Hiked 12 miles today. Was going for 15 miles at the start of the day. I adapted to trail conditions.
The first part of the day was a fairly easy hike along a creek in the woods. My body appreciated the time to warm up slowly.
Those trail conditions did not last long. The trail did some big climbing up to the Fraconia Ridge, Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette. These were big time climbs above treeline. The effort was rewarded with some of the best views on trail thus far.
It got pretty warm for the amount of effort. Water was very scarce for a ways. I ended up filtering water out of a muddy puddle on the descent and it was a pretty steep descent at that and I really needed water.
Made it to the Garfield Ridge Campsite. There was nice water there. I drank up. I had to set my tent up on a tent pad, my first time. My tent is not free standing. I think I did a decent job at the. This area is managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club and they require it.
The winds are picking up tonight and it feels like it might be a cool night.
J's Blog 
Yes, you are up there now, love the old patch on your shirt, holding yourself together are you. Glad you finally got a good water source, too bad it is too difficult to carry a good amount with you, hope you don’t run into short supply again. See your still hiking in shorts, so the weather must be ok for you. Hope you are enjoying the beautiful views after all the effort.
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shorts are good for hiking even in cold generally as I keep warm easily hiking.
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New Hampshire and Vermont are both beautiful states. Have a very dear friend in Maine in Portland. That’s another beautiful place They even have lobster rolls at MacDonald’s.
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I got a call into Macy’s, checking the status of Santa , .. backup status, Doesn’t hurt to plan ahead! Yep thats a beard. The AT isn’t giving anything easy… Tough nut ,…Is the thought process the same as a month ago, or different that your on the last third, Thinking more about the end etc….Stay Focused,No injuries now please!
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Will they take a Santa who smells super bad? I am thinking about the trail in terms of only the next day and next resupply point. There is a lot of tough trail ahead and about 350 more miles or so.
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Just saying they kicked a man off a flight because of his odor, maybe have a plan B.
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Looks really nice up there, cool to see the trail along the ridge top. Good thing for you it wasn’t a blizzard with high winds! I love the alpine plants, how they are so tiny yet sometimes so pretty. Bummer about the mud puddle…
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If ya need a mud facial, let me know. I know where the real good stuff is.
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Somehow I missed this earlier post, J. The Franconia Ridge is magical… what a view!
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