Manchester Center, VT to Stratton, ME

Finally trying to catch up on some blogging on my last day of vacation back in Seattle. Flying out this evening back to the northeast and back to the trail....

Vermont (continued):
Day 118, 18 August: Manchester Center, VT to Bromley Mountain to Peru Peak shelter [1650.7], 10.1 mi / 2800 ft gain (arrived after dark, rained that night and we discovered our 'new' tents leaks too!)
Day 119, 19 August: Peru Peak shelter to Greenwall shelter [1665.2], 14.5 mi / 1800 ft gain
Day 120, 20 August: Greenwall shelter to '500 miles to Katahdin point' to Killington Peak to Cooper Lodge [1684.1], 18.9 mi / 5500 ft gain
Day 121, 21 August: Cooper Lodge to Rutland, VT [1690.4], 6.3 mi / 400 ft gain (short day into Rutland to stay at the Twelve Tribes hiker hostel which was a very interesting place to stay)
Day 122, 22 August: Rutland, VT / US 4 to Pittsfield, VT/ VT100 [1693.7], 3.3 mi / 610 ft gain (another short day to stay at The Amie Farm Barn hostel, a cool farm and place but needs some work as a hostel)
Day 123, 23 August: Pittsfield, VT to Winturri shelter [1710.3], 16.6 mi / 4800 ft gain (celebrated our 4-month 'Trail-a-versary' on our 123rd day on the trail by returning to our regular/bigger hiking days and with a little rain....)
Day 124, 24 August: Winturri shelter to Cloudland Farms (ice cream) to West Hartford, VT [1726.7], 16.4 mi / 4300 ft gain (stayed in a friendly locals' free 'non-hostel' hostel garage room. sweet.)

New Hampshire:
Day 125, 25 August: West Hartford, VT to Vermont-New Hampshire border to Hanover, NH to Etna, NH [1742.4], 15.7 mi / 3100 ft gain (stayed at Tigger's Treehouse hostel in a 'cush RV)
Day 126, 26 August: Etna, NH to Firewarden's Cabin on Smarts Mtn [1759.9], 17.5 mi / 6100 ft gain (nice enclosed shelter and the first 'cold' night since May)
Day 127, 27 August: Firewarden's Cabin to Mt. Cube (awesome views) to camping on Mt. Mist [1777.4], 17.5 mi / 3700+ ft gain
Day 128, 28 August: Mt. Mist to Glencliff, NH to Mt. Moosilauke (4802 ft) to Kinsman Notch/Lincoln, NH [1789.3], 11.9 mi / 4300 ft gain (awesome views and weather from the top of Moosilauke, above treeline for the first time on the AT, really steep but cool descent, stayed at Chet's place in Lincoln, a really cool hostel and great guy)
Day 129, 29 August: Zero Day at Chet's place due to really bad weather which turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip!
Day 130, 30 August: Kinsman Notch to South Kinsman (4358 ft) to Lonesome Lake Hut [1802.7], 13.4 mi / 4900 ft gain (tough day, first work-for-stay at AMC hut, beautiful setting)
Day 131, 31 August: Lonesome Lake Hut to Franconia Notch (1450 ft) to Franconia Ridge to Little Haystack Mtn (4760 ft) to Mt. Lincoln (5089 ft) to Mt. Lafayette (5249 ft) to Mt. Garfield (4488 ft) to camping just past Garfield Ridge campsite [1815.9], 13.2 mi / 5700 ft gain (best day ever! perfect weather, awesome views, breezy on ridge, above treeline for a while)
Day 132, 1 September: Garfield Ridge to South Twin Mtn (4902 ft) to Ethan Pond campsite [1830.4], 14.5 mi / 2500+ ft gain (awesome views from the top of South Twin, more fantastic weather, but loud college kids and aggressive raccoon at camp)
Day 133, 2 September: Ethan Pond to Crawford Notch (1277 ft) to Mt. Webster to Mt. Jackson (4052 ft) to Mt. Clinton to Mt. Franklin (5004 ft) to Mt. Monroe to Lakes of the Clouds Hut [1844.5], 14.1 mi / 5600 ft gain (big day climbing most of Mt. Washington including sub-peaks. Scrambled up Monroe after dropping packs. 17 thrus stayed at Lakes this night, it was too hectic. awesome views, sunset, moonrise, no clouds any where.)
Day 134, 3 September: Lakes of the Clouds Hut to Mt. Washington (6288 ft) to Cog Railroad to Presidential Range up to Madison Spring Hut [1851.5], 7.0 mi / 2400 ft gain (unexpectedly decided to stay here since the crew was so nice. 14 of the 17 thrus from the previous hut stayed here this night!)(beautiful weather on top of WA, 60 degrees and no wind! waited half hour to moon the cog railway in true thru hiker tradition!)
Day 135, 4 September: Madison Spring Hut to Mt. Madison (5363 ft) to Pinkham Notch (2035 ft) to Wildcat Ridge to Wildcat Peaks E through A (4380 ft, highest of 5 peaks) to camping at Carter Notch (3290 ft) [1865.2], 13.7 mi / 4600 ft gain (one of the toughest and rockiest days on the trail)
Day 136, 5 September: Carter Notch to Carter Dome (4832 ft) to Mt. Hight (4675 ft) to South, Middle (4600 ft), and North Carter Mtns to Middle Moriah Mtn (3620 ft) to Gorham, NH [1880.4], 15.2 mi / 4000 ft gain (6600 ft descent) (another tough day!) (stayed at nice hostel outside of town, got hitch from chief-of-police, new shoes!)
Day 137, 6 September: Gorham, NH to Gentian Pond shelter [1892.2], 11.8 mi / 4400 ft gain

Maine:
Day 138, 7 September: Gentian Pond shelter to Mt. Success to New Hampshire-Maine border to Goose Eye Mtns to Full Goose shelter [1901.8], 9.6 mi / 4100 ft gain (another brutal day of rocky ups and downs)
Day 139, 8 September: Full Goose shelter to Mahoosuc Notch to Mahoosuc Arm to Grafton Notch to Baldpate Lean-to [1913.8], 12.0 mi / 4400 ft gain (another really tough day. Mahoosuc notch is suppose to be the hardest mile on the AT.)
Day 140, 9 September: Baldpate Lean-to to Baldpate Mtns (cool views) to camping at South Arm Road [1931.9], 18.1 mi / 5800 ft gain (another huge, hard day)
Day 141, 10 September: South Arm Road to Resupply in Andover, ME (in and out) to Bemis Range to camping at Bemis Stream [1944.4], 12.5 mi / 3900 ft gain (fun group this night at camp)
Day 142, 11 September: Bemis Stream to Moxie Pond to Little Swift River Pond (took canoe out) to Rangeley, ME [1958.3], 13.9 mi / 3100 ft gain (stayed in Rangeley at the Gull Pond Lodge, a great hostel)
Day 143, 12 September: Rangeley, ME to Ethel Pond (saw our first moose of the trip) to Saddleback Mtn (4120 ft) to Poplar Ridge Lean-to [1969.0], 10.7 mi / 4000 ft gain (good day, first little sprinkle since VT! met Sky and Cat at shelter; some Mainers who offered us a ride and great hospitality)
Day 144, 13 September: Poplar Ridge Lean-to to Spaulding Mtn to Sugarloaf Mtn to Crocker Cirque campsite [1983.2], 14.2 mi / 4100 ft gain
Day 145, 14 September: Crocker Cirque campsite to Crocker Mtns to ME 27 / Stratton, ME [1990.5], 7.3 mi / 2000 ft gain (Sky and Cat - former thru hikers - picked us up and gave us a ride to Isleboro Island (via ferry) on the mid-coast and put us up for the night in their home. Lobster bbq on the beach that night and awesome phosphorescence in the ocean makes this the most magical of trail magic!)

Day 146, 15 September: Thus begins our sequence of 8 zero days.....