The Whites Are Hard

The Flip

As a Flip Flop hiker I’ve been waiting to flip since I began my hike.  It was just a matter of where and when. Front Royal Virginia was the where and early July was the when. So I flipped over a long weekend and saw family, friends and met my newest granddaughter.  I rested, I ate and I didn’t look at the FarOut app. I avoided the elevation map and looking at the difficulty levels of the upcoming mountains.  My wonderful husband, AT thru hiker 2009/ PCT 2019, was coming with me to get me through the hardest part of the AT.

How Difficult Can They Be?

Before I flipped I was hiking 20 mile days. Me, a 59 year old, woman was knocking out miles like it was nothing.  Then we arrived in Hanover NH.  The first day was hot, stupid hot! Didn’t I leave that heat in Virginia?? The terrain changed and someone threw boulders of various sizes on the trail. The ground was damp and moss was growing on everything.  My new shoes were already wet and muddy and I felt like I was in way over my head.  How hard could this be…. freaking hard. Physically the most difficult section for me hands down! Miles didn’t fly by like they used to. I crawled over rocks and climbed over mountains. Time passed and I expected to see the miles pass but they didn’t. An hour was now a mile or sometimes less. The days were exhausting and I felt defeated. It’s quite humbling up here.  But I learned how to climb with poles and pack. I learned how to grab at crevices and pull myself up to a foot hold.  I pulled myself up boulders and slid down them. I walked over rocks quite literally for hours and hours.  Somehow I made it over Mt Mousilauke, amongst others, and climbed Washington and the rocks of Madison. Some were more difficult and all were scary in some way or another.  Turning around halfway up and looking out at “the views” still aren’t my thing but I have seen some amazing and beautiful views despite my fears. The ridge from Mt Lafayette is probably my favorite despite the climb involved in getting up there!  

What’s Next 

I’m almost to the New Hampshire/Maine state line.  Another state checked off the list.  The Whites are almost done and my husband has gone home. I’m incredibly thankful for the time out here with him. I haven’t been home since late March and I’ve missed him so much.  Thru hiking is hard enough and throw in being away from family makes it more difficult.  So now I’m alone out here again.  I’m getting passed by northbound thru hikers and I’m seeing more and more southbound hikers. They started with this hard stuff!  I’m hoping by the time I get to Katahdin that I will be ready for that climb. Once completed, it will be a trip south to Hanover to start south to the finish in Front Royal.  It’s exciting but so scary. 

The Kindness of Strangers

I have touched upon this so many times and it bears repeating.  Hikers hitchhike. We need to get to town but don’t always have cell service for shuttles or there just aren’t shuttles available.  Everyday folks just going about their day stop to pick up dirty hikers. They refuse gas money and ask us about the trail or ourselves.  My husband and I met a woman in a hotel, Grace, who offered to help us in any way.  She drove us 20 miles back onto the trail.  People are just amazing and I never take this for granted! The hiking community is wonderful and I love meeting all of the trail angels out there!