White Mountain Guide Days 35-49
This year, the changing of the seasons felt like the releasing of an elastic band, summer snapping directly into full-blown fall. I finished off my thirty-fourth hike feeling invisible, cruising along Ethan Pond Trail and across the Willey Range. Conversely, day thirty-five just three days later, felt like an absolute blow to my morale as I crawled up Carlo Col and across the Mahoosuc Range. The more time I spend working on this hiking project, the more I turn inward. The longer I spend driving north, the more I look for new things to focus on, specifically my master’s thesis and working through my past trauma. I’ve hiked over half of the Speckled trails which is an area that I had never seen until this year, and while these trails have their pros and cons, I am learning to find beauty in a region that is rarely praised on the White Mountains hiking pages (besides the guide page).
My mileage totals cranked up a notch as well over the last few weeks. I revisited my favorite wilderness a few times and completed a few of the peaks on the 100 highest list as well (peaks I have yet to summit). The last fourteen days I have made more progress in terms of my journey towards self-reflection and inward work than any other time in my life. For the last four hikes, I’ve spent the majority of the time really reflecting on my past, and making strides towards coming up with the “why” behind my masters thesis. It hasn’t been easy for me. Mentally, I’ve been really struggling to not run away from the pain of these memories. Physically, I feel awesome. I’ve reached a point where I haven’t been sore after a hike in weeks. I can maintain 2mph elapsed time without killing myself, and my knees don’t hurt as much as they did. Being able to power through the hikes has given me more confidence. My body has adapted to the nonstop activity, and I’m getting used to my routine, hiking three days a week, working two. October promises to be one of my busiest months yet, because I will have to hike four days a week all month and work two days a week. The hardest part continues to be getting out of bed in the morning. I tell myself, either you get up and work, or you get up and hike and I’ve yet to call in for more work.
8/29/22 - Day Thirty-Five
Today was really hard. I can’t emphasize that enough. The humidity, heat, and just general malaise lasted the whole day for me. Despite having many miles under my belt, I struggle in the heat - it zaps my energy - add humidity to the mix and I’m done. Regardless of how much I wanted to turn around after making the not very steep ascent up Carlo Col Trail, I kept going, slowly, across the Mahoosuc ridge to Goose Eye Trail. I’m not going to say it was a fun day, it wasn’t. But once again, I made it through and am one step closer to my goal.
Daily Miles: 7.38
Daily Vert: 2964’
Overall Miles: 358.40
Overall Vert: 118,025’
Trace: 14.3% -> 14.8%
Trails:
Goose Eye Trail
Carlo Col Trail
Mahoosuc Trail
8/31/22 - Day Thirty-Six
Today was really nice. Despite the fact that I very much didn’t want to get out of bed and drive 2 ½ hours one way and then hike all day, I got up, and by the time I got on the highway I was thankful that I didn’t go back to sleep. I ended up breaking up two hikes into three, climbing Wheeler Brook Trail from the west and east trailheads to the HOL along with The Roost and was glad I chose to do Wheeler Brook this way. The eastern portion of Wheeler Brook is beautiful. There are several waterfalls at the beginning that are stunning and The Roost has a really interesting old foundation at the beginning as well which I loved seeing.
Daily Miles: 9.09
Daily Vert: 2961’
Overall Miles: 367.49
Overall Vert: 120,986’’
Trace: 14.8% -> 15.1%
Trails:
Wheeler Brook
The Roost
The Ledges Spur
9/3/22 - Day Thirty-Seven
Today I did a loop that I’ve done three other times before that I call Shoal Pond Loop. It’s over twenty miles in the Pemigewasset Wilderness (mostly). This is one of my favorite hikes because it has a lot of history to it. Shoal Pond Trail, Wilderness Trail, and Thoreau Falls Trail are all old railroad tracks that led to logging camps back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are some remnants on the sides of the trails (an old stove and some old buckets and stuff) but what I love about this loop is that I can use my imagination and try to imagine what it looked like back when the wilderness was being logged. My feet are pretty chafed after doing 22 miles but I was blown away by how strong I felt. I haven’t done anything over 19 miles since July 2020 so it felt really great to get into the 20s again and not be suffering immensely afterwards.
Daily Miles: 22.37
Daily Vert: 3259’
Overall Miles: 389.86
Overall Vert: 124,245’
Trace: 15.1% -> 16.1%
Trails:
Ethan Pond Trail
Shoal Pond Trail
Wilderness Trail
Thoreau Falls Trail
Kendron Flume Trail
9/5/22 - Day Thirty-Eight
Today was beautiful. Yes, it rained all day. Yes, I got wet. But there is something about the way the green of the leaves seems brighter when they’re all wet that I can’t get over. There’s something about the way the dirt smells when it’s saturated by a constant drizzle. And there’s something to be said for spending a few hours walking through the woods alone on a busy holiday weekend.
Daily Miles: 9.38
Daily Vert: 2154’
Overall Miles: 399.24
Overall Vert: 126,399’
Trace: 16.1% -> 16.6%
Trails:
Conant Trail
Mine Loop Trail
Mine Loop Connector
Horseshoe Pond Trail
9/7/22 - Day Thirty-Nine
The day started off chaotic. I forgot my shoes so I had to backtrack twenty minutes to get them. I knew it was going to be a long day to begin with, so this only made me more stressed and quite honestly not in the mood to do a seventeen mile hike. The first four miles were forced but by the time I got to the Nancy herdpath I was settled into the hike. The Nancy herdpath was a lot easier to follow (and find) than I thought it would be. After summitting the peak, I made my way back down and continued the long trek into the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Nancy Pond Trail is beautiful. Carrigain Notch Trail is mediocre. This was the first time that I’ve been on Signal Ridge Trail since 2019 and the last two miles of trail felt nostalgic. The three mile roadwalk back to my car went a lot faster than I thought it would. Despite the day starting off chaotic and stressful, it ended on a good note.
Daily Miles: 17
Daily Vert: 3646’
Overall Miles: 416.45
Overall Vert: 130,045’
Trace: 16.6% -> 17.5%
Trails:
Nancy Pond Trail
Nancy Herdpath
Carrigain Notch Trail
Signal Ridge Trail
9/9/22 - Day Forty
Today started off amazing in terms of my attitude, but as the day progressed, I started to get tired. By mile ten I felt like there was no way I could do another (what I thought would be) five miles (and ended up being 6.5). It wasn’t so much that I was physically tired, it was that mentally I felt worn out. I may have only been hiking for three-four hours, but it felt like I was outside for days. By the time I got back to my car, I had hiked over sixteen miles in seven and a half hours and I was ready to be done. The sun is starting to shift in the sky now. Fall is upon us and although it was only seven hours of hiking, the change in the light threw me off. I felt like I had been out for days, not hours. The seasons are changing and I’m not sure if I’m ready yet for the shorter days.
Daily Miles: 16.17
Daily Vert: 4618’
Overall Miles: 432.62
Overall Vert: 134,663’
Trace: 17.5% -> 18.5%
Trails:
Bickford Brook Trail
Blueberry Ridge Trail
Bickford Slides Loop
Blueberry Mountain Loop
White Cairn Trail
Shell Pond Loop Trail
Shell Pond Trail
Stone House Trail
Rattlesnake Flume
Rattlesnake Pool
9/12/22 - Day Forty-One
Today was the last day that I will be hiking in the northern presidentials until next summer and it was bittersweet. Although these trails have been a large part of my summer, and quite honestly the bane of my existence in many ways, testing my patience and strength, I will miss them. They have shaped me. They have chiseled me into a mountain machine and they consistently humble me. The leaves were turning as I ascended into the alpine zone. Bright yellows sprinkled among the conifers replacing the brilliant greens of summer. The alpine flowers have all turned brown and died but the grasses are brilliant pink and cold. The alpine zone in fall is perhaps one of the most beautiful things that I’ve ever seen and although I won’t witness that turn this fall, I will see it next year.
Daily Miles: 8.38
Daily Vert: 4457’
Overall Miles: 441
Overall Vert: 139,120’
Trace: 18.5% -> 18.8%
Trails:
Airline
Short LIne
King Ravine
Gulfside
Lowe’s Path
9/14/22 - Day Forty-Two
I knew that it would be a long day of hiking, but I didn’t know that it was going to be such a slog for many miles. I’ve done this loop two other times in the past and it was a blast. This time was not so much. My left foot has been sore for the last two hikes now and it wears on you when every step hurts for miles. But there’s nothing that I could do about it to make it stop hurting or to get back to my car other than to walk so that’s what I did, I walked. The hike up Owl’s Head was not as hard as I remember it being in the past (I think this is the seventh time I’ve submitted it now) but the rest of the day I had to push through quite the mental wall to persevere. I wanted to turn around from mile zero. I was tired and not in the mood for a 9-10 hour day of hiking. But by the end of the day I was so glad I kept going. Not because I loved the hike, but because it was now done and I can move on.
Daily Miles: 21.13
Daily Vert: 4282’
Overall Miles: 462.13
Overall Vert: 143,402’
Trace: 18.8% -> 19.9%
Trails:
Lincoln Woods
Lincoln Brook
Owl’s Head Herdpath
Franconia Brook
9/16/22 - Day Forty-Three
Today I went to the Wild River Wilderness and did the easiest hike that I’ve done all summer. In 2020 this area was where I spent a lot of time right before my diagnosis and returning back there was bittersweet. Basin Trail was beautiful today, my second time hiking it, but the river was running really low so it wasn’t as pretty as it was last time. I hiked Black Angel Trail for the first time ever and it was absolutely gorgeous. The grade was perfect, the corridor was wide, and the footing was easy. My left foot is still sore. I have a long day tomorrow, so today’s hike was just the right length with barely any elevation and I am very glad that I chose to do this hike today.
Daily Miles: 8.48
Daily Vert: 1,620’
Overall Miles: 470.61
Overall Vert: 145,022’
Trace: 19.9% -> 20.4%
Trails:
Basin Trail
Black Angel Trail
Wild River Trail
Blue Brook Connector
9/19/22- New England 100 Highest, Number 25, Peak Above the Nubble
Today was a really short day and although I enjoyed it, it felt like I didn’t even hike because it was so short. This was my second “bushwhack” this year, although the herd path was more defined than some of the maintained trails that I’ve been on. Peak Above the Nubble is a really pretty mountain. I was actually surprised that there were a few view spots because I didn’t think that I’d get any views on this hike. It was perfect weather for a wooded hike and I’m really glad that I chose to do this today since it was supposed to rain.
Daily Miles: 3.71
Daily Vert: 2053’
Overall Miles: 474.32
Overall Vert: 147,075’
NEHH: 25/100
9/23/22 - Day Forty-Five
I’ve done this hike before, back in 2020, and today the weather reminded me a lot of fall. The winds were cool against my skin, and relentless on the roadwalk back to my car after descending Mt. Meader Trail. I’ve become much more inward focused on the last two hikes and I am seeing that becoming the trend going forward. Rather than writing summaries that feel, to be honest, pointless and generic, I am hoping that as I continue on this journey I will discover a way to articulate myself in a more artistic manner regarding my hikes. Specifically, I’m working through past trauma, finally, thirty years later. I’m facing some difficult content and in doing so hoping to learn the function of my behaviors so that I can become a healthier version of myself. This whole process is directly related to my masters thesis which is the first 150 pages of a book length memoir chronicling the death of my father and the consequences. I’m still trying to find my “why” but the story has sat in me, haunting me, for decades and I’m ready to get it out.
Daily Miles: 9.67
Daily Vert: 2,600’
Overall Miles: 483.99
Overall Vert: 149,675’
Trace: 20.4% -> 20.9%
Trails:
Basin Trail
Hermit Falls Loop
Basin Rim Trail
Mount Meader Trail
Brickett Falls
9/26/22 - Day Forty-Six
It took me forty-six days to realize that this is not the journey I wanted. I am not out here doing these hikes to prove it to anyone except myself. The desire to share my journey with social media has dried up and in its place is an intense pull to start working on the other thing that I wanted to do while on this fourteen-month sabbatical; to write. And to turn inward. So today that’s what I did. The hiking itself has become more or less routine now. The climbs don’t feel as hard, and the miles pass as my mind wanders. I’m not sore, I haven’t been sore in weeks, and I’m not scared, I haven’t been scared in years. I set out on this journey for me; as a gift to myself. Today I downloaded the voice memo app and started brainstorming ideas for one of my books, the book that I’ve wanted to write for years, my memoir. And as soon as I let go of everything that I’ve been allowing to hold me back, the words poured out of me like music. This is the journey that I want. This is the path that I want to be on.
Daily Miles: 9
Daily Vert: 3,194’
Overall Miles: 492.96
Overall Vert: 152,869’
Trace: 20.9% -> 21.3%
Trails:
Notch Trail
Mahoosuc Trail
Goose Eye Trail
9/28/22 - Day Forty-Seven
The Caribou Speckled Mountain Region of the Whites is highly underrated (and under traveled). Before restarting this attempt I had yet to venture into this region. Now, I am almost done seeing all of the trails it has to offer. While the views aren’t necessarily as stunning as the Presidential range, they are worth seeing. The trails themselves are also in pretty good shape, from what I’ve seen so far which surprised me because I had always been under the impression that this area of The Whites was very remote and seldom traveled (and therefore would be poorly maintained). The trees are in full blown foliage mode now, and it amazes me how fast they went from green to gold this year.
Daily Miles: 11.44
Daily Vert: 3607’
Overall Miles: 504.04
Overall Vert: 156,476’
Trace: 21.3% -> 21.9%
Trails:
Caribou Trail
Mud Brook Trail
9/30/22 - Day Forty-Eight
Three separate hikes today and out of the three, I liked the third one the best. I’ve done Burnt Mill Brook, East Royce, & Laughing Lion before so I wasn’t thrilled about repeating them. I was really anxious while hiking up Burnt Mill Brook. By the time I got halfway into the hike, though, I felt my mood shift. I wanted to get home at a decent time so I was really focused on getting the hikes done and less focused on the scenery for the majority of the day. But, as I was ascending the final trail, one that I had yet to do, I couldn’t help but feel really glad that I didn’t bail on this last hike. It was beautiful and the foliage is really starting to pop. I’m so glad that I chose to do all of these hikes that are in the trees during the fall.
Daily Miles: 10.53
Daily Vert: 4559’
Overall Miles: 514.87
Overall Vert: 161,035’
Trace: 21.9% -> 22.4%
Trails:
Burnt Mill Brook
East Royce Tr
Royce Connector
Royce Trail
Laughing Lion
Spruce Hill (Speckled tab)
10/3/22 - Day Forty-Nine
I am witnessing the changing of the seasons and today was peak foliage from the summit of North Baldface, while at the same time summer is holding strong below treeline. The leaves that line the trail are yellow, fluorescent green, and a rainbow of reds but the canopy is full-blown fall. I realized today that there are two falls. The one in the canopy and the one below. I get to see both falls this year and I am so grateful.
Daily Miles: 11.38
Daily Vert: 4116’
Overall Miles: 526.25
Overall Vert: 165,151’
Trace: 22.4% -> 22.9%
Trails:
Baldface Circle Trail
Emerald Pool
Eagle Cascade Link
Bicknell Ridge Trail
