What an awful start to the day…raining, got lost trying to find the right freeway to the south, lots of trucks ….3 hrs of arrrhhh.

Then the US border, with a pleasant customs official (makes a nice change), and the weather picked up.

Then WOWIE, awesome, FABULICIOUS !!! The tree colours had changed in Vermont, and then in northern New Hampshire….what a lucky gal I am!! And thanks to the Schwartz’s (from Lindblad expedition) who suggested the journey pathway.

Driving through the Crawford Notch National Forest, and seeing a sign post for the Appalachian trail, suddenly remembered Bill Bryson’s humourous book, ” A walk in the woods”, which described his walk along the Trail with his comically out-of-shape hiking partner, Stephen Katz (”he brought to mind Orson Welles after a very bad night”), who announces at the outset that he cannot go an hour without a doughnut.

No doughnuts to be had anywhere near the trail wending its way through the various mountains in the Presidential Range National Forest!! Mt. Washington being the tallest in the area @ 5385 feet. The Trail extends between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine; is approximately 3,500 km long, and is maintained by 31 trail clubs and managed by the National Park Service.