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  1. #1
    Registered User QuietStorm's Avatar
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    Default NH Section Trip Report

    The original plan was to hike from Hanover to Gorham over two weeks. Weather and illness conspired to shorten the section to end at Pinkham Notch instead of Rattle River--122 miles instead of 143.

    Highlights:
    • hiking to the summit of Washington twice, both in good weather. The second time I finished at sunset, which meant walking down the auto road. I wouldn't recommend it but the stars and views at night of the lights below were amazing.
    • Galehead Hut--did work for stay and the croo there was amazing and very accommodating to thru and section hikers alike.
    • Eliza Brook Shelter--took refuge here one night rather than summit the Kinsmans in thunder and lightning. A beautiful shelter and camp area.
    • The Notch Hostel--one of the best I've experienced on trail--clean, well-organized, and friendly.
    • Rattle River Hostel--great place and since they rescued me from the bottom of the Auto Road at 1 a.m. I owe them a lot.


    Lowlights:
    • the bugs were beyond belief. I nearly ended my hike because my face, legs, and hands swelled up from black fly bites.
    • the mud. Vermont ain't got nothing over New Hampshire.
    • Liberty Springs Campsite--the AMC caretaker was an a$$hole. I hammocked, and the spot he decided to permit me to set up was on a steep incline over boulders. Skip this one.
    • Mizpah Hut croo--to ask a hiker how far they've hiked before deciding whether to offer them work for stay is wrong. For some 20 miles is easy in the Whites;for others 10 miles is a real accomplishment.
    • AMC Highland Center and Pinkham Notch Joe Dodge Lodge--in general these were good places to stay. A little pricey but clean and the food was excellent. There are no laundry facilities however, and if you're doing a thru hike or LASH you end up having to shower with your clothes and hope they dry.


    I go back in September to pick up at Pinkham Notch to about the 2,020 mile marker.

  2. #2

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    Thanks for the insights I will try and remember to review these before my trip in September from hanover to grafton
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

  3. #3

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    I was out last Thursday on the AT stretch from Carlo Col to Mahoosuc Notch. Its been a long time since I was on that stretch. Definitely a lot more PUDS than I remembered and a lot more steel bars up ledges. We ran into a European NOBO thru hiker. There was boggy spot with no bridge or way of crossing. There was long route around it but he decided to try it. He went hip deep and got stuck. Once we made it around the bypass my hiking partner had to give him a hand. Never assume the depth of the muck!

    We were just dayhiking and took the Notch trail out to Success Pond road but we did go about 40 feet up the notch trail to the false start. it was nice and cool there and I looked over in a crack in the rocks and there was still snow.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by QuietStorm View Post



    Lowlights:
    • the bugs were beyond belief. I nearly ended my hike because my face, legs, and hands swelled up from black fly bites.
    • the mud. Vermont ain't got nothing over New Hampshire.


    Good to know. I had going back to NH on my list as possible "better bug season" options. Thought they wouldn't be terrible since there's so much exposure, but I guess not!


    What dates were you hiking?

  5. #5

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    Your Mizpah Hut experience matches mine. I went through NH on the AT recently. We stayed about 15 minutes and casually asked for directions onto “AT north” after seeing multiple trails. A croo member insisted we are not on the AT. It was 0.6 miles away. He was wrong and any attempt at explanation was useless. He had no ability to listen. We were standing directly on the AT.

    I went into every hut on the AT through the whites and all other experiences were better than expected.

  6. #6

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    I just got back from a loop out to Zeland and back to the Willey house on the Avalon/A-Z/AT/Kendron flume trails. Very wet and muddy. lots of walking in a stream. Black flies were mininual, but the deer flies are out now and those take a chuck of skin out of you.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  7. #7

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    I've been hiking with a bug net over my head recently. It's not stylish, but... while DEET will stop them from biting me, it won't stop them from getting in my ears, eyes and lungs. Bugbaffler for the win.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    I've been hiking with a bug net over my head recently. It's not stylish, but... while DEET will stop them from biting me, it won't stop them from getting in my ears, eyes and lungs. Bugbaffler for the win.
    Yeah, no doubt. There is a lot of peace in setting up in the forest with a million bugs and knowing that they can buzz but they're not going to get you!

  9. #9
    Registered User QuietStorm's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hikingjim View Post
    Yeah, no doubt. There is a lot of peace in setting up in the forest with a million bugs and knowing that they can buzz but they're not going to get you!
    I was wearing a bandana, sunglasses, head net, and picardin. Treated all my clothes with permethrin. Still got bitten badly. I heard them laughing at me.

    In response to another post, I started in Hanover June 15, hiked to Kinsman Notch, neroed at The Notch Hostel June 19, hiked to Crawford Notch, neroed at the AMC Highland Center June 23, hiked to Washington summit 6/25, took a zero to get over swelling from bug bites June 26, hiked from Pinkham Notch to Washington summit 6/27 and ended the hike at the base of the Auto Road at 1 am on June 28.

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