White Mountain Guide Days 20-34
Thirty-four days complete and I would be lying if I didn’t say that I genuinely thought I would come to day thirty-four and be facing a cancer diagnosis again. This journey led to cancer in 2020. I started the summer feeling nothing but hope, excitement, and blissful ignorance. I ended it with my entire world changing. (It has not been the same since). But on August 25, 2022, I completed my thirty-fourth day and exited the woods the same person that went into them, NED and for all intents and purposes cancer free. The first thirty-four days felt like retracing a path that I’ve been on before. Now, day thirty-five will be steps that I have not taken yet. I may not have done the same hikes I did in 2020 this time around, (I’m smarter now about planning my hikes) but throughout the last two months I’ve inadvertently been holding my breath, waiting to clear day thirty-four.
I ended my post for days 10 through 19 feeling disappointed in myself for not being more dedicated to the process of self-reflection and growth while on this journey. Holding myself accountable, checking in with myself, and really spending time working through all of the things that I want to work through over this fourteen month period has been so important. I checked myself day twenty-three after writing my last blog post and am back on track. I feel so much better about how the last ten hikes have gone since my last post. Everyday is another opportunity to make positive choices and work towards my goals.
Day Twenty - 7/29/22
After taking five days off, I hit the trails again today, completing an impromptu hike, one that I had planned for early spring. What led to my decision to do this hike was simple, I woke up late. Rather than staying home, though, I completed a little over 8 miles of trails with roughly 2600’ of elevation. My “short” hike turned into me squeezing through the caves on Mount Percival and climbing up the ladders on Mount Morgan, a hike that I last did in winter conditions in 2020 (highly DO NOT recommend). I finished off the day doing a short loop up and down West Rattlesnake. The best part of the day was seeing some more people that I know from online in person. I am notoriously antisocial, have social anxiety, and meeting people from the internet always comes with a mix of anxiety and excitement. I think my biggest concern is that I will let them down by not being skinny enough or fast enough to be attempting this hiking goal. Every time I meet someone from the internet in person, though, I am glad that I did because it helps me break out of my shell. I’m really good at talking to people online, but in person I feel anxious and like a bit of a letdown. But, leaving my comfort zone has led to finding my favorite hiking partner and really good friend Danielle, so I am glad that sometimes I can find it in myself to hike with other people.
Daily Miles: 8.42
Daily Vert: 2578’
Overall Miles: 203.26
Overall Vert: 69,986’
Trace: 7.9% -> 8.5%
Summits: Morgan, Percival, West Rattlesnake
Trails:
Crawford-Ridgepole Trail
Mount Morgan Trail
Mount Percival Trail
Morse Trail
Old Bridle Path
Ramsey Trail
Undercut Trail
Day Twenty-One - 8/1/22
Today was hard. I don’t know if it was because it was so humid, or if I am just grotesquely out of shape because I took off 5 days in a row last week, but either way, I ended up modifying my hike once I realized that I would be well over 16 miles of hiking by the time I finished my original plan and had started too late in the day to make it home by a reasonable hour if I did my full plan. Things will change. And I know this because I’ve attempted to do this two other times before. You think everything will go smoothly and then it rains, or you underestimate mileage, or think that you will be strong enough to make it some exorbitant amount of miles and you aren’t able to in the time you’ve allotted. The difficult part of doing these hikes as day hikes is that not only do I have to hike all day (which is typically anywhere from 5 to 9 hours) I also have to drive at least 90 minutes one way to trailheads, and then drive home afterwards. I still have to be an adult after my hikes, do dishes, laundry, write up daily reports for my hikes, and be a wife. I want to do this. I don’t want to stay up north in a hotel, on someone’s couch, or in my car. But sometimes I wish I could spend all day hiking and not have to drive home afterwards.
Daily Miles: 13.53
Daily Vert: 3742’
Overall Miles: 216.79
Overall Vert: 73,728’
Trace: 8.5% -> 8.9%
Summits: Zealand, Guyot
NEHH: 10/100
Trails:
Zealand Trail
Zeacliff View Loop
Zeacliff Pond Trail
Zealand Spur
Twinway
Day Twenty-Two - 8/2/22
Another very muggy day and on top of that the guidebook was incredibly misleading in their trail descriptions which meant the hike ended up being a lot harder than it could’ve been had I done the loop in reverse. I almost cried out of frustration, exhaustion, and just being so tired of climbing uphill all of the time, but I didn’t. Tears don’t make the elevation less nor do they make the hike any easier, they just make you more dehydrated. So I pressed on.
Daily Miles: 12.39
Daily Vert: 3096’
Overall Miles: 229.18
Overall Vert: 76,824’
Trace: 8.9% -> 9.5%
Summits: None
Trails:
Dry River Trail
Mt. Clinton Trail
Dry River Cutoff
Mt. Eisenhower Trail
Day Twenty-Three - 8/4/22
There is no easy and there is no hard anymore, it’s all a wash, one canceling out the other. I wasn’t supposed to be doing this hike until winter but it’s August and here we are. I climbed up Crawford Path and hit the various spurs on the way to the junction with Mizpah Cutoff. I went straight to the hut, walked inside, plopped at one of the tables, and stuffed Cheese Its into my mouth. There is nothing that tastes as good as they do at that moment. Back outside I climb down 300’ around blowdowns and through raspberry bushes to the junction with Mt. Clinton Trail and Dry River Cutoff, ½ mile of trail that I need to finish off another trail on the spreadsheet that contains over 600 of them. Back up to the hut, back inside, drink water, and back outside for a quick break. People see me and know me now. It’s a strange feeling to be “someone” and I don’t know how I feel about it. Their kind words and energy translate to me making the decision to complete the remaining miles and climbs needed to close out two hikes in one. Back to climbing up to the summit of another mountain, back downhill, back to my car, back home, back to stuffing my face with food, and back to bed.
Daily Miles: 8.97
Daily Vert: 3233’
Overall Miles: 238.15
Overall Vert: 80,057’
Trace: 9.5% -> 10%
Summits: Jackson
NEHH: 11/100
Trails:
Crawford Cutoff
Crawford Path
Mizpah Cutoff
Crawford Cliff
Gibbs Falls
Mt. Clinton Trail
Nauman Tentsite
Webster Cliff Trail
Webster-Jackson Trail
Saco Lake Trail
Idyllwild View Spur
Day Twenty-Four - 8/6/22
Strength comes and goes. Some days I feel like I could walk uphill forever. Other days I never want to climb another mountain again. I’m thankful for both kinds of days because without the hard I wouldn’t appreciate the easy. Today fell in the easy category. Despite the sweltering heat and thick humidity I felt great all day. Climbing up Hale for the first time in several years, I was surprised how easy it is for me now. Hiking up Twinway for the second time in less than seven days, I was thrilled that I felt strong and capable because the last time I hiked this exact same stretch of trail I was struggling and I’m not ashamed to say that. Zeacliff Trail is a hidden gem and everyone should hike it. Ethan Pond Trail is one of the flattest stretches of trail in New Hampshire. Zealand Trail will always remind me of my dad who passed away when I was nine.
Daily Miles: 11.72
Daily Vert: 3516’
Overall Miles: 249.86
Overall Vert: 83,672’
Trace: 10% -> 10.6%
Summits: Hale
NEHH: 12/100
Trails:
Hale Brook Trail
Lend-A-Hand
Twinway
Zeacliff Trail
Ethan Pond Trail
Zealand Trail
Day Twenty-Five - 8/9/22
Today I was not feeling well. Both physically and mentally I was off. My brain felt like it was stuck in a fog most of the day and I felt kind of just sick all over. For the first thirty minutes of my hike it rained but then it started to clear up and by the time I reached the view on Pine Mountain the sun was out. It was another muggy day, and I was drenched in sweat after just five miles of hiking. I chose to break this hike up into two pieces, driving between trailheads, and although I ended up climbing 2600’ in eight miles, it felt like nothing. I love that feeling.
Daily Miles: 8.06
Daily Vert: 2600
Overall Miles: 257.93
Overall Vert: 86,272’
Trace: 10.6% -> 10.9%
Summits: Pine Mountain
Trails:
Pine Mountain Trail
Pine Mountain Loop Trail
Ledge Trail
Pine Mountain Road
Day Twenty-Six - 8/10/22
Today I almost turned around after the first mile because of the rain. Going above treeline in the rain just doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t imagine it appeals to many people, to be honest. But after trying to come up with an alternative hike to do from the trail with limited cell phone service (because I had to hike) I found myself almost subconsciously turning uphill and continuing forward. I’m thankful that I did, because although I spent the whole day in the clouds, and it was misty off and on all day, I was drier than I’ve been in days. The humidity has been really bad and I was thankful for a less humid day.
Daily Miles: 9.92
Daily Vert: 3691’
Overall Miles: 267.85
Overall Vert: 89,963’
Trace: 10.9% -> 11.3%
Summits: Franklin, Monroe
NEHH: 13/100
Trails:
Edmands Path
Mount Eisenhower Loop
Crawford Path
Mount Franklin Loop
Mount Monroe Loop
Day Twenty-Seven - 8/13/22
What a rollercoaster of emotions today. I have been exhausted all week and this hike was the culmination of a hard few days. I was tempted to turn around a quarter mile into the hike and that desire didn’t fade until I was on the descent, hours later. I was distracted by worries about money, I was distracted by feeling overwhelmed with the monumental task ahead of me, the self-imposed need to finally set out to hike all the trails in a set amount of time. But as I made my descent, I realized that I am so blessed to have the time and strength to do these hikes, even on the hard days. Even when they don’t feel at all like a blessing. They are.
Daily Miles: 7.22
Daily Vert: 4,211’
Overall Miles: 275.07
Overall Vert: 94,174’
Trace: 11.3% -> 11.7%
Summits: Madison
NEHH: 14/100
Trails:
Pine Link
Howker Ridge
Gulfside
Day Twenty-Eight - 8/15/22
Today felt like the first time since I started this venture that I might actually finish it. Every hike up to this point has felt like a preamble until today. Today felt real. It felt like I won’t get cancer again in a week. And although the route wasn’t by any means easy, I could do it without struggling. The last three hikes were a struggle. I needed a day like today to boost my self confidence and bring me back to a place where this goal felt worthwhile.
Daily Miles: 8.42
Daily Vert: 3547’
Overall Miles: 283.49
Overall Vert: 97,721’
Trace: 11.7% ->12.2%
Trails:
Valley Way
Maple Walk
Sylvan Way
Airline
Beechwood
Randolph Path
Shortline
King Ravine
Chemin Des Dames
Scar Trail
Scar Loop
Watson Path
Day Twenty-Nine - 8/16/22
Today felt familiar in many ways and at the same time brand new. It has been a while since I hiked Crawford Path to the summit of Eisenhower without snow and I completely forgot how far below the canopy the trail runs on portions of the ridgeline. While this is far from a new hike for me, I enjoyed spending time on trails that aren’t covered in loose, wet rocks, the consistent and gradual ascent of Crawford Path, and what now feels like easy to reach summits (Eisenhower & Pierce). Although this wasn’t the hike I originally had planned I came to the realization this morning as I desperately thumbed through the hikes I have slated for next summer, that I am burned out on the Northern Presidentials, big time. I realized that if I am not motivated or excited in the slightest bit about the hike then I’m not going to want to get out of bed and I absolutely need to get out of bed every day this week to hike. Therefore I am adjusting my plans, giving myself permission to move things around, and switching out some of this summer’s hikes for next summer’s. After spending ten days this summer on the Northern Presidentials, I’m moving a few of those hikes to next summer. This won’t impact my ability to finish in time, it will give me a more even split hiking all of those trails over the two summers, though.
Daily Miles: 10.19
Daily Vert: 3614’
Overall Miles: 293.68
Overall Vert: 101,335’
Trace: 12.2% -> 12.5%
NEHH: 16/100
Trails:
Crawford Path
Mount Eisenhower Loop
Webster Cliff Trail
Mizpah Cutoff
Day Thirty - 8/17/22
Today is the two year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. I escaped to the woods of Vermont to tackle two of the New England 100 Highest that are on the Long Trail in Vermont. I intentionally picked this hike because I needed to get away today. I needed to not have cell phone service and to be able to block out reality for a few hours. I’m not going to say that I had a wonderful hike because I didn’t. I don’t love the Long Trail nor do I love the only way to anywhere in Vermont requires hours on back roads. The trail to the ridge was pretty. I was clearly some sort of old logging road, and meandered next to a river for the first few miles before jutting up onto the Long Trail. Once on the trail, I went to the summit of Wilson first and then hit Bread Loaf. On the way back down I came to the determination that I am absolutely sick of going downhill (and so are my knees). Thankfully for the next few days I won’t be doing large climbs.
Daily Miles: 9.42
Daily Vert: 2777’
Overall Miles: 303.10
Overall Vert: 104,112’
NEHH: 18/100
Day Thirty-One - 8/19/22
Today was about as “classic red lining” as you could get. I hiked Albany Mountain trail (a 2 hour and 40 minute drive one way from my house) and also did Albany Brook Trail. Albany Mountain trail is a perfect example of what a maintained trail versus non-maintained trail looks like. The first 1.5 miles were in pristine condition. There were stone water bars, a wide corridor, stone steps, and beautiful grading. Conversely, the 2.9 miles that lead down the backside of the mountain at the junction with Albany Mountain Spur were heavily overgrown, had a lot of muddy patches, and were clearly not maintained. I spent the majority of the day thinking about how sad it is that so many of our trails are being neglected because of a lack of funding, volunteers, and controversial policies by the powers that be in the local Forest Service. The White Mountains has over 1,400 miles of trails (not including a lot of the Cohos Trail) and I’m not sure what’s going to happen to a lot of it once the older generation (aka the ones who tend to be the volunteers) drops off the radar. I hate seeing trails left in disarray. I hate that Landing Camp Trail is being abandoned because it would be a beautiful trail. I hate seeing how overused trails like Valley Way, Crawford Path, and Franconia Loop are and I hate that I can’t “save” them all.
Daily Miles: 11.86
Daily Vert: 2847’
Overall Miles: 314.9
Overall Vert: 106,959’
Trace: 12.5% -> 12.9%
Trails:
Albany Mountain Trail
Albany Brook Trail
Albany Summit Spur
Day Thirty-Two - 8/22/22
Today was a really fun day. I got to hike with my friend Danielle and although the drive was three hours one way, I got up with no problems because I knew I would be spending the day with a really great person. We hiked the Wright Trail in the Mahoosucs which reaches the Mahoosuc Trail (AT) and hit the summit of Goose Eye. Although it was cloudy and cold on the summit the rest of the day was nice (except for the humidity).
Daily Miles: 9.15
Daily Vert: 3149’
Overall Miles: 324.11
Overall Vert: 110,108’
Trace: 12.9% -> 13.2%
NEHH: 19/100
Trails:
Wright Trail
Mahoosuc Trail
Goose Eye Trail
Day Thirty-Three - 8/23/22
A long walk in the woods. That is what today was, for sure. An out and back on Haystack Notch Trail today left me feeling nostalgic for my time in the woods after spending a lot of my summer above the trees. This trail is overgrown with hobblebush, muddy in spots, and will require care to follow. It reaches the height of land from both route 113 and Morrill Road in Maine. Going was steady most of the day, but I’ve reached a point in the summer where I cringe on the downhills because my knees are fed up.
Daily Miles: 10.72
Daily Vert: 1790’
Overall Miles: 334.83
Overall Vert: 111,898’
Trace: 13.2% -> 13.6%
Trails:
Haystack Notch Trail
Day Thirty-Four - 8/25/22
Today I killed it. My elapsed time mph was over 2 and I hiked 16 miles with over 3100’ of elevation. What I was most impressed about, though, was how easy it was to do that elevation gain. I distinctly recall hiking this loop two other times in the past and the ascent to the Willey Range being a bit cumbersome. I remember feeling more winded and tired by the various ups and downs along the ridge, and the ladders descending being much longer and harder. That was not at all the case today. Today felt easy with the exception of the miles. I am not used to 16 mile days. By the end I was definitely ready to be done. But not because of the elevation for perhaps the first time in my life. In 2020 I only made it to day 34. Everything after today is new. I made it past 34 days and I am just so happy about that. I was convinced that I wouldn’t make it past 34 days, that as stupid as it sounds I would get cancer again at day 34 like last time. But I didn’t and facing the last 34 days knowing what the result was back in 2020 was hard. It was harder than not attempting this feat for a third time. I know that I will continue to face scans every six months (one coming up in September) but I made it. I made it past the first hurdle and it feels like I might actually get to finish this third attempt.
Daily Miles: 16.19
Daily Vert: 3163’
Overall Miles: 351.02
Overall Vert: 115,061’
Trace: 13.6% -> 14.3%
Trails:
Zealand Trail
A-Z Trail
Willey Range Trail
Ethan Pond Trail
Ethan Pond Spur
As I move forward into the next phase of this journey I feel a slowing down. Summer is turning to fall, and the leaves are transitioning into bright reds, yellows, and oranges. I wanted to watch the seasons change. To not miss a beat. I wanted to spend a solid 365 days witnessing the changing of the seasons among my beloved White Mountains and I will get to do that finally. Along with hiking less (and by less I mean 3 days a week instead of 4) I’m excited to begin working on my book again. I have officially edited draft one, and have set December 2023 as my deadline to have it published (I’m planning on doing self-publishing rather than going with an official publisher). It isn’t easy and there is so much left to do, but the only way to get it done is to do it.
