White Mountains

I'm writing this post from the safety of a library in Lincoln, NH.  The trail, which follows a ridge 3000+ ft above me, is about to get pretty rough.

Yesterday, I climbed and then descended Mt. Moosilauke.  I believe it's been the biggest ascent so far on my hike.  (There have been bigger mountains, but the climb has always started from a ridgeline instead of the base of the mountain.)  The climb took almost three hours, but it was rewarded with an amazing view.  For the first time in a while, the trail went above tree line (the point above which trees cannot grow because of temperature, wind and altitude).  I could see every direction, but I couldn't linger too long because the wind was pretty strong - strong enough that I had to walk at an angle to stay standing.  And it's not even the biggest. 

The next few days will have a lot of exposed ridgeline and some relatively high summits.  I've heard a lot from the southbound hikers that I've been meeting over the last couple weeks.  Mt Washington (the highest mtn in the White Mountain range has some pretty bizarre weather.  The highest temperature ever recorded on the summit is 74 degrees.  Seventy-four degrees!  Ever!  That's the highest!  The summit receives snow every month of the year.  The other day, a hiker told me that the wind chill temperature was below freezing.  And this is in July!

So, I'm a little nervous about the next week.  I've heard so much about the White Mtns during my hike.  Yes, they are dangerous and have extreme weather but they are also the most beautiful views on the trail.  This is why we're out here.  The bad news is that it's supposed to rain pretty hard over the next few days.  So, there's a decent chance we won't be getting much of a view.  Bummer.

On a happier note, I've had a pretty good time on the trail since leaving Hanover a few days back.  I had a great time in town with my Aunt and Uncle.  They spoiled me pretty good.  I got some pad thai, lots of desserts, gelato and some trail snacks as well. 

Then, a couple days out of town, I got to meet Ice Cream Man.  The Ice Cream Man (Bill) is a retired guy who lives near the trail and encourages hikers to stop by and get some water and ice cream.  Bill's sons hiked the trail a long time ago and they got a lot of support during their hike, so he feels like he needs to give back to the current generation of hikers.  It was a great afternoon sitting around on Bill's porch and we even got in a game of croquet too.  Good times.

This library's got a time limit on their computer, so I gotta go.  Thanks for reading!