Super Hiker Woman (Trying Anyway)

Aug 19-zero day at The Notch Hostel Boy howdy, were my knees not happy this morning! It’s just after 7:00 as I am writing this, and they are starting to feel better. I’m so glad we took a zero today (actually, if we wanted to have our laundry done, we had no choice...we still don’t have our clothes back).  Like I said in yesterday’s post, this hostel is a well-oiled machine. It’s kind of funny, because there are signs everywhere telling what the rules are, how to flush the toilet, even where the bath mat goes. If we have any questions, just look around, there is probably a sign. Here’s a few photos of the hostel.  The Notch Hostel is an old farmhouse. Our room is on the third floor.  My bed.  The gear shed where our packs and shoes have to stay.  Even signs to tell how far we have to go.  Lorri, Mosey’s wife, is here. She took us to Lincoln so I could mail home my day pack, get our resupply, and get some lunch. She will also shuttle us back to the trail in ...

Aug 18-16.5 miles-Kinsman Notch to The Notch Hostel-AT mile 1819.9 Holy moly, that was a long day! Frosty brought me to Kinsman Notch, and dropped me off right at 7:00.  Frosty (Robert), the owner of Hanover Adventure Tours, and all around nice guy! After dropping me off, he took my pack to The Notch Hostel.  Sure Foot had camped a few miles up the trail. I wasn’t sure if I would catch up to him. The Kinsman Ridge Trail went straight up from the road. Fortunately, I was slackpacking again.  At least there were kind of stairs.  Interestingly, three years ago when I rode from Minneapolis to Maine, I went past this spot. I remember that I crossed the AT twice, and that one was Kinsman Ridge. Crazy, huh? Anyway, I was hiking along, when my foot slid sideways on a wet rock (it rained last night). Next thing I knew, I was on the ground in the bushes. Some would say that was my first real fall. But, I say it was fall number 3.  My landing spot.  I went up and down...

Aug17-9.8 miles-Three Mike Road to Norwich Jane shuttled me again today back to Three Mile Rd. This was my last southbound hike. Tomorrow I go northbound (my pack will be delivered to The Notch Hostel). I’ve heard Frosty, the owner of Hanover Adventure Tours/Norwich Hostel, will be driving me to Kinsman Notch tomorrow morning. I will enjoy that, as he is very interesting to talk to. However, I will be sad to leave here. I’ve met all the staff (except Evan, the new guy, that started today). This morning, Jane said they will miss me too. This afternoon, when I was walking back into Norwich, Frank pulled over with another hiker, and picked me up. He said he had seen me going across the bridge, and said, “That’s my hiker!”  Jane and me! As for today’s hike, it was pretty short. There was still a variety, but no real big climbs.  Velvet Rocks (it’s so dry there is no moss on the rocks).  Before I knew it, I was walking into Hanover.  Popped out of the woods at a Dartmouth...

Aug 16-18.9 miles-Dirt Rd to Three Mile Rd Whew, today was a long one! I wanted to do the long option today so I will have a short day tomorrow. It was tiring, but I survived it.  I had two mountains (one with two summits, so almost more like three mountains), and another little beast of a climb for today. Because I wanted to do the big day, Jane and I left the hostel at 6:00. I also had a little extra road walk because of the locked gate. I was on the trail by 6:50.  Trailhead.  I pretty much immediately started climbing. I decided to see how far I could go in the first hour. Turns out, I did 2 1/2 miles...uphill! Along the way, I saw Crunchy coming down. I haven’t seen him since...Tennessee? Almost didn’t recognize him! I got to the summit of Smarts Mountain at 8:30! That was 4.3 miles. It was pretty windy and foggy, so I only went partway up the fire tower.  Couldn’t see much.  The descent down Smarts was much steeper. I was beginning to think it would never ...

Aug 15-11 miles-25C to Dirt Rd Second day of slackpacking is complete! Just 11 miles today, but within those 11 miles I climbed another mountain. This one is called Mt. Cube (it didn’t really seem like a cube...).  This morning the owner of the hostel drove me back to where I finished yesterday. Frosty is 75 years young, and I very much enjoyed riding with him. Him and his daughter ride their bikes across the country, including a good long section of the ACA Northern Tier. Which reminds me...yesterday when I was dropped of at Kinsman Notch, I realized I had ridden on that road when I went from Minneapolis to Maine. I remembered a Kinsman Ridge Trail sign.  Shortly after starting today’s hike, I stopped at this pond.  A pond of the beaver variety.  This gal was there. We talked for a moment, and she said, “I think we’ve met before...back in Georgia.”  I didn’t remember until I asked her name. When she said Kodak, then I remembered meeting her. It’s so weird to se...