My daughter Livvy is a rock star hiker.
I already knew this. But it was reiterated for me recently when I hiked through New Hampshire’s White Mountains as part of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike.
Livvy’s recent completion of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600+-mile challenging hike from the Mexican border in California to the Canadian border in Washington, would be enough to qualify her rock star credentials. But she had already locked it up four years ago when she took her spring semester off from college to solo thru-hike the AT, at age 19.
I humbly follow in her footsteps. Except, where she hiked the AT from Georgia to Maine, I am hiking the grandfather of all trails from north to south, having started with a summit of Maine’s Mount Katahdin on June 30.
As I climbed among New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains on a daily basis, I made a point of stopping in to visit each of the Appalachian Mountain Club huts dotting the trail throughout the grueling White Mountains.
Further bolstering her rock star credentials, Livvy has worked as a member of AMC hut crews (hut “croos” in the vernacular) for several years, in Zealand Falls Hut, and as hut master at Mizpah Hut. She recently started as hut master at the famous Lakes of the Clouds Hut, perched just below the summit of Mount Washington, for the fall 2022 season.
Celebrity Status
As I stopped into each hut during my White Mountain hike, I made a point of approaching the croo members. It went something like this:
“Do you know Livvy Weld?”
“Yes! We know Livvy! Oh my god, we love Livvy, she’s awesome, Why?” This interchange took place every time, without fail.
Then, my favorite part: “I’m Livvy’s dad.”
“You’re kidding! Oh my god, Livvy’s dad is here, what are the odds? Come in, have some free food, can I get you anything?”
Word Travels
Being treated as a celebrity because of my offspring was a highlight of my AT so far and defines New Hampshire in my memory.
I stopped by Carter Notch Hut amid a torrential downpour and met Bailey, Cooper and Caro. Caro even knew my name:
“I’m Livvy’s dad.”
“Oh my god, are you Eric?” Caro asked right away. (Livvy didn’t remember mentioning my first name to her croo mates.)
I next went to Madison Hut and met Riley, Noah and Will. They offered to let me work-for-stay, an option for thru-hikers in which they can help the croo with kitchen and dining duties in exchange for staying in the hut (sleeping on the dining room floor) and eating left over dinner once paying guests have finished.
I stopped by Lakes of Clouds Hut and met Acadia, who was Livvy’s assistant hut master last year, and Aidan and Lydia. Then over to Mizpah and met CC, who went to Smith College with Livvy.
By the time I worked my way to Lonesome Lake Hut and met Jo, she knew I was coming.
“Hi Jo, I’m Livvy’s dad, I’m thru-hiking the AT while she’s thru-hiking the PCT,” I said.
“I know,” Jo exclaimed, to my surprise. “Word came through that Livvy’s dad was coming through the huts, and I so wanted to be here when you came by.” Jo offered me left over breakfast and a wonderful savory scone before I pushed on to climb the Kinsmans.
Opposite Directions
Since learning (over again) that my daughter is indeed a rock star on the trail (and that word travels impressively fast among croo members), I have proceeded to send many northbound thru-hikers her way. “Say hi to Livvy when you pass through Lakes of the Clouds.”
I wished my and Livvy’s trail timing could have worked out more in sync so that I could have seen her at work in her hut as I hiked through. As it was, we both appreciated the symbiosis of thru-hiking simultaneously, albeit her north near the west coast as I traveled south near the east.
But my experience meeting her croo mates and friends throughout the Whites provided the effect of helping me feel closer to my daughter as we co-thru-hiked our respective journeys. And, of course, it underscored for me, once again, that my daughter is truly a rock star.