Gorham, NH

	Day	Miles
Aug 2	124	13 miles1
	125	11.8 miles2
	126	9.3 miles3
	127	11.8 miles4
	128	14.7 miles5
Aug 7	129	rest day
	130	14.2 miles6 - slack

August 1

PhatChap drove them to Moosilauke Lodge, they took a zero.

August 2

PhatChap picked them up at Moosilauke Lodge, and dropped them off at Franconia Notch to head north. Stayed at Galehead Hut¹.

Franconia ridge was a little fatter than the knife edge, but still breathtakingly beautiful. Getting to the hut was a little tricky - steep smooth rocks, etc. They started out with Bluebird, but got ahead of her by the end of the day.

Hut crew was nice (hut has lots of bunks, etc.), there work to stay there was to
change all 38 pillow slips and put mints on them.. AMC maintains that hut
(which Chris and I are members at).

From Galehead Hut over the next few days, they were sort of leapfrogging and
following a Boy Scout Troup (about 18 people in the group). The boys in the troup were very well behaved; Dad and Ruth could not say often enough what a pleasure it was to run into them on their way to Mt. Washington.

August 3

Left from Galehead, and went to Ethan Pond Campsite², an 11.8 mile day.
They hiked through a thunderstorm that day, and got soaked.

August 4

Ethan Pond Campsite to Mizpah Spring Hut³; another work-for-stay night. They washed windows and swept floors, Dad did dishes. Bluebird met them again here.

They met and older couple, the Cooks, who are finishing the trail this year. They're from Medina, OH, and know our longtime family friends, the Howards. Their trail names are Beesknees and Relentless. They also asked that we passed
a hello! to the Howards - so, Bonnie, Jim, & co., consider yourself greeted.

August 5

Mizpah Spring Hut to Madison Spring Hut⁴. The peak of Mt. Washington kept leaping in and out of big fluffy clouds; the weather was fabulous and sunny; the trail was sometimes rough, but the elevation once you were up on the ridge didn't change too much, so it wasn't bad, and it was so gorgeous.... *ramblerambleraverave*

August 6

Madison Spring Hut to Pinkham Notch⁵, where they hitched a ride into Gorham⁶.
They are staying at the Hiker's Paradise Motel, which is aptly named. Dad and Ruth are staying in a room, but they do also have a hostel-style bunkroom.

August 7

Zero Day in Gorham at Hiker's Paradise.

August 8

Slack - drive back to Pinkham and hike back to Gorham. For those familiar with the area, they'll be hiking WildCat. Will most likely spend another night in paradise.

Hut Stays

Work-for-stay, these huts usually require advance registration, and do charge a fee. Dad and Ruth worked for their stay, and either slept in the overflow bunks in the attic, or in their bags on the dining room floor. Some of the huts had composting toilets inside, and two had "flush" toilets, that still ended in a composting toilet. Many had solar panels for power, etc.

The huts are maintained by the AMC, and Dad said all of the people they met at the huts have been fun - both the hut crews and the people staying there.

Other

From Dad: "New Hampshire was as great as Vermont was bad!"
Remember they had nasty rain in Vermont. Dad said that Vermont was so depressing, it was muddy and gross and rainy, and so depressing that for the first time, Dad and Ruth both considered calling it quits. No fault to Vermont or to the trail crews of the area; the weather was just horrendous and horrible, and a total and complete downer.

Dad actually brought to mind a scene from "The Neverending Story" - when the story's main character's horse gets mired in a swamp.

The temperature in New Hampshire has been beautiful, but crazy. All the ridge walking exposes you to drastic changes in weather. Sometimes you couldn't see anything but cloud, and it was windy and damp and chilly; the next, the cloud would be gone, you could see out for miles, the sun would be shining, and you'd be hot and sweaty. With the exception of one tiny brief but drenching thunderstorm, the weather has been beautiful and dry, but very dynamic.

Dad says thanks... they'll reply to everyone they can when they reach the endline, but they haven't been getting much computer time in the meanwhile.

References:

• US3-Franconia Notch, NH is 1,801.4 miles.

¹ Galehead Hut - 1814.4 miles.

² Ethan Pond Campsite - 1826.2 miles

³ Mizpah Spring Hut, 1835.5 miles

⁴ Madison Spring Hut, 1847.3 miles

⁵ Pinkham Notch, ~1862 miles

⁶ US2-Gorham, NH is 1,876.2 miles.