• Home
• Intro
• About
• Planning
• Journal
• Contact

Appalachian Trail – North Woodstock, New Hampshire

New Hampshire
Mount Moosilauke, 4802 feet

“I live on a one-way dead-end street.”

- Steven Wright

Getting closer to the Whites…

July 2000.
I got some great trail magic just south of Mt. Moosilauke in Glencliff, NH from a guy named Roger, who had hiked the trail himself as a section hiker 20 years ago. He now lives near the trail and everyday he drives to the post office at 4pm and if you are there he will pick you up and take you home. He picked up four other section hikers and me, made us dinner and took us back to the trail the next morning. He had an amazing house and a beautiful mural of the AT painted on the inside walls of his barn.

Mt. Moosilauke is the first mountain above tree line for northbounders. When I got to the top it was raining and the winds were so strong that I could not stand up straight to take a picture of the sign. I quickly got myself across the top and to the safety of tree line on the other side. I met two day-hikers (Rob & Bob) coming down who were out doing Moosilauke as one of the 4,000-footers of NH. We came down together, which by the way is one of the steepest downhill sections of the entire trail. I was telling them how I was meeting dad in town that day to hike with him for a few days. They kindly offered to give me a ride to the hotel and so it turned out to be a good day.

The first mountain above treeline for northbounders

Journal Entry 7.14.00
“7pm at Roger’s house in Glencliff, NH. 14.7 miles today from the Hexacuba Shelter. 18 miles yesterday from Moose Mountain Shelter. The hike yesterday was tough over Smarts Mountain, plus it was hot and humid. I was exhausted when I got to Hexacuba. Two-Stepper, L’Escargot, Goodwheels, and Forbin & Mable were also there. This morning I left at 7:15am. Another climb over Mt. Cube and then a tough downhill…I decided that I didn’t want to do Moosilauke today. So I got off at Glencliff and found some other section hikers waiting to be picked up by Roger and I decided to join. His house is GREAT! We’ve had cocktails and cheese and crackers by the pool and are now waiting for dinner. I talked to Dad and it looks like I’ll be meeting him at Rte. 112 tomorrow!”

The steepest downhill on the entire AT (going northbound)

Journal Entry 7.16.00
“8pm at the hotel in North Woodstock, waiting for Dad to come back with PIZZA! Today dad dropped me off at the trail at 7:30am. It was raining hard for the first 2 hours and the hiking was tough all day. Dad hiked into Lonesome Lake Hut to meet me there at 4:45pm. It took me 9.5 hours to do 13.5 miles. Lots of big rocks, tough terrain, scaling up and down over South Kinsman, everything wet and slippery from the rain. Of course it would have been much easier had I slack-packed but I’ve come this far carrying my pack and I’m not about to start slacking now. My shorts got soaked and I have the worst rub-rash between my legs from them being wet. I can hardly walk. Only 10 miles tomorrow – thank God!!”

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