Revitalized in the whites – the walk

After 5 months on the path, a Thruhiker can feel a variety of emotions, which include, among others: the sadness that his time on the road is coming to an end, I hope that the path ends soon and that they can go home to comfort and normality, we regret that the trip passes too fast, and even the discomfort of the South limits for being so Gosh. Hampshire and Vermont.

Author’s note: Apparently, there is a saying that when Novo reached whites, they have made 80% of the path but only 50% of the effort. Yes, hiking in whites can be difficult, but 50% of the total difficulty of the path? Lies and slander, I say! 😤

The path has a fun way to feel cyclical: after 1800 miles of hiking, we finally return to the mountains that may seem to remember Georgia and North Carolina. After months of meeting the Nobo companions in the bubble in which we have been, we meet again new faces every night in crowded camps. The required permits and the crowded shelters and the whites of the whites remind us of our time in the smoks. We even bring our winter team back in preparation for colder days and nights in the north.

But, above all, we have returned to love for hiking that we lost somewhere in northern Virginia.

Another thing that people say on the path is this: the first third is a physical challenge as the legs of their paths develop. The second third is a mental challenge, since you start losing the home more, they run out of the monotony of the green tunnel and the endless (meaningless ups and downs), and you see friends on the path, choosing house comforts on the routine of the path. The third part then, it is spiritual.

Now that we are finally here in the whites, a part of the path that has been spoken from literally the first day (I clearly remember being in Springer Mountain and that the veterans hikers told me that New Hampshire and Maine would be our favorite parts of the path: 2000 miles to the north from where we were starting!), Finally we have a reward for our work. The last weeks have been difficult, with each stay in the hostel and the city ceases to be more difficult to go to return to the road. The walks of walking and hook of roads became more frequent as we all get tired of the truly useless hills that the AT insists on going to the top, only to return to the other side without absolutely any vision to talk about (we sincerely believe that the ATC hates us and wants to suffer). Now, the hills have become mountains again, and there are more than just breaks in the trees, but the true mountains and the exposed crest lines that offer impressive views of the surrounding mountains as far as the view is. Now we understand why people walked along the path will tell the hikers of babies on day 1 «you love whites.»

Finally, we can see for ourselves. And we are stunned.

One of the first mountains of New Hampshire in the AT: Moosilauke. It has a reputation that the descent is brutal and even dangerous in a humid climate, and the shelters in the area will convince hikers to make it in the south for the best experience. It doesn’t matter how you upload it, be sure to have a good climate to avoid dangerous hiking, but also to maximize views at the top. A few days ago, Mountain Dew and I packed, returning to the shelter early after the short and steep miles of 9 on the mountain. But it was not only the short day with packages of days that helped us feel alive and ready for the rest of the whites, it was the mountain itself. Finally. Finally, a reward for our efforts. We sit at the top of the mountain for a good time, just assuming, remembering our path so far, and feeling that our souls come alive again for looking at the greatness that surrounds us.

Today, we really entered the whites, climbing four 4,000 -feet mountain peaks on the crest of Franconia: Liberty, Lincoln, Lafayette and Garfield. «Only» we walk 11 miles, but we packed four peaks and more than 5400 feet of elevation, and we took our sweet time doing it, taking multiple long breaks along the crest to simply sit and see the clouds on the mountains.

One of our goals for whites is to reduce speed and enjoy us. We do not need to hurry this, the most beautiful scenic hiking we have had in months. We do not need to pull 20 miles of days. We need to enjoy this place and remind us that we really love this life experience that we have chosen for ourselves.

Since we are walking shorter these days, we have been among the first to reach the last camps, while one-day hikers, sections hikers and the Sobo-Ers arrive later and later during the night. Some nights of the crowded camps are sources of frustration for those who arrived early and were looking forward to a quiet camp, and so frustrating for subsequent arrivals that have to be established in the remains of the holes. Other nights, the camp is alive with conversation, since we can all talk about our experiences along the way. Tonight, we saw a group of Boy Scouts teenage prepare together, a better comedy than some script television programs. I met and talked to two veterans through those who completed the AT in 2022: the two men were part of a tram in their walk, and they still take time away from the «real world» to walk their favorite sections together. One of the men said he goes out to the forest as therapy, as escape and as a memory of his own walk.

Another set of men with whom I talked had climbed the PEMI loop in the whites many times, and I was watching a Nobo through the AT in 2027. We chatted a little, and I felt excited about the path again for the first time for the first time while talking about how long they spent in these mountains. They said that they meet many three thunders that cross this area, and everyone has the same tired energy of their long trip from Georgia, so they at least have an idea of the toll that the walk can have people.

I’m not sure what the spiritual part of the walk will be, but I’m sure it is just beginning. Mountain Dew and I have given a deadline of completion date in September so that friends and family can participate in helping us to finish our walk well. Air tickets have been reserved. We have exactly one month to get to Katahdin. Maybe we will regret later, since when I asked one of the past through those who regretted, he said he wanted to have taken more time to finish. But for now, it is reassuring when we will end, and have planned support immediately after the path, even though it is sad to say goodbye to both the path and the friends we made on the road once we accumulate that final mountain.

For now, our spirits have been raised. Even if we are still tired and happy to go home at the end of this, we are ready to continue and enjoy the rest of this path for everything that is worth.

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