As I approached the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center, I noticed a lot of cars and pedestrians - I parked to see what the commotion was and saw that they were all watching a mother moose and her calf (right next to the road). That was an unexpected treat! Continued north until I got on US-2 - from there, it was an easy drive into Maine. I ate snacks I'd packed for "dinner" on the way and also took some photos (road signs, rainbow) to send to the kids. I reached my destination, the Mountain Village Lodge, at around 1900 and followed the automated check in process (very easy without any management on site). I texted with the girls (I also told them a bit about my itinerary so they wouldn't worry) and spoke with Mollie on the phone for a little while. Otherwise, I relaxed and read in my room until I was ready for bed (2200). So glad to be back in the Pine Tree State! AT Today = 7.6 miles / Grand Total AT = 1646.1 miles
