Waking up in a hotel room seems like I’m cheating. It’s so easy. My packing was all done last night so honestly all I have to do is get dressed, brush my hair and teeth and head down for breakfast. No wonder Blue and Mary Poppins wants to stay here.

Rob, our Private Taxi Driver was right on time. He originally was scheduled to give a guy a ride to Boston but he canceled. Rob has been our ride to and from the trail for the past week. He’s prompt and reliable, and a really nice guy. We all piled in his car and he took us back to the trailhead, right where he picked us up yesterday. This is very important to Mary Poppins as she’s a purist and cannot miss any portion of the trail. Even crossing the roadway is super important to her. So every single step was covered, from the roadway onward.

Our morning was a road walk for about 1/2 mile. It was nice to start out with something level. We walked across the Androscoggin River on a road bridge, next to Shelburne Dam. Reflection Pond feeds into the River and they were releasing tons of water downstream! You definitely wouldn’t want to swim here.

We turned onto a dirt road and started our ascent to Mount Hayes. We crossed over many rocky outcrops, one of several false summits to Mt Hayes. Though the outcrop is mostly surrounded by trees, and blueberry bushes, there are some views southwest to Mount Washington and Madison, as well as south to the Carter-Moriah Range. I don’t know if we will ever get away from Mt. Washington? It seems to follow us to every summit.

We met up with Cassain, Oatie and Garfield once we made it to Mt. Hayes. They were ready to leave and we took over their spot. It was a beautiful rock outcrop with more blueberries and great views of the Presidential’s. We stayed for a bit and ate some lunch.

Today was a lot of climbing and descending, but I never even looked at the elevation profile until I got to camp. We just kept climbing and going down. Most of the climbs were exposed, the closer we got to the summits. I must be getting used to the bouldering as I don’t get too overly concerned any longer. It’s funny what you consider reasonable after you have done a lot of unreasonable stuff. I always think of Mimi when I climb or descend something that is a bit more technical. Mimi would be all uptight, wanting to notify someone on the Board of the ATC or AMC. She is the Safety Police! And honestly, we should have one. There is some sketchy routes that should not be intended for hikers, especially hikers with large backpacks, but for climbers with equipment. The only equipment I have is a First Aid Kit with some bandaids and KT Tape.

We had quite a few ponds that we passed today. And much more Moose Droppings. Still looking for Mr. or Mrs. Moose but haven’t seen one yet. Blue and I passed too many lakes to not have a swim. One of the last lakes we came to was Dream Lake. It is one of several alpine lakes in the Mahoosuc Range. Though there is no shoreline access, Blue and I made our way to the bog and went for a dip. The lake was extremely shallow so quite warm. It had a mucky bottom but was soft to the feet. We pulled ourselves across the bottom with our hands until we could float. It was so refreshing after sweating all day on these 4000’ ascents. This will be our new normal. Hike hard and then swim.

After our dip we still had another three miles to camp. Mary Poppins went ahead to secure us a spot on the ground. I’m done with wooden platforms! Blue and I waltzed in around 6pm and Mary Poppins had us all squared away. We had a perfect little patch of ground that we could all pitch our tents and relax for the night. It is near a ledge and has a nice view of the valley below.

Today I was able to talk with Joanie, the other sister. She was on her way to Dad’s house and plans to stay as long as possible. I’m so fortunate to have a wonderful family, who steps up and cares for each other. Joanie is exactly what Dad needs right now. She is the salt of the earth, the wind beneath his sail and the calm before the storm. I’m sure they will have much to talk about as they plan his next steps. I love you Dad and Joanie. Have a wonderful day and know there are many who are praying for you. Much love from the trail!