Mt. Mist and a Walk Along a Lesser Known Stretch of the AT

From the summit of Mt. Mist

This past Saturday I was looking for a good hike to test out my backpacking pack as I would have it loaded for my Labor Day weekend hiking adventure with my brothers coming up in a couple weeks. The forecast called for a cloudy, viewless day, so I started scouring my maps for a trail that didn't necessarily pack a chance at a view, but did pack the mileage I was looking for. Scanning around the White Mountains, I landed on a portion of an old favorite–the Appalachian Trail. In particular, I had set my sights on the portion just west of Glencliff, NH, right before the push to the grand summit of Mt. Moosilauke and the rest of the Whites begins. This portion is highlighted by the viewless, wooded summit of Mt. Mist, as well as a side path that takes you up to the top of Webster Slide Mountain with its views of Wachipauka Pond.

AT Sign along NH-25

I arrived in the parking area on the side of NH-25 a little after 9 a.m., driving my first of 6 or 7 thru-hikers as they were walking towards Glencliff. All of the thru-hikers I passed on the trail were in good spirits as they were starting their morning journeys into the mountains. One that I spent a little time chatting with at a small lookout along my way had traveled from Oregon to start the AT in West Virginia, having covered over 800 miles to get to where we met. When she told me it was her first trip into the Whites, I told her it was going to be a challenge worth the reward. Here's hoping the mountains live up to the lofty expectations I set forth (They ought to. They are the Whites after all.)

The dense, thick greenery of this portion of the AT

 I started my journey up the Wachipauka Pond Trail/AT around 9:30, and I was quickly in a quiet, dense, lush green wonderland. This section of the AT was a tight single track in many spots, with plenty of bushes smacking me in my legs, arms, and face along the way. Shortly into my hike there was sharp right turn that led to a steep pitch to get along the side of Wyatt Hill. After that quick climb, it was mostly a gentle rolling walk on the trail with a little rock hopping in a couple boulder-strewn sections until I met up with the junction of the Webster Slide Trail. I decided to save that fun climb for my return trip, and at this point I continued southbound on the AT towards Mt. Mist.

From this junction to the summit, the mountain lived up to its misty name, with the trail turning damp and foggy shortly after I continued. It was a bit more of a moderate climb leading up to the summit, with the lookout I mentioned earlier coming unexpectedly about halfway between the aforementioned junction and the summit. The thick cloud cover rendered the view to be a 50/50 split of thick green trees and equally thick gray clouds.

As good as my view got from the lookout on the way to Mt. Mist

When I got back to the Webster Slide Trail on my return trip from Mt. Mist, it was time to really climb. This trail started as an easy tease of a gentle rise to start followed by a short flat stretch. However, this trail then quickly gained elevation on a level that makes you start questioning your life decisions. It was never steep enough that I was on my hands and feet, but I was pushing my quads to their limits stretching from step to step. It was a relief to reach the flat top of the mountain, begin my final stretch to the summit ledges of the mountain, prepare myself for the views of Wachipauka Pond and then proceed to walk into...a cloud.

The views stretched for...feet from the ledges of Webster Slide Mountain

 Yup, I enjoyed a chuckle and a viewless lunch on the summit of Webster Slide Mountain as the mists of the giant cloud rolled past me. I couldn't be too upset as I hadn't expected any views that day. I still found joy in the peace and quiet of having that cloudy summit all to myself. It's an awesome feeling when, in a moment where every thought could be entering your mind, in all that stillness, nature makes them all just slip away. It was just me, the trees, and that big ol' cloud, simple and sweet. Maybe there wasn't beauty in the distance, but there was beauty in that moment.

To all the AT hikers I passed and everyone else tackling that massive endeavor, all of whom will probably never see this post, good luck on the rest of your respective journeys. I hope you enjoy New Hampshire's section of the trail as much as those of us that live here do. Until next time, happy hiking everyone!