From Gorham, NH

Happy Sunday. I'm pleased to let everyone know that AT for CZC has made it to Gorham, New Hampshire. I received a call late last night from Matt. He reports that he has made it safely over Mt. Washington after a "very intense" hike in which he saw rain, sun and 60-mph winds in a single day.

He spent last night in a motel in Gorham - along with eight fellow thru-hikers - and was excited to get some rest, a good meal, and sleep in a warm room. He assured me that all was going well and that the hikers rallied together to accomplish their goal during a rigorous stretch of the Trail. While excited to get back on the Trail this morning, he sounded grateful for the chance to take an early rest yesterday evening.

The hike over Mt. Washington demanded the utmost caution and focus, as the path was often denoted by little more than a man-made pile of rocks. He described in detail how he and the others have been "rock scrambling," often above the tree line and amongst the clouds with howling winds drowning out any conversation. Quite the adventure.

He wishes to thank the staff and guests at the various "hiker huts" along this portion of the Trail. He is incredibly thankful for the free food and shelter; the past couple of nights would have been miserable without this much-appreciated hospitality!

The next contact will more than likely be from Maine. AT for CZC continues!

A View from the Top

A quick post this morning to report that Matt and his fellow thru-hikers are nearing Mt. Washington on this beautiful Friday morning. He sent me the picture below at 10:40am this morning with the simple caption, "Mt. Washington." Imagine this view once the leaves change in a couple of weeks...

As I said in yesterday's post, I hope to hear from him in the next couple of days once he has cleared the White Mountains and made it safely to Gorham, the final town in New Hampshire before continuing on to Maine. As of this post, he is approximately 330 miles from Katahdin.

6 Miles From Mt. Washington

I've just gotten off the phone with Matt on this beautiful Thursday evening. He reports that all is well in the White Mountains and that he is a mere six miles from Mt. Washington. For many of the hikers, tomorrow represents one of the most anticipated moments of their adventure on the AT. From the sound of it, Ewok sounds ready for the challenge ahead!

He reports that he has safely made it to the Mizpah Spring Hut approximately six miles from Mt. Washington and is spending the evening doing a "work-for-stay," cleaning up after dinner at the lodge in order to receive a free meal and room for the night. Matt noted several times that he was "really looking forward to a warm bed" tonight.

A few notes from the Trail:

• The weather, though cold in the evenings (40's), has been fantastic during the day.

• He continues to travel with Lightning Jack, Traveler and Soul Man. Crazy Beard has fallen behind, though Matt hopes to reunite with some of the others, including Houdini, in the not too distant future.

• The White Mountains have been spectacular. The views above the tree lines have been "unreal," with sheer drops on either side of the Trail and panoramic views throughout. The hikes have been extremely challenging, often involving a hike straight up and straight down with little break between.

• Rocks and roots have been a constant challenge. While the Trail in the south was often fairly smooth on dirt trails, he has found himself following the white blazes on rocks and trees with hardly any sign of a traditional trail.

Matt claims that he will call from Gorham, NH, after successfully completing Mt. Washington, and suggests that this will happen in the next three or four days. Check back in soon for more details.

The White Mountains

Lots to report on this gorgeous afternoon. The weather has officially changed in the Northeast and fall seems to be upon us. While there are no doubt some more warm days yet before us, the nights have been cool and the weather perfect for Matt as AT for CZC continues north.

I am happy to report that he has safely made it to the White Mountains. While he was located here on September 9th, he checked in early with me yesterday morning, leaving the following message:

"Hey Mike, just wanted to talk to you. I'm in Lincoln, in the White Mountains. Things are going really great. I'm still traveling with a huge group. Houdini had to get off the Trail; he's taking a few weeks off as his knee is still really messed up... I'm just trying to figure out who I'm going to press ahead with... I will talk to you soon."

Matt did acknowledge that it was getting cold in the evenings. He is above the tree line so his views are spectacular. That being said, it has been windy and cold in the evenings and early mornings.

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple of days. This portion of the hike offers some of the most demanding and rigorous challenges that he has yet encountered and, with the weather changing on a moment's notice, the Trail will continue to push him in the weeks ahead.

Finally, please see below for a few pictures Matt passed along from his adventures in the White Mountains.

September 7th Check-In

Happy Friday! Good news from Matt on this beautiful Friday afternoon. As of 11:45am, AT for CZC was located here on the AT and continues north towards the White Mountains.

Perhaps even more uplifting than Matt making contact is the fact that he checked in via his SPOT GPS device. This contact confirms that he has made it through Lyme, New Hampshire, and has picked up a care package and mail containing new batteries, supplies and, most importantly, a warm jacket for the challenges ahead.

I hope to hear from him one more time before he and the other thru-hikers attack a rigorous 70-mile stretch through the White Mountains. Check back in soon for more details. Have a great weekend.

A Long Overdue Update

Happy post-Labor Day to all. Much to report regarding AT for CZC as we begin the month of September. My sincerest apologies for not providing updates over the past several weeks. The combination of limited access to Matt, as well as relocating myself to the Northeast, has disrupted my routines.

Anyhow, I'm happy to report that all is well for Ewok on the AT. I spoke to him over the weekend and he informed me that he has safely made it to Hanover, New Hampshire. Over the past four days, he has enjoyed some R&R at Dartmouth College, no doubt enjoying the food and festivities associated with the start of the new school year. Hopefully, he's staying dry as well, as the past couple of days have been filled with rain her in the Northeast. He even seems to have found Internet access last night, having posted on Facebook: "Hanover, NH will suck you in... Love this town!"

A few items worth noting from my conversation with him this weekend:

• At the time of our last conversation, he was waiting for hiking mates Crazy Beard, Low Profile and Houdini before continuing north towards Katahdin. He elected to split from them about a week ago after Houdini injured his knee and needed some down time. Matt chose to remain on the Trail with new hiking partner, Lightning Jack.

• His hike from Connecticut to New Hampshire has gone very well. Cooler temperatures, an increased number of thru-hikers, and dense forests have been the norm, all of which have been a welcome change from his time in the south.

• His SPOT device needs new batteries. For this reason, he has not checked in for the past couple of weeks with his current location. I suggested that he take the time in Hanover to find replacement batteries - hopefully, he'll take my advice!

Matt reports that he is hiking roughly 20 miles a day and in excellent condition. He has hiked approximately 1,150 miles, aquablazed about 150 more, and is 442 miles from Katahdin. The plan remains to hike the Pennsylvania portion after finishing in Maine, weather permitting.

At the time of publication, I suspect that he is still in Hanover. I hope to speak with him one more time before he sets out again on the Trail to undertake the rigorous hiking in the White Mountains. A most sincere thank you to everyone for reaching out and supporting Matt over the past several months. He assures me that his thoughts remain with Comfort Zone with each mile.

AT for CZC continues!

An addendum to the post:

I just got off the phone with Matt and he reports that he is still in Hanover, though planning to leave later today. He has enjoyed the past four days in town and calls it "the best time I've had on the Trail." He calls Hanover the most "hiker-friendly town" he has visited thus far, and has enjoyed free food courtesy of many of the local restaurants in town.

He wishes to thank the staff and students at Dartmouth College for their hospitality as well as the people of Hanover for their support. Thru-hikers have congregated over the weekend in town and are "pumped" for the White Mountains in a couple of days.

Matt plans to call from Lyme, NH in a couple of days before beginning a rigorous seventy mile portion of the Trail.