Day 43
We got on trail early to beat the heat. Today has an index of over 100. We are thankful the terrain has mellowed out and cruised through 10 miles in less than 4 hours. Still drenched in sweat of course.
We camped outside of Dartmouth College’s campus, made several trips to Co-op Market, to get supplies to rehydrate and enjoy some fresh food. Tomorrow we are planning to leave our camp early, make our way through campus and then meet Hayley’s parents (Barbara and Duncan) for some rest and relaxation along with some much needed air conditioning.
Day 44
It is always nice to start the day with fresh brewed coffee (not that instant stuff) and baked goods. We woke up early and made our way into town. Hanover is very welcoming to thru-hikers. We indulged in some excellent iced coffee and donuts at Lou’s Bakery and spent some time lounging at the DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club). Everyone at the DOC has been super friendly. We even picked up a couple snacks that had been discarded in the hiker box.
As a higher education professional, Eric enjoys exploring college campuses. Dartmouth has beautiful historic buildings. The AT passed right through downtown Hanover. It was fun to see references to the AT throughout the town.
We met Barbara and Duncan and did some more exploring the campus and downtown Hanover (stopped for a some refreshing bubble tea). We enjoyed a nice lunch, with dessert of course. We did a couple errands and spent the rest of the night at the hotel catching up and showing our pictures and videos.
We’ve enjoyed joking that the hardest part of trail is behind us but still aware it’s always going to hurt when hiking big miles, even if the terrain is not nearly as challenging as the White Mountains. We are excited to get into Vermont and enjoy the Green Mountains.
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