Classy crossing.

The Dartmouth Outing Club maintains these 75 miles of trail, much of which was originally built as a ski trail to Moosilauke. SInce white blazes are no good in winter, they used the club colors, black and orange. When the AT came along a few years later, the black-and-orange blazes persisted, and a few can still be seen today.

An old Dartmouth Outing Club blaze, covered by a new white one.

Maple sugar sap lines on the AT in New Hampshire.

This tree is a four-tapper. The trail crosses quite a bit of sugar land. Talk about sustainable agriculture.

The DOC takes their signs seriously.

Smarts Mountain from the south.

Foliage across a swamp.

Fog rising along Smarts Mountain.

The excuse of a view off of Smarts Mountain.

More clouds roll in to Smarts Mountain.

Colour.

Foliage is getting heavier in the valleys.

"Scenic View. Beware of Tourists." With the Whites coming, and along other parts of the Appalachian Trail, this is rather apropos.

Moosilauke in the fog. It has a great view when it is nice.

Lots of company on the summit.

Cairns in to oblivion on Moosilauke. A whole private school class was up, but they didn't offer any food.

beaver Brook, where the trail basically follows this, and other, waterfalls.

More falls along Beaver Brook.

Beaver Brook.

it was wet, and the trip down was treacherous, even with these steps and rebar.

Beaver Brook

Beaver Brook falls.

Water splashing down Beaver Brook. The trail follows constant cascades down several thousand feet.

Beaver Brook cascades.

Lots of Birch.

Views towards the Whites.

Falls on Eliza Brook.

Along the trail near Harrington Pond, just south of Kinsman.

Foam collected against the rocks in the trail.

Undercast from Kinsman.

Lafayette comes out over Lonesome Lake.

The whole Franconia Range and Lonesome Lake.

One of the Cannon Balls.

Yellow and red!

Red and yellow (I am going to enjoy this).

Bubbles in a stream.

L'Trail

Cascade Brook near Franconia Notch.

Yay for ski!

The AMC does a heck of a job. Anyone who disagrees should think about the whites without the AMC. At least the AMC tries to make rules for the uninformed Joeys.

I slid a good two feet in the mud. But notice: no sitzmark.

On from Lincoln to Lafayette. Way above treeline on a beauty of a day.

Clouds near Franconia Notch over Cannon Mountain.

Clouds in the Whites.

The conical Flume and Liberty.

Color in the Pemigewasset.

The Whites are hard, but rewarding.

Mount Lincoln, with Mount Washington in the background.

The trail towards Lafayette.

Mount Lafayette.

Washington in the background with a necklace of clouds.

Mount Lafayette was the highest point I'd seen since Southern Virginia, and was most of the way through a very strenuous day. The Whites are not harder than the trail before it. They are a lot harder. Looking south towards Lincoln. Just peaking up over Lincoln's left flank is Liberty. To the right is Flume, and beyond the Osceolas and others.

The Presidentials in the background.

Lafayette above the clouds.

And now for something completely different: Lafayette in the clouds.

The summit behind me, I press on.

The lighting was splendid.

Views across the Pemi.

There was even some color along the trail up this high.

The foundation of the old fire cabin up top of Garfield.

Through the fog is is barely, just barely, possible to make out the mountains.

Fog, clouds and haze made for a beautiful morn.

And the sun burned it off, mostly.

Clouds whipping and licking the mountains.

Early sun rays catch clouds passing through the Pemi near Mount Galehead.

Clouds through the trees.

Undercast in the background never made it over the hills.

In the Log, I talk about how the ramp built at the end of the rough GRT. Interesting.

Fog movin' right through.

The Franconia Range and the Pemigewassett Wilderness.

Ranges in to the distance, looking south.

Undercast from Twin Mountain.

My head on Twin Mountain, with the Franconia Range in the background. That's the "help the sun is in my eyes" look.

More undercast, Washington behind (or above) it.

Undercast all around.

The clouds rolled in to 3500 feet, but I was way above all morning.

I look like a fool.

The sign at South Twin, with Mount Washington behind.

They're just hills. Try climbing a bunch at once.

Slides.

The trail, er, rock pile looking towards the Bonds. I still have to do those.

Krummholz.

The trail on the barren Bonds.

Color in the base of Zealand Notch, looking towards Carrigain Notch.

Color, close up. It was nice, but I'd see better later. The birches never showed in the Whites this year.

Jefferson and Washignton.

Carrigain. One of my favorites.

Foliage near Zealand Falls.

Zealand Notch, looking towards Carrigain Notch.

The view from the top of Zealand Falls.

Redness.

Hut Natty (naturalist) Andrew Riley sets the table.

Shadows creep over Zealand Notch.

Sunset over Carrigain Notch.

The same view, about twelve hours later.

Zealand Falls morning.

Leaves on the trail

Straight and flat. It must be an old railroad grade. (It is.)

These slides occurred mainly because the valley was totally deforested and burned in the late 1800s.

Oh da color, yah?

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest. One of my favorites.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

A cute little mushroom.

The top of Thoreau Falls.

Thoreau falls foliage.

Thoreau Falls. I swam in the little pool at the bottom.

Thoreau Falls base.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest at the base of Thoreau Falls.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

My very cold swimming hole.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest in the Zealand Valley.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest.

Bridge!

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest along the stream from Ethan Falls to Thoreau Falls.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest along the stream from Ethan Falls to Thoreau Falls.

Foliage on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest along the stream from Ethan Falls to Thoreau Falls.

Let's see. The sign says 332.4 to go. The book: 345. Damn Mainers always adding trail.

Saco River in Crawford Notch.

Webster Cliffs.

Crawford Notch.

Washington over Webster.

Mount Washington.

As the sun was setting, I hit the end of the climb up Webster Cliffs. The views were great, and I could see my goal: the tiny speck of Mizpah Hut visible in the center-left of the photo. And I made it there, two or three miles off, just before it was pitch black.

More late day sun on Washington, et al.

Flying saucers (clouds) over Mount Washington.

White Mountain sunset.

Me, Andrew and the hut crew. Photo by Mash I think.

The next morning, I caught up with Andrew Riley, outside of Mizpah Hut.

Andrew Riley and me with out packs. His, when fully loaded, might weight in at 75 pounds or more.

Washington over Eisenhower.

Washington in the clouds.

SOBOs descend Washington.

Eisenhower and oblivion.

Colorful plants above treeline.

Fog over the gulfs.

Clear weather crossing by Lakes of the Clouds.

That means you! It's going to be in the 30s tomorrow, and snow tomorrow night.

Lakes of the Clouds with a front to the west. While above it was blue skies, the ominous gray was marching eastward.

South towards Lakes of the Clouds Hut and Mount Monroe. Nearly at the summit of Washington.

Sun inthe Great Gulf.

I went down the Six Husbands Trail once. Straight down. Bad idea.

Fog.

Fog rolling in. Rain soon.

Red and yellow. Again!

Peabody River under the birches.

This was the bounciest, and most fun, bridge on the trail, crossing Peabody Brook.

Peabody Brook, yellow birches.

The cold front came through, and the next day dawned clear and crisp.

Lost Pond.

Huntington Ravine over Lost Pond.

Mount Washington over Lost Pond.

Mount Washington and Huntington Ravine.

Mont d'Washington.

Lost pond colors, with the Presis behind.

Views from the Wildcat Trail.

Washington from the way up to Wildcat, with foliage.

Mount Washington, Huntington Ravine, and foliage, from the Wildcat trail.

Pinkham Notch, Adams and Madison in the background.

Adams, Madison, and the forgotten president: Millard Fall Foliage.

Gulfs south of Washington, with foliage.

Tuckerman, Huntington and Washington in the clouds.

Pinkham was in the sun, but Washington was getting cloudy.

Clouds just grazing Washington. This is a great view of the two ravines: Tuckerman on the left is more bowl-shaped, while Huntington on the right is more of a gash.

The start of the Wildcat Valley Trail. The end is down in the background of the picture, several hairpins later.

The Carters.

Carter Notch and Carter Ponds.

Pleasant Mountain in Maine, from Wildcat.

Rays of sun near Mount Hight.

The Speckled-Caribou Wilderness.

Rays of sun over the Northern Presidentials.

Gorham, New Hampshire at night.

Clouds just lifting off of Madison, the rest of the Whites were in the clouds (and snow!)

Blue skies, colorful leaves.

Big red trees.

Leave No Trace, you French Canadiens. Je me souviens that Twix wrapper you dropped by the side of the trail.

That's Mount Washington, and yes, that's snow on the summit.

Washington in the snow over the Androscoggin.

leaves litter the trail.

More red maples.

Early fall snow on Mount Washington and the Presidentials.

A few hours after snow hit my face on Moriah, I saw the white cone of Mount Washington looming high and, luckily, safely behind me. It was 26 on the summit, with wind chills around zero.

Mount Washington in the snow, view from Mount Hayes at the foot of the Mahoosucs.

Late day sun slants across the Presidentials.

Again with the mountains.

Foliage.

Mount Washington, snow-capped, near sunset.

The Presidentials in the distance.

Bog bridging in the Mahoosucs.

Rabbit, Rice Burner, Walker, and someone else are directed by Fred.

Ugly. The only options are through three feet of muck, or around through the fragile vegetation. Earth to AMC: fix it!