Day 148 of a northbound Appalachian Trail thru-hike didn't go to plan, and that's exactly what makes it worth reading about. A hiking group — self-described 'tramily', the trail-family formed when strangers become each other's support network over months of walking — hit a patch of low energy and friction in New Hampshire's White Mountains. The writer and her dad wanted to press on with the original plan, while their companions Dreamcatcher and Small Bites pushed for a change. The sticking point: Small Bites had been feeling unwell and hit a new low that morning.
The group argued it out, as tramilies do. Dreamcatcher proposed skipping the Wildcat mountains and heading to Pinkham Notch visitor centre instead, then finding a hostel. After some heated words between Dreamcatcher and the writer's dad, they reached a collective decision: stick together, take the detour, and get Small Bites somewhere to rest. Consensus over speed — a philosophy that keeps groups intact on a 2,190-mile trail where everyone is technically on their own adventure.
The route itself had its own complication. A bridge on the original AT path was out of commission, forcing a rock-hop across the water instead. From there the day turned routine in the best way: the group reached Pinkham Notch, caught a shuttle to the White Birches loft in Gorham, and reset. Showers, a resupply, dinner, a reunion with fellow hiker Wooly, plus air hockey and pool — the small-town hostel rituals that recharge long-distance hikers. The date was 16 September, deep into the push through the Whites towards Maine.
Why should a traveller care? Because this is a candid window into what a long-distance hike actually looks like day to day. It's not summit after summit; it's group dynamics, illness, reroutes and logistics, punctuated by shuttle rides and pizza in towns like Gorham. For anyone considering the AT — or even a section hike through the Whites — it's a useful reminder that plans are provisional and the people you hike with matter as much as the mileage. The White Mountains stretch is one of the toughest, most weather-exposed sections of the entire trail, and having flexible plans (and a hostel backup) is genuinely part of the skill set.
If you're drawn to this kind of trip but not ready for a thru-hike, the Pinkham Notch to Gorham corridor is a classic sampler: you get the Wildcats, the Carter range and Moose Bog-style terrain within reach of a real bed, a shower and air hockey. This dispatch won't hand you an itinerary, but it will tell you honestly what the trail feels like on a hard day — and why hikers keep choosing it anyway.
Full credit to The Trek for the original trail journal.
