In Gorham, NH

I'm through The White Mountains!  Yes, they were challenging, but doable and so, so worth the effort.  The photos below -- even though there are a lot of them -- attest to the spectacular beauty of the area.  We spent quite a lot of time above tree line, and significant stretches above 5000 feet.  The last section, known as the Wildcats, took a bit of work to get through, but we cranked through it all.

I'm traveling with three other guys, informally referring to ourselves as The Ne'er-Do-Wells.  Yoda, House, Snus, and Patch (and briefly, Arizona) have been together for a week or so, giving each other grief and helping each other out in equal measure.

Today is a zero day to recover from recent efforts and to let storms pass through the area.  We have a lovely hostel to stay at, good resupply, and some thinking to do about next steps.  We are about 12 miles from Maine, and within a couple of days we will be at what the AT guidebook calls "the toughest day on the trail."

Less than 300 miles left to go, and I'm really getting excited at the prospect of finishing.  But a south-bounder made a great observation about the AT in Maine:  "It's like that stunning girl in high school who didn't have a very agreeable personality; wonderful to look at, but not so nice to stick around much."

So I'll do what I can to capture the beauty while surviving the terrain, the bogs, the difficult resupply, and the black flies.

Katahdin is out there, and I'm closing in.

Enjoy the many photos of my journey through The White Mountain range.  It really was as rugged and spectacular as the photos hint at.  I will never forget it.  More to come whenever I find signal again, though that may be a while.

Snus getting ready to head out from Imp Shelter

Plank walkway on top of Wildcat B

The Ne'er-Do-Wells at Franconia Notch: Patch, House, Snus, & Yoda

House on the Peabody River Bridge

Peabody River

Patch's shadow on Mt. Jackson

Snus and Yoda moving along the ridge

Tired sign at trail intersection

Patch at the summit of Mt. Washington

Cog railway locomotive on Mt. Washington

Approaching the summit of Mt. Washington

Lakes of The Clouds

Warning sign starting ascent to Mt. Washington

"Tentris:" fitting everyone onto one platform

House and Yoda take a break.

Snus, Arizona, House, & Yoda in Crawgord Notch

Ethan Pond

Relaxing at Zealand Hut

Eating leftovers at Zealand Hut

Taking a break

Hut accommodations: $125/night. My tent was just fine.

Hut dining room

Patch on Mt. Lafayette

Heading across the Lafayette ridge to Mt. Webster

Patch on the Lafayette ridge