Day 161
Start: Kinsman Notch
End: Flume Gorge Visitor Center
Miles Hiked: 16.4
Miles on AT: 1824.2
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I woke up bright and early so I could slackpack today and it was well worth it. Jenn from the ski club drove me over to the notch after I picked up a couple of breakfast sandwiches and other snacks from the corner store to fuel me for the day. As usual, I had the pre-climb jitters, mainly asking myself, “How much is this gonna hurt?”
After I got dropped off, I sat at one of the picnic tables in the parking lot, eating my breakfast sandwich and sipping my fruit juice, trying to raise my blood sugar and dampen my nerves. The air was nice and cool, perfect for a day of climbing that would surely leave me sweating. Eventually, I had to get up and face the mountain in front of me. Just as I was leaving, I noticed another group of hikers getting dropped off in the parking lot as well. I wouldn’t be alone today.
The first part of the climb was steep. I hoped that it didn’t stay that way for too long, and luckily it didn’t. I let the other hikers pass me; they were a couple that I had seen a few days prior but I hadn’t stopped to say hi. This time, we introduced ourselves with the knowledge that we would probably run into each other again. As I continued on, the trail started to even out and the climbs were as steep. I was very much still in “trail” territory instead of rock/boulder territory, which I was grateful for.
About an hour into the hike, I ran into another set of familiar faces. 3Cheeks, Gripper, and Sassy, hikers who were part of the group that I ran into every couple of weeks, were standing right there in the middle of the trail taking a break. I hadn’t seen them in what felt like forever! I was happy to see they were on trail and chatted for a bit before moving on to my own break spot.
For my second breakfast today, I had another breakfast sandwich, a chocolate chip cookie, and the rest of my fruit juice. This was one of my best second breakfasts yet! I packed up and moved on, taking a quick break at Eliza Shelter to get water before the real climbing started. After the shelter, the trail ran alongside a waterfall (luckily not a steep one this time) and some beautiful swimming holes. Oh, how I wished I could be here during the summer! There were swimming holes every few yards; I just stopped and stared at them, imagining how nice it would be to stop for the day and jump in. But, I had miles to make today, so I had to keep it moving.
The climb was steady, but not bad at all. The other hikers at the hostel were warning me that it was tough and steep, but I was having a great time. I reached my first Whites bog field and it was just gorgeous! I loved balancing along the bog boards; the rocky mountain rising ahead of me felt reminiscent of Yosemite. Before I knew it, I reached the place where the real climbing began. And when I say climbing, I mean darn near rock climbing.
Making sure my stick was securely attached to my wrist, I freed my hands and started touching bare rock. I had to pull myself up the steep trail in places, finding hand- and foot holds in the crevices that would support me. I was having fun! This was truly a rock scramble, and it wasn’t a short one. But I loved it. I could feel my muscles working in a way that they hadn’t in a long time. I wasn’t a rock climber by any means, but I’d had fun the few times I was able to do it before trail.
Soon, I was on top of Kinsman South Peak, the sun warming me as I walked to the summit. What a difference from the day I was on Moosilauke! Today, the air was still, the sun was bright, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The Whites weren’t too bad after all!
At the summit, there were 2 women day hikers and another SOBO thru hiker. I couldn’t resist having lunch up there on such a gorgeous day, so I got my sandwich supplies out and started making my meal. A few minutes later, 5 more hikers showed up, including the couple that I had met in the morning. It was a party on South Kinsman! I could have stayed up there all day, lazing about in the mountain sunshine. But, all too soon, it was time to keep moving.
After reaching North Kinsman, the descent wasn’t too bad. There were a couple of steep spots that I grumbled about, but it was nothing compared to the Moosilauke descent. I saw my first hut of the Whites, Lonesome Lake Hut, and stopped by the dock for my snack break. The hut was so much bigger than I expected and it looked really nice from the outside. Again, I wished I could’ve stayed the night in the area because the lake was gorgeously peaceful. Day hikers were everywhere and I could see why this was such a popular spot.
The last couple of miles passed like a breeze. The trail was so flat and smooth! I finished hiking around 6pm and called for my ride. I think I had pushed it a bit too hard because my nerve pain was starting to flare up a bit. Unfortunately, I had to walk an extra mile or so to the visitor center to get picked up (we hate extra miles over here), but I was back at the hostel in no time. All of the guys were surprised that I had finished so early (they finished around 8 pm or later on their slackpack day), while Jenn yelled, “Girl power!”
I had the rest of the evening to eat, relax, and laze about. And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!
And that’s day 161.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.