This dispatch is coming to you from Hanover, NH- home of Dartmouth College at mile 443 on the AT.  It was founded as a school to educate Native Americans, but now it costs $58,000 a year- too much wampum for us.  School is getting back in session so we're going to see if we can matriculate at an ivy league school so we can finally get some respect.  Plan B will be to keep hiking and cross over into our third state, Vermont.  We'll be posting another maildrop address soon because we're still a couple days away from picking up our next guidebook section.  Thanks to Jana, Brady & Tara, Thom & Katie, and Mom & Dad Furniere for our last bunch of goodies in Glencliff!

Our room at the Town and Lake Motel in Rangely, ME

When the door opens to heaven...

... time has no meaning!

Float plane taking off from the lake

Ellie's 1st croquet game ever.  She won 3 games to one!

Every room opens out to the lake at the Town and Lake Motel

Someone decided that "Old Blue" wasn't the most fitting name for this mountain in Southern Maine.

The Pine Ellis Hostel in Andover, Maine

Baldpate Peak

Mountain-top bog between East and West Baldpate

Mahoosac Notch is considered the hardest mile on the AT.   It's a narrow pass between two cliff faces.  Huge boulders have piled up over time and you have to work your way across, over, and under them to get through.  It was actually one of the most fun miles!  The arrow is saying go into this little slit of a cave to get through this part.

One of the cliffs that contributed boulders to the notch.

Fancy footwork required

We discovered Homer Simpson rock on the way up to Full Goose Shelter

Out of Maine!

Getting a shuttle ride from the trail with Bruce aka "Golden Waldo"

Candlelit breakfast at the Libby House

Dainty

The Libby House B&B in Gorham, NH

It was pouring rain all day the next day so we went from the Libby House to the White Birches Camp and Hostel.

The black and white makes it look more "rustic"

They had a pretty sweet rumpus room though.

The men's room has a sticker that says "Trailerlife Approved"  We knew we were in good hands.

Gorham's more psychedelic version of The Enchanted Forest

A triathalon was finishing on the top of Wildcat Mt in the Whites.  You can take a gondola up to the peak, but we went the hard way.

Near the Carter Notch Hut

Think we stumbled upon some Mayan ruins

Carter Notch

Madison Ridge.  You can see two people getting ready to come down on the right top of the ridge.

Climbing Mount Madison

In the Whites

On top of Madison

There's a cog railroad from the 1800's that you can take you to the top of Mt Washington.  The day we summitted it was in the 40's with 30+ mph winds.

The extra rail in the middle is where the cog fits in to pull the trail up

We caught this pic of the only coal-fired train on the way down the mountain.  People were definitely surprised to see us standing outside!

Here's our summit pic of Mt Washington.  Too many people around for us to try to deal with getting a pic next to the sign.  There was a line leading up to it.

Agent Ellie was able to infiltrate the Cobra Command Base on the top of the mountain, shut down the doomsday machine, and escape to save the US from certain destruction.

Crawford Path in the Presidential Range

Presidential Ridge

I found this Spruce Grouse in a tree

Franconia Ridge the day before we climbed Mt Lafayette, the second tallest mountain in NH after Washington.

On the ridge going to Lafayette

Hazy view from Franconia Ridge, but beautiful and subtle.

Greenleaf Hut from the top of Lafayette

Tow planes kept bringing up gliders above the mountain and letting them go to soar around. 

Miss Janet's van.  She is a trail angel who has followed the main group of northbounders up from Tennessee giving shuttles when needed.

Inside the van going back to Franconia Notch after a stay at Chet's Hostel in Lincoln, NH

I wonder if they went to Dartmouth?

Our friend Cricket used to work at on of the huts in the Whites.  This was her packboard that she used a few times a week to bring supplies to the hut.

There are very friendly butterflies around the Eliza Brook

Almost to the top of Mt Moosilauke- the last big mountain of the Whites

Glencliff, NH

The Hiker's Welcome Hostel in Glencliff.  There is an outdoor shower, sink, and toilet for the hikers to use.

Birch trees are our favorite

Ellie cooking dinner at the communal kitchen at the Dancing Bones Intentional Community in NH

Free warm showers at Dancing Bones

Our favorite campsite of the whole trip- a hidden spot up on Smarts Mountain.

Weird panorama from the fire lookout tower on top of Smarts

Sunset from that campsite

Sunrise was even better because fog had filled in the whole valley

Waning full moon

Bill Ackerley is 86 years old and has opened his home and lawn to thru-hikers for ten years.  He gives everyone free Ice Cream Bars and plays croquet.  We were the 915th and 916th visitor this year!

Ellie ended up winning again.  Her lifetime croquet record is now 4-1-0

When the game was over he broke out a handle of Jim Beam and passed around shots.  Who says day drinking and croquet need to be mutually exclusive?

Ellie's new friend

Fresh blackberries taste better than newts though!