For anyone who aspires to conquer the Appalachian Trail, those who have completed the journey and want to hike down memory lane, and even those who simply want to taste the experience, Backpacker Magazine promotes AT in a Day. Their goal is to unite the hiking community to collectively complete the Appalachian Trail in a single day.
Sounds fun, right? That’s what I thought! So this year I got online to register for a section. Most of the options were only three or four miles, but one stood out: A 25+ mile section (not counting the approach trail and side excursions) from Franconia Ridge to Route 302 that was marked as a “challenge.” It’s moments like this where I’m blind to common sense. Challenge accepted. But why horde all the pain and suffering for myself? I called my brother Brad and roped him into the masochism. After all, misery loves company.
The following is a photo diary of our journey. If you’re looking for trail descriptions, please refer to the Pemi Loop, Franconia Notch to Mt. Garfield, Mt. Garfield to Mt. Guyot, Mt. Guyot to Mizpah Spring Hut posts.
![Whitehouse Trail Sign Whitehouse Trail Sign](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8552/29157201872_e3336954a6_o.jpg)
![Mt Liberty Sunrise 1 Mt Liberty Sunrise 1](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/29231028846_95479b937a_o.jpg)
![Mt Liberty Sunrise-2 Mt Liberty Sunrise-2](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/29157201802_f82681e364_o.jpg)
![Mt Liberty Sunrise 4 Mt Liberty Sunrise 4](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/28642179434_3d894156a0_o.jpg)
![Mt Liberty Summit Mt Liberty Summit](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/29157201732_e3d6994082_o.jpg)
![Franconia Ridge Trail Sunrise Franconia Ridge Trail Sunrise](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/29231028726_8d9db2a299_o.jpg)
![Franconia Ridge Trail Near Liberty Franconia Ridge Trail Near Liberty](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7785/29157201662_f633324b37_o.jpg)
![Liberty Flume from Haystack Liberty Flume from Haystack](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/29231028596_bacb50b83a_o.jpg)
![Little Haystack Photo Opp Little Haystack Photo Opp](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7505/28644358173_3d43145ac9_o.jpg)
![Little Haystack Summit Little Haystack Summit](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/29157201522_dd45dac78d_o.jpg)
![Haystack to Liberty Haystack to Lincoln](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/29231028436_f9a4784e7a_o.jpg)
![Alpine Grass Mt Lincoln Alpine Grass Mt Lincoln](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/29157201412_7265ec4898_o.jpg)
![Lincoln to Haystack Lincoln to Haystack](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8058/28644358043_702f314269_o.jpg)
![Franconia Ridge from Lincoln Franconia Ridge from Lincoln](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/29157201362_e4aaa74529_o.jpg)
![Cannon from Lincoln Cannon from Lincoln](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/28644357963_c3222e9656_o.jpg)
![Lincoln View Lafayette Lincoln View Lafayette](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8482/29157201312_8d8f9c8e82_o.jpg)
![Lafayette View Lincoln Lafayette View Lincoln](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/28644357943_bfe1802fc3_o.jpg)
![Lafayette View Pemigewasset Wilderness Lafayette View Pemigewasset Wilderness](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8558/29157201242_42376e1518_o.jpg)
“Stop talking,” Brad replied.
![Lafayette View Garfield Lafayette View Garfield](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/29231028246_674c90d258_o.jpg)
![Garfield Ridge Trail from Lafayete Garfield Ridge Trail from Lafayete](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8563/29157201222_7c85942b2a_o.jpg)
![Garfield Ridge Trail Garfield Ridge Trail](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8259/28644357813_f86714ca63_o.jpg)
![Mt Garfield Summit Mt Garfield Summit](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8417/29157201152_64681c9c2d_o.jpg)
After descending Mt. Garfield to the spring at the Garfield Ridge Campsite, it probably wasn’t a good sign when we were talking to a thru-hiker, and upon telling him where we were going, he looked at us like we were crazy. “Where’d you start?” he asked, as if he hadn’t heard us correctly.
![Garfield View Owls Head Garfield View Owls Head](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/28644357733_db3a6d7a28_o.jpg)
![Mt. Garfield view of the Bonds Garfield Bonds View](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/29157201072_030fd3275e_o.jpg)
![Garfield View Franconia Ridge Garfield View Franconia Ridge](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8031/28644357693_0c9e3e3c22_o.jpg)
![Appalachian Trail Garfield NoBo Appalachian Trail Garfield NoBo](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/29157200972_52e4e187ce_o.jpg)
![Galehead South Twin View Galehead South Twin View](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/28644357623_2b2a65037f_o.jpg)
![South Twin View Pemigewasset-Wilderness South Twin View Pemigewasset-Wilderness](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/29157200862_030fd3275e_o.jpg)
![South Guyot Summit From AT-Split South Guyot Summit From AT-Split](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8659/28644357503_3204c7f89a_o.jpg)
![AT Blazes Turn AT Blazes Turn](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8664/28644357373_e5c930f2ce_o.jpg)
![Mt Carrigain from Zeacliff Mt Carrigain from Zeacliff](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/29157200762_ef99170cf4_o.jpg)
![Zeacliff View Whitewall Mountain Zeacliff View Whitewall Mountain](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/29157200412_1f8939c720_o.jpg)
“I’d rather not know,” Brad replied.
![Whitewall Mountain Whitewall Mountain](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/28644357143_ac613c3ee5_o.jpg)
After beginning our hike at 3:20 in the morning, we finished at 9:30 p.m., completely spent. Total miles: 28.4. In other words, we hiked 1% of the Appalachian Trail for AT in a Day. Not too shabby.
Definitely not too shabby. You guys rock! Fran may kill you for the ring pic though. Well at least you called it the precious. You make me want to put on my hiking boots and hike a mountain. Well, maybe my sneakers and go for a walk. They say soaking in a tub with epsom salts helps the soreness but you orobably already know that.
What could go wrong with taking your ring off on a rocky mountaintop?
A lecture from the wife !
Where do we find the overall results of the AT in a day? I did GA portion.
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