After fueling up on leftover pizza and soda for breakfast, it was time to journey up one of my favorite mountains in Maine: Bald Pate.
At least for a moment, the sun came out for our climb!
Sitting on top of Bald Pate really shows how wild Maine is–there is nothing except wilderness as far as the eye can see.
My friends pushed on and I decided to eat my lunch until I saw a thunder cell quickly building in the distance. I’m not a fan of lightning, so I got moving. Sure enough, the rumbling started just a few minutes later soon followed by the downpour and light show. I was close enough to a shelter to make a mad dash and only caught a few raindrops before I got to safety. Other hikers at the shelter had the same idea.
Because we all got crammed into the shelter, I got to walk out with a man named Moses. Turns out he’s from just outside Knoxville. We spent 5 miles reflecting on what he has received on his journey and what he still needs from his time on the trail. Please pray for closure for Moses on a difficult personal situation and direction on what’s next after the trail.
I also met and walked with a guy named Spenders today who is full of life and wisdom. I hope I get to spend more time alongside him in the coming miles.
On a lighter note, I’m still waiting to see a moose. There were signs of one around the shelter we stayed at tonight and a dog started barking at something that must have been the moose. However, I didn’t catch a glimpse. Better luck next time!
Since I’ve done it before, I was able to keep spirits high and offer some alternative routes as we played “hiker playground” for almost two hours.
The rain continued and the temps dropped as we climbed up the incredibly steep Mahoosuc Arm after the Notch…1500 ft in 1 mile.
Ms. Janet rolled in with her van and whisked us away to “Grafton Notch Popup Hostel,” a local vacation home of a former thru hiker. Showers and laundry were a great surprise!
Dinner was at the local brew pub where we enjoyed hearing the locals jam to karaoke. 
My Father sure does know how to lift his kids’ spirits and I’m so thankful I get to share that with the hikers around me.
However, after a really steep climb up to Mt. Success (the last mountain of New Hampshire), the fog broke and gave me and my new friend Grey Squirrel a nice view.
Poor Grey Squirrel fell in the shower a few days ago and is having a hard time-please pray for his speedy recovery! It’s town that’s dangerous for us wilderness dwellers…
I sat for a few hours by this sign to congratulate NOBOs crossing into their last state and offer a space to talk about what the trail has given them and what they still need from their journey. Only 270ish miles to the finish line. More Maine adventures tomorrow!
One of the local trail angels was also able to whisk me into Gorham to deal with my broken trekking pole. A new one is on its way to Andover!
Notice all of the water that has been falling on hikers recently.
Tomorrow, we’ll be in Maine-so close!!
As the miles crept by, I ran into some challenges…namely two pretty bloody falls. One was a face plant onto a wooden bog bridge that tore up my legs and arms, and the second was a slide down a rocky ledge that snapped my trekking pole in half. No worries, all bones still intact!
Sunset was beautiful, but I did end up hiking into the campsite in the dark. Glad to have caught up with my friends!
After dropping our packs off, it was off to an establishment I’ve been looking forward to since Harpers Ferry: Chinese Dynasty Buffet. For $7.25, we cleared 4 heaping plates each.
This afternoon was a relaxing one spent outside reorganizing our packs and planning for Maine. Can’t believe the flip of the flip flop is almost over!
The weather didn’t improve much as we marched down the ridge bracing ourselves against the wind and trying to move fast enough to stay warm. However, we did get a few peaks of clearness as we got close to Madison Hut.
We tried to get a work for stay to get out of the weather, but the crew had no mercy. On we went further down the ridge. However, 15 minutes into our hike the weather actually cleared and we got a great sunset! 
Town day tomorrow!
The reward after the climb was another bowl of soup and some leftover breakfast. Mizpah Hut, the location of the treats, has a special place in my heart because it was shelter in a huge storm in 2014. Happy to be back!
After lunch, we began our 15 mile traverse across the Presidential Range-all above tree line.
The weather held on just long enough for us to make it up to Lake of the Clouds Hut where we were able to secure a work for stay–chores in exchange for leftovers and a space on the floor. Because of bad weather, the hut was gracious enough to take in 20 other thruhikers in addition to its 90 guests. 
Good thing hikers like to hang out with each other, because space was certainly limited!
The Appalachian Mountain Club operates 8 mountain huts accessible only by foot. Because the crew has to pack out any leftovers, they are generally happy to farm off the extras to thruhikers.
One really neat aspect of the Whites is being able to pick out the peaks we have crossed and will cross. Amazing what you can see when you’re above the trees!
After stopping by Zealand Falls Hut for some lunch and warm soup, it was time to crank out 5 more miles to Ethan Pond. We really hoped to see a moose here, but no such luck today.
Perhaps the most amazing part of today was how dry we stayed! There was a 90% chance of thunderstorms all day and they didn’t hit until we were safely in the shelter. My two fears on the trail are lightning and norovirus, and the Lord has been teaching me a lot about trusting Him with those silly concerns. He has been showing me the power of storms from the safety of shelters!
I did warn Esther when she asked to join me this week that she was embarking on arguably the hardest 50 miles of the entire AT. She was up for the challenge, and I am always glad to have some company on my hike.
At the peak of Mt. Lafayette, the highest mountain on the ridge, I officially reached the 800 mile mark. It’s crazy to think I’m getting pretty close to 1000 miles of ministry! 
The end of the day did not come without some added excitement when Esther took a pretty good fall. However, she insisted on moving on even with a pretty good gash. What a brave chick!