TOTAL HIKE WITH FAMILY: Start at top of Wildcat Gondola. Trail mileage 1875.6. 44.2591N71.2017W. End at NH Route 16 at Nineteen Mile Trailhead. Not on AT. 44.3019N71.2205W. 7 miles. About 3 hrs 00 mins. 2.3 mph. I think we hiked faster than that, but I didn’t record the times.
This was one of the most fun daddy’s of hiking for me. I hiked with Tyler’s family. Tyler, Mindy, Jocelyn, Riley, and Coltyn. The children are great hikers. Going uphill they had to be slowed down to wait for Papa. They had so much energy. It gave me more energy being around them. I was impressed how well they hiked together. Jocelyn was always concerned for Coltyn that he would fall. Coltyn had no fear, and did fall a couple of times, but fortunately with no injuries. They just bounded over the obstacles.
Mindy followed me and Tyler brought up the tail. Tyler one time went ahead to push Coltyn hard up the final section of the climb. When we got to the top Coltyn was sweating hard. Tyler had done a good job.
The Carter Notch Hut was a good place to get away from the bugs and eat lunch. The bugs were bad. It is okay while you are hiking, but the moment you stop they swarm around you. I redeemed my AMC shelter card. I got a bowl of soup and two bakery goods. The soup was tomato bisk. We got two brownies. Jocelyn, Coltyn, and I shared the soup. It was good. The children and I each had a half of a brownie. We also ate the lunch Tyler had put together of trail munchies.
Carter Notch Hut is the oldest of all of the huts. It was built in 1819. The walls are stone and very thick. It is small. They have several other buildings for the bunks and privy.
After lunch Tyler and the children climbed on a large rock slide behind the hut which created the lakes. Mindy and I watched until the bugs got to bad, about two minutes. 🦟 🦟 🦟 🦟.
We then headed out . The trail was great. It followed a valley and creek down. It was a gradual grade. We all did good. I led at first and had no problem staying ahead. I would stop every so often to let the children catch up. We then switched around to let the children lead. They had so much fun and energy. They sang songs most of the way. They sang 100 bottles of Sprite on the wall. They sang it all the way down to zero. I didn’t have the air capacity or energy to sing along.
We made very good time. No one had any major injures. Everyone did good.
When we got back it was dinner, shower, clean up, and bed time. No time for games. That will be next time when we are together.
A great way to end hiking the AT.
Pictures:
1. Trail hike with Tyler’s family.
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