Mile: 1865.5 - 1883.6 (18.1 miles)
The river makes for comforting background noise but I've heard the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center has breakfast so no sleeping in today.
Lots of water, a tiny bit of scrambling and then it's pure cruising trail to the visitors center and a delicious breakfast.
The visitors center is super friendly and even let's me call the next town and now I have a guaranteed bed at a hostel in Gorham which is exciting because apparently the rest of the town is sold out for an ATV festival. Familiar faces show up and we kill a few hours before finally facing the upcoming climb. Wildcat has a reputation for being wickedly steep and it doesn't disappoint.
But first I get to pass a pretty pond and look back at the mountains I was in yesterday. All shrouded in clouds I'm thinking I was pretty lucky.
Making it to the top I find a gondola. For a few bucks I could have skipped the climb and leisurely ridden my way up. But hey my arms are starting to get a workout with all this crazy bouldering that the AT pretends is trail.
The top is of course not really the top and I continue to roll getting tired as the rocky stretches feel longer than they are.
But it's beautiful country and as I hobble down the very steep descent to the Crawford Notch Hut I'm tired but happy.
I collapse at the hut and gratefully eat some soup and take a break. The climb out is of course vertical as is now apparently the norm. Huffing and puffing I make it to more peaks, Carter is pretty but I'm beat. Luckily I find some water instead of having to go the steep 0.2 off trail to Imp Campsite for water. I push on until I find the perfect spot right before bed.
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