We made it out of our first state a few days ago, completing about 300 of 2,181 miles. We decided to take three nights off in Gorham, NH before heading into the White Mountains, the last 100 miles of the most difficult stretch on the AT. This trail is rarely easy, but we will be able to do more daily miles after the Whites. We planned on only taking two days off here, but we have had such a great time that we agreed if we could find a place to stay for free we'd stay a third night. We did... an inconspicuous spot behind this old closed bank. Hey, there is a roof over our heads and it is Duncan Donuts adjacent, that's more than good enough.
Even though I have money for a hotel, I strangely prefer this. Hotels provide temporary comfort, but crashing behind an abandoned building (or in a public baseball field dugout in Andover for that matter) gives me an experience I will talk about for the rest of my life. It's wonderfully amazing how simple life can be if you want it to be.
