"don't look, Chip!!"

I am currently relaxing by a pool at our hostel in Gorham, New Hampshire, which is our stepping off point for the White Mountains, which we've heard are extremely challenging. I don't have a swim suit technically so I am wearing underwear and a sports bra, in case you were wondering. People must think I have been abused, because my legs look like I have been pushed down some sharp stairs several times.
There is a lot of deep deep mud in NH so far. I am disappointed a little that so far NH is exactly as hard as Maine was, with less helpful signage. About the mud- we are all carrying trekking poles except Brookie, and they make for excellent mud feelers. Like for example say you are walking on a plank that a trail crew carefully placed into a mud hole such that one end is exposed but it slowly disappears into the mud. A pole will help you determine where the plank ends and where you should probably jump in order to avoid a muddy boot casualty. Like I mentioned, Brookie does not carry poles because he is a native Mainer and has joints of steel. Yesterday he came up on Flora and I eating , looking all disgruntled, because a plank had ended unexpectedly and he had plunged one foot into the mud up to his knee.