Kent to Gorham (Mile 1474 to Mile 1875)
Leaving Kent in the rain made for a pleasant afternoon after the heat and humidity over the past few weeks. Hiking clothes would be soaked in sweat at the end of the day, and still wet from sweat when putting them back on the next morning. Not a pleasant experience.
The rain continued during camp setup, and overnight became very significant. We later learned it was considered a 1-in-500 rain event and caused considerable damage to the trail and local infrastructure. Ahead of us, Vermont had a state of emergency declared and hikers were advised to avoid the state completely. We also learned later that a hiker was tragically swept away at a creek crossing and drowned a few days hike ahead of us. We stopped at that creek for a break with other hikers on the day before his body was found downstream. At the time, it was a very peaceful & beautiful spot for a break.
Water and mud in the tent after the big rains
High creek levels become hazardous after rain
Connecticut is a pretty state, but with all the water around, this became the focus of the time on the trail here. In some sections, mud became quite thick on the trail, and any attempt to avoid it was quickly crushed. Once again, choosing to hike in boots instead of trail runners proved to be helpful.
Within this section in Connecticut and Massachusetts I managed to make up some distance with a 40 mile and 25 mile day back-to-back. Hiking 100km in two days seems a significant achievement in hindsight, but at the time it flowed quickly.
Yes, this is the trail…
The next state is Vermont. Vermont is often referred to as “Vermud” due to the usual state of the trails. With the extra rain, this was always going to be an issue, and it didn’t disappoint. Obviously hiking through mud is much harder than firm trails. It’s slower and takes much more effort. Despite this, Vermont itself is a beautiful state and was enjoyable.
The trail here overlaps the famous Long Trail from the MA/VT border for about 100 miles. A particular highlight through here is Little Rock Pond. It’s a beautiful shelter right beside a pristine lake.
Media reports of the rain damage behind us
not much chance of avoiding mud
Crossing into New Hampshire sees a return to big mountains. The White Mountains start at the border, and are definitely one of the major highlights of the trail. Despite the difficult (and slow) trails, the scenery is incredible and represents what a mountain trail really should look like.
Mt Moosilake descent was certainly challenging
First up was slackpacking from the Notch hostel over Mt Mist, then the big one – Mt Moosilauke. It’s a long, hard slog up the mountain to the peak, followed by a long, steep descent on the other side. And of course, the top was clouded in, so didn’t even get a good view…
Over the next few days, there were more mountains to cross – Mt Wolf, the Kinsmans, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette, Mt Garfield, etc. Stunning views, but really tough hiking
One unique feature of hiking in the Whites is the possibility of work-for-stay in the huts. The huts are fully inclusive and cater to tourists visiting the area. They are very expensive normally, but sometimes they will offer a couple hikers the opportunity to sleep in their common area & a cooked dinner & breakfast in return for a couple hours of work. Fortunately this worked for us at Mizpah hut – 2 hours cleaning out the freezers for a warm stay!
The next milestone is Mount Washington. It’s not the highest point on the AT, but the climb is nearly 4000ft from the base. The weather is quite changeable and fortunately had perfect weather for the climb up. The top is quite accessible by road and rail, so was packed with tourists. There’s a line to get a photo with the sign at the top, but the crowd let thru-hikers take priority – a small benefit for walking up instead of driving!
Gorham is the next main town towards the end of the Whites, and definitely a welcome rest town after the challenging terrain.
