Mount Madison | New Hampshire

July was fun-filled with wedding weekends and off road beach excursions. It flew by! But August, glorious August, she brought on a new type of fun when we decided to cross hiking the whites off our summer bucket list. The Mount Madison trek was my first foray into real wilderness camping - the real in this case would mean backpacking. It means purifying your drinking water, eating dehydrated meals, and storing all your food in a bear-proof box. It means no bathrooms. It meant becoming a member at REI and purchasing new hiking boots and lots of new gear. 

We hiked a total of twelve miles over two days. It was roughly two and half miles in to the Osgood Tent Site to set up camp and another six that day including the Madison Summit and the descent down the Madison Gulf Trail. We stopped to eat our lunch outside at the Madison Spring Hut. 

It was an adventure and an accomplishment. Nothing invigorates the spirit quite like that crisp, clean mountain air. It was so great, in fact, we committed another weekend to camping and hiking up here, which kicked off our annual New England staycation week at the lake and the beach. Stay tuned.....