Hello Vermont!! (Mile 445)

Wow... I made it through The Whites all in one piece. I was even blessed with good weather and incredibly smooth terrain for the last couple of days. It was certainly a challenging stretch but a rewarding one that part of me is already missing.

After Pinkham Notch I climbed over Mt. Madison and got to sleep on the floor of an AMC hut and eat like a king in exchange for doing some dishes. It feels great to work for something necessary and tangible rather than to stockpile money for some possible future purpose (or some past purpose that hasn't quite worked out yet like a college degree). The stretch after the hut was amazing - 13 miles or so of ridgeline over Mt. Washington, the tallest peak on the east coast, along with some other 5000 footers.

Luckily I got through the toughest parts before getting stuck with some rainy days. It was raining with strong winds through most of the Pemi Wilderness and I felt like I was going to get blown off of Mt. Guyot. It can be a little sucky to work so hard climbing a peak just to be socked in with fog and rain, but such is life in New England sometimes. At least it is an adventure.

Yesterday I walked into Hanover, NH (the trail cuts right through downtown) and I have been taking advantage of the trail magic here. It's off the hook. I am staying with two trail angels named Betsy and Grey Beard who are definitely some of the most generous people I have met in my life. They let Sagacious (Craig) and I stay with them for two nights, did our laundry, and gave us a ride. In town we got free donuts and pizza, not to mention all of the free samples at the farmers market. All that we have been asked to do in exchange is to pay it forward in the future. The people we have met on the trail are like the people at our church - they not only recognize that people should be living differently and treating each other differently - they actually take action on their beliefs and make differences in the world.

I have to take more pictures of the trail over the next couple of days. It's unbelievable how much easier it has gotten. Pine needle paths, switchbacks, and miles without elevation gain or loss are finally daily occurences. Life is good.