Pemi Loop: lost and found

When I got to the car I couldn’t find my wallet.

For two days on the trail I had a lingering feeling that I had lost it. I couldn’t remember putting it my pack or in the console of the car. It wasn’t in my bags or under the seat. The last time I had it was when I went to the pay station to fill out the hang tag for parking. I must have placed it on top of the pay station when I was filling out the envelope and left it there.

It was around 7pm. The visitors center was closed. I was in Lincoln, NH, over 400 miles away from home with no money and not enough gas to make it home. The only food I had was a banana that had been sitting in the car for two days.

There was no cell phone reception in the parking lot. I drove down the road to the town of Lincoln and made a few phone calls that yielded me with a place to stay, a western union money transfer and an offer to fill my tank with gas and spot me some cash.

Things were looking up. 

About an hour later I am on 91 South (with cell phone service) and my emails come through. There is one from American Express about my recent call. I called customer service and explained my situation. They accessed my account and pulled up a note, which instructed me to call this number XXX-XXX-XXXX. I hung up and dialed. It was the Lincoln Police Department. The woman I spoke with said that someone had found my wallet and turned it in.

The good news was that they had my wallet.

The bad news was that I had to drive an hour back to Lincoln to pick it up.

This is the second time in a week that I have lost my wallet and had it returned to me. I decided that it’s a good idea to stop carrying cash...an even better idea would be to stop losing my wallet.

Pemi Loop: trail magic

Trail Magic, defined as an unexpected act of kindness, is a quintessential part of the Appalachian Trail experience for many long-distance hikers.

Heading up the Osseo trail I passed a hiker and said hello. Just after Liberty I passed him again, heading the opposite way. One of us must have gotten turned around. He went up onto the ridge to orient himself. I continued on (thankfully, not far) until I saw something on the ground that I recognized (a hair tie), quickly turned around and hauled ass to catch him.

I didn’t ask his name, but I nicknamed him Sven. He is an infectious disease specialist from Portland, Maine and he kept me company from Liberty to Lafayette. Nice guy that he was, he let me lead and set the pace.

The next day, I saw two women sitting on what appeared to be the trail, just past the Garfield Ridge Campsite. I called out to confirm that I was headed in the right direction. They said they were unsure, but had sent a “scout” down to check it out. I waited with them until I saw someone coming back up the trail...it was Sven! 

I met a few hikers on Friday morning at Garfield. They were backpacking and headed toward Galehead.  Shortly after, I discovered that my camera was gone. The last time I had used it was on Garfield. Oh well, I thought, pictures are overrated…the experience is what really matters. I dropped my pack at Galehead and took a short walk out to the peak. Upon my return I met one of the guys from Garfield. “You don’t take breaks, do you?”  He said he had been chasing to catch up with me and that he had my camera.

Two women passed me near the end of my hike (AKA I still had six miles to go but didn’t know it). They were way too cheerful and I was running out of steam. A while later, I caught them taking a break at a stream. They informed me that I still had three miles to go and offered me a bag of “Finding Dory” graham crackers, which were the best things I ate all day.

Some people will call it "coincidence." 
I call it magic.

Pemi Loop: putting it all together

I’m grateful for having two spectacular days to experience this hike without restrictions. While doing the entire loop in one day is feasible, it doesn’t afford you the opportunity to truly appreciate your surroundings.

This is my second long overnight hike in the White Mountains. For me, solo hiking has become a necessity...it is a cleansing experience...it allows me to recharge my batteries...it tests my limits, both  mentally and physically...it is spiritual...most of all, it provides the perfect balance between soul searching and (re)defining who I am.

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out til sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in"

- John Muir

Pemi Loop: day two

I was in and out of sleep all night. The man in the bunk above me snored so violently, it rendered earplugs useless. 

At 5:30am I grabbed my stuff and went to the common area. My water reservoir took a leak into my pack over night...about half a liter was sitting in the bottom of my bag, which was (not) awesome. 

After a bad cup of coffee I made my way back up to Lafayette. The next “segment” of my hike would be from Lafayette to Galehead Hut. It was about six and a half miles. I expected it to take four hours. 

Pointless ups and downs...I remember that phrase being used when reading about the Pemi loop. This is where I felt it the most. 

I filled up my water at Galehead, had a snack and prepared for the steepest section of the trail which gained about 1100 feet in .8 miles...it was pretty much a straight climb up to South Twin, but from there it leveled off and was quite pleasant. 

Next up...The Bonds, which are what I had been looking forward to the most. The 360 degree views at this point were absolutely breathtaking...clear skies, the perfect temperature and very little wind...this is where I took the time to soak it all in. 

From Bondcliff it was a gradual descent to the Wilderness Trail and then back on the Lincoln Woods Trail. Once below the tree line, I wasn’t sure how many miles I needed to walk to complete the hike. I still don’t know how many miles it was, but I can tell you that it was “ a lot” and that the weird lady who gave me “Finding Dory” graham crackers with three miles to go put a smile on my face until I got to the parking lot and discovered that I had lost my wallet (again).

Pemi Loop: day one

I planned to do this hike last Fall and got rained out. It was looking like that would be the case again. This trip was originally planned for June 28th and 29th with an overnight stay at Galehead Hut. I watched the forecast deteriorate, read about some recent search and rescue efforts in the Whites and decided to attempt this as a day hike on Friday the 24th. 

When I called the AMC Reservation line to cancel, the representative offered me a Thursday night stay at Greenleaf. It was about a mile off the trail, but the only logical option because it was Wednesday afternoon. I still had to pack and drive to Lincoln. 

4AM wake up call...

After six and a half hours in the car, I was eager to stretch my legs and maintained a good pace for the first three miles...then the up hill party started (about 2,000 feet gain over the next two miles). I tagged Mt. Flume, Liberty, Lincoln and Lafayette...ten and a half miles in four hours and twenty minutes, which allowed me some time to relax and take it in before heading down to Greenleaf Hut.

On the descent, I began to question my decision, wondering if it would have been better to have made the six mile push for Galehead, which sits right on the ridge, instead adding two miles (1,000 feet down and then back up) to this thirty-three mile hike. 

The view from Sunset Rock was worth it...

next up...

The Pemi Loop Hike

By the time this posts I'll be halfway to Lincoln, NH. My plan is to arrive by Noon and hit the trail for an eleven mile run up to the AMC Greenleaf Hut where I'll spend the night. Friday I will complete the loop, a total of (roughly) 32 miles with 10,000 feet elevation gain.

I'm looking forward to clear skies and light winds. To be continued...




"as soon as i saw you i knew an adventure was going to happen" 
- winnie the pooh