A.T. 2008 - Danby, VT to Grafton Notch, ME

Now that I know I will be heading back to the trail for ~3 weeks this summer, I have had my nose buried in maps and guidebooks every chance I have had.
I am going to pick up where I left off in Danby, VT and hike through to Grafton Notch, ME (~250 miles) or Gorham, NH (~220 miles) depending on how things go. Here is a summary of the plan. The dates may change slightly but this is what I am currently thinking.

Day	Shelter/Lodging and Notes	Miles	Day of the Week	Date
0	Fly to Boston (arrive 9:50 pm on American Airlines)	--	Tue	July 22nd
1	Fly to Rutland (arrive 11:10 am on Cape Air). Cab or Friend to Trailhead. Minerva Shelter.	11.7	Wed	23rd
2	Pico Peak Shelter (apparently Cooper Shelter isn't in good shape.... Thanks Connie!)	16.8	Thu	24th
3	Stony Brook Shelter (hit Deer's Leap along the way)	14.0	Fri	25th
4	Thistle Hill Shelter (longest day of the trip.... maybe too long?)	21.1	Sat	26th
5	Velvet Rocks or hotel in Hanover, NH (resupply and do some laundry)	14.1	Sun	27th
6	Moose Mtn. Shelter	11.3	Mon	28th
7	Firewarden's Cabin (on top of Smarts Mtn.)	12.6	Tue	29th
8	Ore Hill Shelter	12.6	Wed	30th
9	Jeffers Brook Shelter	8.5	Thu	31st
10	Eliza Brook Shelter	15.9	Fri	1st
11	Liberty Spring Tentsite (resupply in N. Woodstock before hiking last couple of miles to campsite)	11.4	Sat	2nd
12	Galehead Hut (call ahead to make reservation at hut during busy weekend)	10.4	Sun	3rd
13	Crawford Notch (hostel or hotel)	14.7	Mon	4th
14	Lake of the Clouds Hut (just down the hill from Mt. Washington. call ahead to make reservation)	11.2	Tue	5th
15	Pinkham Notch Camp (call ahead to make reservation)	14.8	Wed	6th
16	Imp Campsite (last night on the trail)	13.1	Thu	7th
17	Trident Col Shelter (resupply in Gorham, NH)	13.9	Fri	8th
18	Carlo Col Shelter (right on the NH-ME state line)	11.1	Sat	9th
19	Speck Pond Campsite	9.5	Sun	10th
20	Grafton Notch. Shuttle to Pinkham Notch.	4.6	Mon	11th
21	Concord Coach Lines Shuttle to Boston	--	Tue	12th
22	Fly home (depart 7:30 am on American Airlines)	--	Wed	13th

All in all, I think I am being pretty conservative with the mileage. There is really only one or two days where I think I might be pushing myself a little too hard. Plus, I will be hiking in the White Mountains above the tree line for a good portion of the time so I want to play it safe. I would rather have the option to hike into Maine or come home a few days early instead of having to push myself to meet an overly aggressive itinerary.
I am really excited for the first week of the hike because most of it includes trails I hiked on while we live in Rutland (White Rocks, Deer's Leap, Spring Lake, etc.....). It will be fun bringing back some of those memories.
Also, if you are interested, here are links to my primary reference materials....
- Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker's Companion (2007)
- Appalachian Trail Guide to NH-VT (1oth Edition)