There was a huge thunderstorm in the Upper Valley last night and I was very glad I’d resisted the urge to get another night of camping on the AT! Fortunately, it was clear (but cooler) this morning. My body clock woke me up very early this morning and, despite some creaky bones and sore muscles, I eagerly got going in my car. Stopped for breakfast (McDonalds in West Lebanon) at 0720 and drove across the river until I was on US-4, headed west. I was at the trailhead I’d discovered yesterday (end of Green Gate Road, north of Woodstock) by 0805. I was only the second car to arrive - a far cry from yesterday’s packed lot! Conditions were windy and in the low 40s as I left my car on the access trail - a much different start from my previous hike. But I was soon comfortable with one layer (long sleeves) and found the AT (about 0.4 from the car) without any difficulty. From there, I started west (AT SOBO) and soon found myself on some of the smoothest, flattest AT I’ve seen in years. I guessed it was because this section was so well used by day hikers who wanted to climb up the tower we The Lookout... It was only about 0.6 miles to that landmark and I decided to take the side trail before it got more crowded later in the day. This turned out to be a good thing because the tower had a ladder and small platform that would only hold one or two people. The view was spectacular - I could see the Whites, the Greens and lots of colorful foliage! After about 15 minutes, enjoying the scenery and solitude, I went back to the AT and continued my hike. The trail started to take on a roller coaster quality and I spent most of the morning changing elevation. I encountered a pair of older lady hikers who shared a harrowing tale of being outside overnight in their tents - it sounded miserable. After this short break, I didn’t see anyone for a few hours. I reached Chateauguay Road (inaccessible in my car from both directions) and thought about turning around. When I checked the trail guide, though, it looked like I could make my next hike in the area easier if I crossed the road and climbed Bull Hill. The sun had come out, the temps had reached the low 50s and I was feeling pretty good - so I kept going for about 0.6 miles past the road. Along the way, I managed to run into a pointy log somehow and got a charley horse - that made the backtrack, which I started when I reached the top of the hill, much more interesting... Despite some deep muscle pain (and some frustrating time spent looking for the scarce white blazes in a few places) I made really good time all the way back to the area near The Lookout. That’s when the hike changed character from a quiet adventure to a crowd dodging debacle. It was nearly noon and LOTS of people had decided to go for a walk. As I approached the access trail, I encountered almost 50 people within one mile! Only a few were out for a serious hike - I passed five older guys who seemed to be on an annual camping weekend together (they each shared a series of complains) and am quite sure I (re)met a young local couple I’d encountered at Cloudland (nearby) in late June. Otherwise, it was families out for a Sunday stroll... I decided not to take the blue blazed access trail when I reached it because I wanted to see if I could locate the extension of Green Gate Road that the map said was nearby. I found it about 0.2 miles away. Just as I was about to turn towards the car, I got my biggest surprise of the day - I passed two young people (guy and girl) who both looked familiar. When I asked if they were Thru hikers we figured out we’d last seen each other near Pierce Pond in Maine! Back then, they were part of a larger group of six smiling youngsters - it sounded like they were all still pretty close together. I’d estimated that it would take 30 days to reach Hanover from there and they beat that timetable, despite all the obstacles and challenging weather - wow! I finished my day about 20 minutes later (1230) after just over 9 miles. The parking lot (and surrounding area) was packed and I encountered more cars as I departed on the narrow gravel road. Woodstock was even more busy - four out of every five cars I saw on the way home were from MA, CT and NY... With all the Leaf Peepers around, I’m very glad to have enjoyed another Early Bird Special - hoping to get out on the trail one more time before the end of the long weekend! AT Today = 4.2 miles / G.T. AT = 1714.3 miles
