We’ve stayed overnight with friends, June and Scott, whom we met way back SOMEWHERE. I think it was maybe Tennessee or N. Carolina; they were doing a section for about a week, and they said (way back then) that if we made it to the White Mountains in New Hampshire, give them a call – they’d love to put us up overnight, give us a good meal, let us do laundry – all that good stuff. June’s house is in VT, just across the line from NH. Well, Scott hiked with us yesterday (it turned out to be a rather long day), and it’s very pleasant to be here. It’s the rejuvenation I need. Makes me long to get off the trail a bit, but rather than that, it’ll be a great recharge of my ebbing batteries. With only 373 miles to go, I’m ready for the final push! It’s getting exciting as the end is getting nearer!
We have a bit of town business to do (Post Office, small bit of shopping, etc.) so we’ll take care of that today, see some local sights with June & Scott, and either spend the night here again (a real zero!) or hike a few miles out to the first shelter; we haven’t decided yet. We haven’t had a single zero-mile day just to rest during the entire hike. We had several for family things (a funeral and a wedding) and we took one when CLiCK! injured her ankle, but none just to relax and recharge. This could be one! We’ll see how the day unfolds!
(Thanks, June and Scott!)
Hi Mig,
How wonderful to make such nice friends along the way. And WOW only 373 miles to go! Keep on trekking!
Equating the 2170 mile length of the entire AT to the length of your former 7:30AM-4:30PM work day, I figure at 373 miles to go, you are at about an hour and a half from quitting time. You might need an extra cup of coffee at work about then, or an extra zero-mile day on the trail, but the end is definitely in sight, and after it’s all over, you’ll be able to kick back and take that well deserved rest.
Thanks, Val, for working that out! We did end up taking a zero today, as it poured rain off and on all day and hailed like crazy in parts of the area. There was so much hail, there were still some piles of hailstones 2 hours later! A good (comfort and safety-wise) day to be off the White Mountain ridges! We did a bit of food shopping, now Melissa is repairing her camera straps, I bought some new boots, and we’re recharging our bodies and spirits with our great trail friends, June and Scott. We’ll be leaving early in the AM to be on the trail by 7 AM. The forecast for tomorrow is fine weather!
Sounds like your friends June and Scott are taking good care of you both. I hope your new boots are kind to your feet and don’t require much, if any, breaking in.
They sure are – alas, we’re about to go hit the trail! And me, too, about the boots!
Wonderful to have these new friends to spend time with. I can’t believe how you two keep picking up new states! If those mushrooms are the color of footballs and underneath is a pale yellow mesh (not gills), they could be the prized boletus edulis otherwise known as porcini. We’re off tomorrow to drive to Santa Cruz, CA where we’ve rented a beach house for the whole family. Think of us five adults having fun with 6 sandy little children age 6 to 4 months… Carry on in those new boots, Michael.
Michael and Mel,
I wish I had one of your cell phone numbers. You have mine.
Please phone me this weekend when you are on a break.
I am going to Santa Cruz this coming week and crash the party at the too small beach house!