A Perfect Day

I was pretty nervous about my first day in the Whites but it turned into my favorite day on the Trail. The climbs are intense but the views are worth it. I started with Mt. Mousilake this morning and got to the summit just as the clouds were rolling away. It was a bright blue cold day with a brisk wind coming from the north. The hike across that ridge line was a blast and I took some great video to show you when I get to WiFi this weekend.

As if that wasn’t enough for one day, I got a text message from Bryan about the wonderful SCOTUS decision that employment discrimination against LGBTQ persons is unlawful under the Civil Rights Act. I had been following one of the cases that had been consolidated into the opinion and didn’t expect to get this decision. I was high as a kite for the rest of the day. I called my colleagues Kim and Leslie from Kutak with whom I had been working alongside for years on our inclusiveness and diversity efforts. Bryan read pieces of the decision to me and I read the full decision this afternoon. What incredible news at such a dark time.

The hiking for the rest of the day was tough as heck but a lot of fun. It was more like bouldering than hiking and it was a full body experience hauling ourselves up and over these peaks. I tried to get a few shots of the New Hampshire style of trail but I don’t think it does it justice. There were a few times when I just stood at a wall of rock and laughed before throwing my body at it and hoping my pack didn’t drag me backwards. It worked most of the time and was slow going for sure. I decided that the Whites are not impressed with my prior hiking pace and that I needed to forget about that for the next week or so.

Our campsite is nestled on the lake of this beautiful alpine pond and we are going to get up early to see if we can spot a moose. They left large clues on the Trail today that they are around. Astronaut said this is the perfect habitat to spot them in the morning. I’ll make sure to have my camera ready for you.