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A view of the mountains to come. |
Since I was leaving late I planned a short day to Moose Mountain Shelter. I was later joined by thru-hikers Luna and Early Bird.
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You want me to climb that?!? |
I arrived at the cabin and settled in. I was tired. I didn't feel the extra calories I'd been eating after leaving town. I was just as pooped as before.
The sun started to go down and I was alone in the cabin. I'd expected not be alone but I was wrong. I set up my sleeping pad in a corner and went to bed early. I woke up when I heard the rain and was happy to be in a dry and fairly warm place.
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Mushrooms? Eggs? Easter Bunny poop? |
I ran out of steam at the base of Mist Mountain. I'd hoped that I would at least reach the top of this shorter mountain. I stealth camped near a creek at the bottom. While I was eating dinner I stepped on a ground bee's nest. In the mild chaos I was stung on my neck.
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The trail leads to Mt. Moosilauke straight ahead. |
The climb up the south side of the mountain was surprisingly gentle. It went straight up the mountain for a while before becoming a rock climb. The rock climb ends at a narrow ridge the leads you to the last four hundred foot climb to the summit.
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Follow the cairns. |
I talked to a couple day hikers before heading down the North side. The trail started out muddy before turning steeply down a rocky trail. This really slowed me down. Part way down, just past the 1,800 mile mark, I turned off the trail and stopped at the Beaver Brook Shelter. I was only a mile and a half away from the road where I could catch a shuttle but it was still a 1,800 ft climb down a very rocky trail. Stopping at the shelter was the wise choice I think.
I was joined by Early Bird in the shelter for a very chilly evening,
Days 164, 165 & 166 - I slept in a bit - it's hard to get out of your sleeping bag when it's cold. It took me nearly two hours to climb down to the parking lot and Kinsman Notch. I called a shuttle and headed into Lincoln, NH.
I took two zero days after the nearo into town. I wanted to give my body a really good rest prior to tackling the Whites. I also resupplied and got a haircut.
I'm off to the Whites. My original plan had three days to get to Gorham, NH. Since I expect the Whites to be more difficult I am adding a day and, in a way, winging it. It will be challenging and interesting ... and a bit scary too.
Pictures can be found in my 2019 Appalachian Trail Google Photos album.
Total Distance: 1,802.6 Miles (2,901.0 km)
Section Distance: 53.4 Miles (85.9 km)
Section Elevation Up: 15,894 ft (4,845 m)
Section Elevation Down: 14,193 ft (4,326 m)
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