North Haverhill, NH (USA)

Started my day early (0445) at Moose Brook State Park but decided I was going to take a break from hiking the AT.  Read in the early AM and got out of my campsite at around 0630.  Stopped for breakfast at McDonalds in Gorham at 0645.  I ate inside the restaurant and, when finished, drove towards Berlin on NH-16.  Picked up some supplies at Walmart (done at 0730) and then backtracked to US-2.  On my way home, I thought about stopping at some trails I'd noticed on NH-116 but ended up continuing all the way into Littleton.  Got on I-93 and drove west to the exit for NH-135.  Found a good boat launch (there were several, actually) and then paddled for 90 minutes on the Moore Reservoir.  The lake was formed by another dam on the Connecticut River and I floated along between New Hampshire and Vermont for a little while.  I mostly stayed on the west end (counterclockwise circuit) but saw several places upriver where I could launch the kayak again if I want to continue my quest to paddle the whole river...  After getting done, I decided to use NH-135 to get to Woodsville.  This ended up being a nice choice because I was able to follow the Connecticut much more closely than the Interstate did.  Listened to more audiobooks on the way.  Eventually, I came into Woodsville near the start of the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail and got on US-302 until I could switch to NH-10.  As I headed south, I remembered that the North Haverhill Fair was going onthis weekend.  Decided to stop, since I've already missed it during the two previous years of driving through the area.  This year's fair was the 78th installment!  In addition to the typical Midway, I encountered had just about anything you could think of for a Summer Fair - it took me over an hour just to walk a full circuit.  Highlights: Clydesdale Pull, Truck Pull, animal races, prize dairy cows, costumed sheep & goats and “Haverhill’s Got Talent.”  Temps were high so I sought shade as much as possible.  Enjoyed a nice burger for lunch.  I’d definitively come again, especially since they have different events each day.  Next year, I might try the helicopter ride, archery tag or cornhole tournament!  Left fair at about 1430 and drove home (via NH-10 to River Road to NH/VT-25, then I-91).  Arrived at my condo by 1530 and unpacked.  Overall, a beautiful day!

Shelburne, NH (USA)

Somehow, I got another great forecast for the Mahoosuc Range this weekend!  I was ready to go early and left my condo at around 0615.  Used I-91, VT/NH-25, River Road, NH-10, US-302, NH-116 and US-2 to reach Gorham (listened to audiobook on the way).  Ate breakfast at McDonalds (0810) and then drove to Shelburne to see if I could find a place to park.  Got lucky with a parking spot at the trailhead for the Peabody Brook Trail (previously, I’ve never seen an empty spot there).  This allowed me to carve out a huge chunk of my remaining NH miles north of US-2.  I was on the trail by 0830 and, in three miles, I reached Dream Lake and the Mahoosuc Trail (AKA AT).  Starting SOBO, I followed the white blazes along a “backwards capital D” shape.  Within minutes of starting my AT Section, I started seeing NOBO Thrus - in total, I probably passed 30-40 (I lost count).  There were lot of section hikers too but I only saw one SOBO Thru… The weather was actually really nice because the sun stayed mainly in the clouds all day and there was a steady breeze.  Actually, I probably needed a jacket for the 50s temps but felt so good that I toughed it out.  Initially, I stopped to talk with several of the hikers, sharing Intel and stories.  Eventually, though, the series of boulder-filled roller coaster climbs and descents put me in a business-like mood.  Fortunately, none of the climbs exceeded 500 feet (highest peak was just under 3K feet).  So I stayed on task pretty easily and made good progress as I headed towards my car.  Some nitpicks: there really were very few blazes to follow today and I encountered a lot of downed trees. Highlights: Wocket Ledges, Trident Pass, Cascade Mountain and (finally) Hayes Mountain, I landmark I’ve now climbed from three different directions.  Leaving the Mahoosuc Trail, I descended towards US-2 on the Centennial Trail which showed a lot of damage after the fire this Spring.  After I reached the bottom of my last descent, I walked about a mile on pavement until I reached my car again (1730).  All told, I walked almost 14 miles in just over 8 hours.  Felt good, actually, which was nice because I was trying out a new pair of boots...  Quickly changed clothes and then went to Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church (1800).  Afterwards, drove to Moose Brook State Park to check into my campsite (1900).  Made sure I liked it (there was another option if I didn't) and then drove back to town to eat dinner at Gorham Dynasty Buffet.  After a great meal (finished at 2000), I checked my email (cell service was spotty at the campground) and then drove back to Moose Brook (2030).  Decided to sleep in my car again, rather than pitching my tent, and it worked even better this time (seats folded town).  Read until about 2200 and then went to bed.  Best news of the day is that I’ve finally cracked the 200 AT miles to go mark!  AT Today = 6.1 miles / Grand Total AT = 1990.3 miles / AT Left = 195.0 miles

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in the morning - workout at UVAC in White River Junction from 0745 to 0900 (45 minutes swimming, 30 minutes on rowing machine and stationary bike) - home by 0915 - more telework]

Enfield, NH (USA)

[in the afternoon (1645), I drove to Enfield (Forward's Garage) and assisted the VAMC Adaptive Sports Team with biking event - met helped Ralph and biked over about 4 miles (side-by-side bike) - after we were done (1900), I drove over to Sacred Heart to go to Mass - wanted to get some ice cream at Dairy Twirl but they were closed - instead, got gas at Irving (1950) and was home by 2000]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in the morning - workout at UVAC in White River Junction from 0830 to 1015 (30 minutes swimming, 30 minutes on rowing machine and stationary bike, 30 minutes with weight machines) - home by 1030 - more telework]

Winchester, NH (USA)

The forecast for this morning made me reconsider hiking the AT.  Instead, I decided to check out an area that I usually pass on NH-116: Forest Lake.  I ate breakfast at the hotel (0700).  Then relaxed and read in my room.  Departed Gorham by 1000 and drove west on US-2.  Once on NH-116, I explored some trailheads on the way to Whitefield.  After passing through town, I stopped for some kayaking at Forest Lake.  Spent about an hour in a clockwise circuit - it was nice but the wind really picked up at the end.  From the northwest corner, you can see almost all the High Peaks of the Whites!  Pretty hard to avoid thoughts of “Cabin Porn” as I paddled by dozens of awesome vacation homes - gotta get me one of those!  After getting kayak back on the car, I drove a short distance around the lake until I located Forest Lake State Park.  It turned out to be a free beach and I thought about staying for a while.  However, one of my sandals broke and I was antsy to get home.  Next time!  Got back to NH-116 and drove to Littleton.  Got on I-93 and took it all the way to I-91.  Used the Interstate to get all the way back to Norwich/Hanover, arriving at my condo by 1415.  Glad I didn't spend the whole day sweating in the woods - it was nice to be on the water!

Gorham, NH (USA)

I’ve been watching the weather every day in order to time my traverse of the Northern Presidentials on the best day possible.  It hasn’t been easy because the Mount Washington Observatory forecasts change constantly.  Two days this week saw nasty storms hit the AT above the tree line, a potentially deadly situation for hikers.  I had an inkling that today would be a good choice for me to try this challenging hike and preemptively took the day off, packed my car and got on the road by 0600 this morning.  Used I-91, VT/NH-25, River Road, NH-10, US-302, NH-116 and US-2 to reach the hiking zone.  (Just after passing through Littleton, I experienced a brief delay because the police/fire departments were trying to keep people away from a dead bear (hit by a car) that was laying on the edge of the road.)  Got breakfast at McDonalds in Gorham at around 0800 and then continued south on NH-16.  I was able to reach the staging area at Pinkham Notch Visitors Center for the daily (first come, first served) Mount Washington Auto Road shuttle with time to spare and was riding up the mountain by 0915.  This was only my second drive to the summit and first in 46 years!  In the meantime, the formerly gravel road got paved, small sections at a time, and this was rye first season with blacktop all the way.  Our (there was another hiker couple with me) driver, Dexter, told us he’d made over 11,000 round trips on the Auto Road since 1980 but I’m not sure that was enough reassurance - I’ll admit that my heart jumped pretty high whenever he took his hand off the wheel to point out a landmark near the VERY narrow road... Eventually, we reached the top and found that a cloud bank had attached itself to the mountain during our drive.  As a result, we had 50 degree temps, high winds and lots of moisture.  Because I knew that the conditions were better near 5000 feet, I immediately (1000) started downhill on the Trinity Heights Connector (AKA NOBO AT).  There were a few other people on the mountain and it was fun to poll them all for their itineraries - from the answers I got, it seemed that a lot of people were trying a full Presidential Traverse (north to south).  They’d obviously started much earlier than me because they were almost half way just as I started... Another popular response was “Peak Bagging” - this was good because the section I was hiking had a series of over-4000 peaks to summit.  Strangely, though, the AT only crossed one (the rest required detours on side trails) and I reluctantly decided to skip all the extra climbing and focus on the AT.  The result of this choice was that I was basically the only non-NOBO-Thru on the route - and those were in short supply (I only met three all day).  I plodded along the trail, at first in fog, and ended up crossing the Cog Railway track.  Three of the trains passed the area about 10 minutes later but I was already almost at the bottom of my first descent: the base of Mount Clay.  Skipping the summits didn’t mean I didn’t have to climb - instead, I used the “shoulder” of each successive peak.  I could see LOTS of people on the top of each hill and it reminded me of several “48 4K Achieved” posts I’ve seen on social media recently… After Clay, I got another descent and then started a climb up Mount Jefferson.  Again passing via the shoulder, I found myself in the blazing sun for the first time.  This was another risk - I’ve got the tendency to burn, regardless of the amount of sunscreen I use.  I did my best to save my skin from cancer and kept going, resisting the urge to stop for food.  One group delayed me - a couple told me how they were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a series of hikes.  When I congratulated them, they proceeded to tell me the secret of a successful marriage (I could barely hear it above the heavy wind).  Continuing on, I started to encounter people who were (for lack of a better term) lost.  For the rest of the day, I had to give trail Intel to almost everyone I passed.  Where is the trail junction? Where can I camp? Do you know how to Slackpack the Wildcats?  Usually, I actually knew the answers!  When I wasn’t talking with the other hikers, I stopped a couple of times to look down into the Great Gulf - it was well named.  Some people I met had climbed the steep walls of this deep valley to the ridge - wow!  After I “shouldered” Mount Adams, I reached Thunderstorm Junction and could see my nemesis, Mount Madison, in the distance.  By this point, I was getting tired of all the climbing, boulder scrambling and exposure but I had to (at least) reach the Madison Springs Hut to get some shade.  Fortunately, I met up with several members of the Hut Croo and they escorted me down to their home-away-from home in the clouds.  Actually, they were so euphoric (laughing, shouting, hooting) that I couldn’t match their energy.  But it was an uplifting time.  At the Hut, I ate and drank and rested - it felt good to stop walking.  But a little bit later, I resumed the hike and climbed my steepest peak (all the way to the top!) of the day: Madison.  From the windy summit, I could see every landmark of consequence, along with a rather harrowing preview of the long descent I still had to do.  Actually, I almost got lost myself at this point because the AT just “disappeared” over a cliff!  Fortunately, I noticed a small step and clambered over until I saw the ubiquitous cairns that led the way down to the tree line.  Thus began about a five hour ordeal that I can’t easily describe - except maybe to say that it was like the Mahoosuc Notch in miniature.  I carefully watched every step and, thankfully, never fell off any big rocks.  Eventually, I reached the tree line but the going was SLOW.  I’d been making good time on the ridge but my pace slowed to almost a mile an hour - this was actually intentional, so I’d reach my car.  The next 4-5 miles was a blur.  Temps had climbed into the mid 80s as I was on the ridge and I eventually ran out of water.  Every step got me closer to my car but the whole day flashed before my eyes and I wondered: should I have listened to the several folks who told me this wasn’t a good idea?  I’d sacrificed the option of staying out on the trail for the night because I wanted a lighter pack with more water.  Doubts crept in and it wasn’t until I FINALLY reached the Auto Road crossing (two miles from Pinkham Notch) that I felt better - because I’d already hiked this section twice!  The trail got easier and I saw a series of SOBO Thrus starting their climbs up to Madison.  Suddenly, my lot in life didn’t seem so bad… I reached my car by 1930 (it was actually getting dark), 9.5 hours after leaving the top of Washington (~13.5 miles).  Despite being exhausted and drenched in sweat, I experienced some of the CROO youngsters’ euphoria. However, I was also so tired that I didn't want to think about driving home - if only I'd made a lodging reservation!  Beggars can't be choosey so I accepted the insanely high rate (made online reservation) at the Rodeway in Gorham.  Arrived at around 2000 and checked into my room.  Soaked in the tub for a long time and then read until I was tired.  Bed at 2200.  VERY glad to be done with these peaks - now the snow caps can return!  AT Today = 11.5 miles / Grand Total AT = 1984.2 miles / AT Left = 201.1 miles / NH 4000 Footer #16 of 48

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in morning - volunteered at UVAC in White River Junction from 0800 to 1000 (clearing brush) - by 1015, I was home again (more teleworking)]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in morning - workout at UVAC in White River Junction from 0745 to 0915 (45 minutes swimming, 30 minutes on rowing machine and stationary bike) - home by 0930 - more teleworking]

North Oxford, ME (USA)

I'd decided last night that I should start working on finishing the rest of the Mahoosuc Traverse - it will take a while...  Woke up in my campsite (car) by 0500, packed up and then drove north (NH-16) to Errol.  Nothing was open there yet so continued to Umbagog Lake State Park (NH/ME-26).  Could have gotten a shower there but decided to try to get to the trailhead before the parking lot was full.  Continuing deeper into Maine, I entered a complex system of dirt/gravel roads (North Road, Pond Road and Success Pond Road), mostly used by OHRVs, to find the parking lot for the Carlo Col Trail.  One drawback to choosing this hike was that any starting point required a minimum of three miles to hike in before any AT miles could be logged... Still, rising early and the short drive had me hiking by 0630 - beating the heat on a Summer morning is always a good thing!  I actually used a trailhead that offered a loop with an initial climb up Goose Eye Mountain and a descent from the Carlo Col area.  This also got me as close I could get to my previous “bailout” point (North Wright Trail, AKA “Abandoned Trail”) in June... The climb wasn’t too bad at first but got much steeper towards the summit of Goose Eye (3870’).  The weather was tremendous and I got a 360 vista of lots of familiar landmarks, including the Presidentials, Berlin, the Androscoggin and the northern end of the Mahoosuc Range.  Goose Eye (West Peak) isn’t actually on the AT so I had the odd experience of descending onto White Blazes from above!  As I continued (NOBO) towards the place where I could stitch this section to the last, I could see two small figures (likely NOBO Thru Hikers) on top of the East Peak (3790’).  Since I had to go there myself, I watched how they departed the summit so I’d know the way down.  After that, I descended into a notch between the Goose Eye peaks and found the junction for South Wright Trail.  Already, I was seeing a lot more of the frustrating trail conditions that Jon and I encountered in June - long, slanted, slippery granite slabs with few handholds.  This could explain some colorful (read = vulgar) graffiti on one of the trail signs I passed - my photo doesn’t show the full context but my friend, Sean R, had previously showed me a version before the words were removed… Somehow, I managed to scramble up the steep incline of the East Peak and then started down in search of the North Wright Trail.  On this side of the hill, the AMC had added a long, complex series of planks and stairs - about 90% was pretty easy to hike.  But the remaining 10%?  Grrrrr... As soon as I found the place where we departed the AT and bushwhacked towards Sunday River, I started my backtrack.  With morning energy (and a much lighter pack), I retraced my steps to where I’d joined the AT (roughly 0.7 miles) and was able to avoid falling in the tough spots.  On the southbound descent from Goose Eye, though, the trail was nearly vertical.  The AMC had added some rebar handles and stairs but not nearly enough… Consequently, I got quite dirty from all the crab walking and butt sliding I had to do.  At the bottom of this ravine, I got a few more good views and transited an alpine bog before commencing my climb up Mount Carlo (3565’).  By this point, I was running out of steam - the seemingly constant roller-coaster of the peaks was tiring.  Also, the temps had risen into the mid-80s, making me a bit nervous about overexertion.  Aside: VERY glad I didn’t try this on the last day I was here.  Ultimately, I decided against trying to reach the NH/ME border sign and just complete the loop I’d planned.  This turned out to be a good idea because I encountered four NOBO Thrus who griped about the footing in that area.  One of the Thrus, a young lady, did a double take of recognition when she saw me - we eventually deduced we’d been traveling in the same “Bubble” back when we hiked the Smokies in late March.  It’s always great to meet Trail Buddies again during the same year!  After chatting with the group, who said they were trying to reach Grafton Notch by sunset (yikes), I left the AT and descended via the Carlo Col Trail.  On the way, I checked out the Shelter (in case I need to use it next time).  By the time I was back at my car again (1230, after just under 11 miles), the little parking lot was full and the sun was blazing hot.  Felt VERY glad to have connected the dots on this short section - it’s always hard to predict whether a bailout makes it impossible to return easily and it’s good to know this one wasn’t too bad.  After getting myself cleaned up, I drove into Berlin (Success Pond Road) and got on NH-16.  Stopped for gas at Irving in Gorham (1310) and then drove west on US-2.  Used NH-116 all the way to Littleton and then took US-302, NH-10, River Road and NH/VT-25 to reach I-91.  From there, had a good Interstate ride to Norwich/Hanover and arrived home just after 1500.  After the aborted Mahoosuc Traverse in June, it seems like I was successful in making lemonade from life's lemons this weekend.  Not extremely excited about what I’ll have to do to get more AT miles next time but that’s a problem for another day! AT Today = 2.5 miles / Grand Total AT = 1972.7 miles

Gorham, NH (USA)

I've been planning to attend the Mount Washington Adventure Expo (fundraiser for the Mount Washington Observatory) for several weeks but hadn't made any arrangements beyond that.  So, when I woke up, I checked availability for lodging in the Gorham area.  Since there were all kinds of events going on (busy NH weekend), had to settle for a campsite (the last one!) at Millidgewock State Park.  I made an online reservation and left my condo just after 0915.  Drove to the eastern base of Mount Washington via I-91, VT/NH-25, River Road, NH-10, US-302, NH-116, US-2 and Pinkham B (Dolly Copp) Road.  Arrived at the entrance of the Mount Washington Auto Road at around 1145 and quickly found a (free) parking spot.  Walked a short distance until I was able to find the entrance to the "Seek the Peak" welcome gate.  I was actually able to check in early and walked around to visit all the tents.  I actually saw some people I knew!  Got a lot of good "swag" because I'd helped raise funds for the Observatory - they even gave me free lunch and I enjoyed a meal at Bickford Box food truck.  Since I wasn't in a hurry, I also got a beer from Tuckerman Brewery stand.  After getting done with my meal, I decided to take a walk on the trails nearby (Great Glen) and managed to log about four miles.  There were some amazing spots to take photos of the Presidential Range (above) and the markings on the trail system were very good.  At the same time I was walking, there was a fun-run taking place - I had to dodge a few determined runners but was otherwise alone.  Afterwards, I went back to the Expo and took one more circuit of the tents and filled out some lottery entries [I later learned I'd won the one for Good to Go!].  I departed the area at 1500 and drove north to Gorham.  I decided to stop for Mass at St. Anne's in Berlin (1600) before continuing north on NH-16.  I arrived at Millidgewock State Park at around 1745 and got checked into my campsite.  The caretaker was very nice and had great suggestions for how I could spend my evening.  About the only thing that was surprising was that there were no shower facilities (I was told I could drive to Umbagog State Park to use them but declined).  Instead, I launched my kayak from a nice landing and spent about an hour paddling on the Androscoggin River and Mollidgewock Brook.  Fortunately, found some calm water above some loud/rough rapids just below the State Park… Altogether, it was a beautiful North Country evening!  After getting done with my paddling (1900), I took advantage of some cell service and made a call to Mollie, practiced some Duolingo and checked my email.  Before settling down for the night, I drove around the campground and checked out all the sites the caretaker had recommended for a future visit.  Ultimately, I decided not to pitch my tent and, instead, set up my car for sleeping on the folded down back seats.  The setup worked alright but I found the car it was much warmer than a tent might have been...  I saw lots of fireflies and a pretty moon.  Before going to sleep, I did some reading.  It didn't make me sleepy enough, I guess, because I first tried to retire at 2130 - however, I couldn't sleep immediately and ended up tossing and turning until after 2300.  Actually, though, I have no complaints about any of this good day!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in the morning - volunteered at UVAC in White River Junction from 0800 to 1000 (weeding, picking up trash) - by 1030, I was home again (more teleworking)]

Gorham, NH (USA)

I’ve been feeling rather low for the last few weekends - it’s been mostly psychological and connects to my recent inability to complete the Mahoosuc Traverse.  Usually, I wake up on a weekend morning, raring to go for a drive and hike.  But, since the end of June, I’ve overthought the complicated logistics, driving time, uncertain needs for supplies, backpack weight and (most of all) my physical limitations.  I’ve tried to remind myself that it’s alright to take breaks during a 2000+ mile adventure like this but I really wanted to end the drought.  Fortunately, something felt different when I went to bed last night and - happily - I was ready to get out of Hanover for some AT miles by the time the sun rose.  After getting a gas fill-up at Irving in Hanover (0755) and used my typical route (I-91, VT/NH-25, River Road, NH-10, US-302, NH-116, US-2 to reach Gorham.  I got breakfast at McDonalds there (1000) and then started my search for parking at an AT trailhead.  I struck out at two places in Shelburne so decided to take NH-16 down to the Mount Washington Auto Road to see if I could get a ride to the summit.  Since they weren’t running shuttles yet, I drove a bit farther to Wildcat Mountain to see if the chairlift was active.  For the first time since I’ve lived in New Hampshire, it was!  I immediately (1040) got a ticket and rode the lift up to the top of Wildcat D - the views were tremendous on the way.  This was my second time on this NH 4000 Footer but I was happy to skip a second climb… After getting organized (1100), I headed NOBO on the Wildcat Ridge Trail (AKA AT).  A little bit after I started my climb, I found a nice observation platform with great views.  After that it was back into the woods and into another climb (up Wildcat C).  The sun was shining and the temps were very pleasant (50s) but there was also nice shade on the trail.  I met a lot of people who were walking south and several of them told me they had stayed overnight at the Carter Notch Hut. Since this was only about three miles away I decided to go there and make the call, depending on how I felt, whether to climb up Carter Dome (north of the Notch).  The trail ended up being much nicer than most of the ones I’ve hiked in the Whites - there was dirt to walk on, very few slippery slabs and little mud.  After finally summitting Wildcat A (4,422 feet), a new NH 4000 Footer for me, I talked to some hikers who told me the descent into the Notch was “Really Steep”.  From the view, I couldn’t disagree - the trail looked like it went down into a huge canyon.  Carter Dome, along with some rocky outcroppings on the way up it, looked even more foreboding… I overcame an urge to turn around, rather than descend, and continued downhill. I knew I had a bailout down there: Nineteen Mile Brook Trail.  At this point, it became clear that my recent experience in the Mahoosuc Range had made me cynical about the quality of trails in the Whites - when I encountered actual stairs (!) and switchbacks (!!), I felt like I was walking on a highway.  About halfway down, though, I passed a huge rock that had clearly dislodged above the trail and barreled downhill, destroying everything in its path.  And it looked recent - yikes.  So I carefully continued making my way into the Notch… Right around this time, I figured out that the two guys who told me how difficult the descent would be were following me and they were having an obnoxiously loud argument.  I wasn’t even trying to listen but I could tell they were trying to figure out who had the best personal time in a half marathon.  Fortunately, they turned off the AT when I reached the junction for the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail.  By this point, I’d already decided to descend off the AT myself but I wanted to check out the AMC Hut.  I had to walk about 0.3 miles to reach it but the detour was worth the time and effort - I got to see some beautiful lakes nearby (people were swimming) and learned about the logistics for a future stay.  Funny aside: while passing through this area, I sneezed rather loudly - several sunbathing folks that I couldn’t see (hidden behind huge rocks) said “bless you” and we all had a good chuckle about how I’d ruined their peace and quiet without even knowing they were there. After a short break (talking with the Croo and a young lady SOBO Thru), I backtracked to the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail and headed towards NH-16.   This was definitely not the shortest route to my car but I wanted to figure out how difficult the 4ish miles were so I could decide whether to use it again (to finish more miles in the area).  I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t need to do any crab walks or butt slides during the descent.  Actually, I really hadn’t all day… One penalty for walking on this trail, though, was that I had to then trek almost three miles south from the trailhead to reach Wildcat again.  This would normally be OK but there had been a lot of road work in the area and NHDOT hadn’t yet painted lines to warn people to stay away from a pedestrian in the breakdown lane… I made it to my car safely (1630) and noticed that the chairlift had secured for the day (glad I didn’t need it again).  All told I hiked close to 11 miles and felt great - not a bad “back in the saddle” day.  Need to remind myself of these kinds of days when I get to feeling low again… Beautiful hike in the White Mountains - hope I’ve got many more like it in 2022! AT Today = 3.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 1970.2 miles / NH 4000 Footer #15 of 48

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in the morning - volunteered at UVAC in White River Junction from 0800 to 1000 (weeding, pruning, etc.) - by 1015, I was home again (back to teleworking)]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked in the morning - I got a bit of a late start this morning because Chris (volunteer coordinator) had a day off - to give his assistant (Jess) extra time, I didn't drive over to White River Junction until around 0830 - after that, I volunteered for two hours at UVAC (weeding, pruning, etc.) - by 1045, I was home again and resumed teleworking]