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Appalachian Trail – AMC-land, New Hampshire

New Hampshire
Mt. Lafayette, 5249 feet
Mt. Garfield, 4488 feet
South Twin Mtn., 4902 feet

“I am a deeply religious nonbeliever… This is a somewhat new kind of religion.”

- Albert Einstein

July 2000.
Dad hiked with me for 2 days in the Whites. The first night we stayed at the Garfield Ridge campsite. The second night we stayed at Zealand Falls Hut. Typically the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) huts allow 2 thru-hikers to stay in the hut each night and do work for stay to avoid having to pay the $65 fee. When we got to Zealand there were 2 “Sobos” (Southbounders) who had already claimed the work for stay, but luckily the crew let me in on it too so I could stay there with dad. Mind you, Dad had to ask them repeatedly for hours before they reluctantly agreed. Our work consisted of cleaning, doing dishes, and presenting an evening program on “hiking the AT” for the guests. In return we got to sleep on the floor in the dining hall. I was happy to be able to spend the time with my dad, but did not like having to beg for the accommodation. My dad has been a member of the AMC longer than most of the AMC hut crew have been alive and I think it’s a disgrace that they would give him such a hard time over allowing his daughter (who has hiked for 4 months to get there) to sleep on the floor. They could have EASILY been totally cool about the whole thing. Several other of my thru-hiking friends showed up after I arrived and they were all turned down and forced to keep hiking. It was very frustrating to watch them get kicked out. There is definitely a lot of animosity between thru-hikers and the AMC.

The next day dad hiked out to his car and went home. He said, “Well I guess the next time I see you will be on Katahdin.” It was hard to imagine that I was actually getting close to the end. But I knew that I still had the hardest sections of trail ahead.

Journal Entry 7.17.00
“At Garfield Ridge campsite, in the shelter with Butter, Forbin and some section hikers. Dad is fast asleep in his tent. The forecast called for thunderstorms and it was overcast and blah but somehow it did not rain all day. We climbed up Franconia Ridge and I was very happy that the trail was not nearly as steep or rugged as yesterday. (My knees are still sore from that brutal-ness.) When we got up on the ridge the clouds broke and we had blue skies! Lafayette (5249′) was awesome. We had even had views of Lafayette from Garfield. Dad did great hiking today. I am now officially IN THE WHITES!”

Gimpy Sr. in NH

Journal Index

Georgia – Overview And the poop on the Trail Divorce

0 (miles from Georgia) – Springer Mountain, Georgia Whose idea was this again??
87.7 – Georgia / North Carolina Aint no all-inclusive package vacation story…
161.7 – Fontana Dam, North Carolina No Rain, No Pain, No Maine
204.6 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park I My deodorant gets the heave-ho!
268.7 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park II The Food Appreciation Trail
336.5 – North Carolina / Tennessee & Trail Names How the Gimp got her name
390.7 – North Carolina / Tennessee The famous Roan Mountain hitch
452.9 – Crossing into Damascus, Virginia 3 states down, 11 to go!
516.7 – Grayson Highlands State Park Roughin it at Partnership Shelter
573.3 – Bland, Virginia My wonderful trail angels!
665.3 – Pearisburg, Virginia The switch from boots to sandals
767.4 – Catawba / Troutville, Virginia Heat wave in Virginia
839.4 – Montebello / Rockfish Gap, Virginia ‘Hiking with Gimpy Sr.
920.0 – Shenandoah National Park Rattlesnakes, Jack Daniels, and bears – oh my!
988.3 – Front Royal, Virginia Invasion of the Boy Scouts
1001.1 – Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia The mental half-way point
1061.4 – Maryland / Pennsyltucky Y’all done drank enough beer!
1123.8 – Duncannon, Pennsylvania The Half-Gallon Challenge
1208.9 – Port Clinton, Pennsylvania $1 Yuengling drafts and the rocks of PA
1283.9 – Pennsylvania / New Jersey Friends and family visit WonderGimp
1334.2 – High Point, New Jersey Rain, rain, rain, trail magic, and more rain
1440.7 – Bear Mountain, New York Hike Naked Day!
1486.1 – Kent, Connecticut Gimpy Sr. and Barkeater hike with W.Gimp
1543.8 – Great Barrington, MassachusettsWelcome to Mosquito Hell
1618.0 – Massachusetts / VermontPhoton and strobe lights for the 4th of July
1687.3 – Killington, Vermont The Inn at the Long Trail
1738.1 – New Hampshire Live Free or Die!
1794.4 – North Woodstock, New Hampshire Gettin’ above treeline
1814.4 – AMC-land, New Hampshire Entering the White Mountains!
1854.0 – Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire Mooning the tourists on Mt. Washington
1869.2 – Gorham, New Hampshire My first Moose sighting!
1920.7 – Andover, Maine The way Life should be…
1979.3 – Rangeley, Maine Closing in on the end
2015.6 – Kennebec River, Maine Eye of the Tiger!
2095.7 – Monson, Maine 100-mile Wilderness
2152.0 – Abol Bridge, Maine Katahdin is in sight!
2167.1 – Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin, Maine Goodbye Capilene – Hello Cotton!!

Other Pages:
Map – Yep, 14 states
Gear – What to Bring
FAQs – See for yourself
Glossary (learn the AT lingo)
Links to Additional Info
Trail Injuries Everything from blisters to swampfoot
Trail Privies Bring your own TP
Class of 2000 Katahdin Thru-Hiker Pictures