Hiking the Good Hike

7/5 Day 124 Osgood Tent Site to Pinkham Notch (Gorham, NH) – 5.8 miles

That’s no typo, we followed a ten mile day with a five mile day and we have no qualms. The sun was shining this morning and we were excited we would be going to town. I also had the excitement of knowing today would be the last day hiking in my worn and weathered shoes as my replacements were waiting at the post office. The hike to the AMC center at Pinkham notch was very easy. After browsing the overpriced gift shop we hit the road with our thumbs out. Hitchhiking was something I was a bit nervous about prior to this trip but it has become a very regular habit of ours and something I have come to enjoy. Nevertheless, hitching with four people is a bit more difficult; it seems two is the magic number. After a few minutes Giuseppe and Howbout were on their way and soon after we were picked up and on our way to town.

Our first stop was the post office. I retrieved my new shoes with no problem and we hung out in the shade of a large tree with Giuseppe and Howbout while Wide Load made phone calls to book a hotel for the night. While we waited I was approached by a kid maybe seven years old who seems to be roaming alone. He casually asked, “Hitchhikers?” I answered, “No, just regular hikers.” He didn’t seem to believe me questioning, “You’re not hitchhikers?” “Well, I guess today we were hitchhikers, but most days we’re just plain hikers.” Seemingly appeased by this explanation, the boy began to demonstrate his fly catching method in which he spreads his fingers placing a drop of nectar in between and closing them quickly when a fly lands. He was very proud exclaiming, “I caught an entire jar, we don’t have flies in my house anymore.” And with that he was gone continuing on his path to who knows where. We were reunited with Kestrel and Sharpshin before making our way to Pizza Hut hoping for a lunch buffet. This particular Pizza Hut offered no buffet so we decided to try someplace else. We ended up at Mr. Pizza.

After lunch we did our laundry and waited for our hotel room to come available. After finishing our laundry we checked in to our hotel. Gorham is a decent mountain town crawling with tourists but unfortunately the closest grocery store is a Walmart three miles away. After showering, Wide Load and I emptied our packs to make room for our groceries and hit the road. We were soon picked up and dropped off at Walmart. We acquired our usual staples as well as some snacks for the evening and were back on the road thumbing for the third time that day. In no time, we were picked up by a slightly shady but nice enough guy and were dropped off at the hotel. Though Kestrel and Sharpshin had planned on leaving town, we were able to coax them into staying. We had a great time that evening eating and relaxing. When the rain inevitably began, we were happy to remain dry in our hotel room.

7/6 Pinkham Notch to Imp Shelter – 13.1 miles

It was difficult, as always, to get out of town this morning. We made a stop at McDonalds for breakfast where Kestrel and Sharpshin introduced us to the McDonalds big breakfast with hotcakes, a meal costing less than six dollars but offering nearly 1400 calories. At this point, we pretty much eat anything we can get our hands on so we were happy to have this calorie dense breakfast but what amazes me is that people other than thru hikers would eat this breakfast. After breakfast we were finally hitching again this time in groups of two. We were picked up by some college age guys trying with snowboards on a day where temperatures were already in the high 80s. They told us they hoped to find the last snow in Tuckerman’s Ravine, a 4^th of July tradition for them. They left us at Pinkham Notch where we began our last leg of the Whites.

We were greeted with a relatively difficult climb of what is known as the Wildcats. We passed a few soutbounders and a few dayhikers before arriving at Wildcat peak D where tourists can pay for a gondola ride to the top of the mountain. We took a lunch break at a picnic table as tourists stared and watched us as if we were wild animals. After lunch we continued on our way to Imp campsite, a destination one day hiker told us we could never make before dark. I know people are trying to be helpful, but I get tired of day hikers and weekenders telling us what we are and aren’t able to do. We have been hiking everyday for the last four months, our pace and distance is not likely equal to someone out for a day or two. Anyway, we made a stop at Carter Notch hut for water where a croo member graciously tossed me an entire loaf of bread. Consuming the majority of a freshly baked loaf of bread may have been the highlight of my day. We hiked on looking for stealth sites just short of Imp Shelter hoping to avoid paying to camp. We were unable to find a suitable tent site so we ended up at the Imp shelter where we would pay to sleep. This would be our last night in the Whites.

Thanks for reading,
Moose

"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks."
John Muir

7/3 Day 122 Ripley Falls Trail to Lakes of the Clouds Hut – 11.7 miles

Though it rained all night, our campsite held firm. We packed up early since we were technically camped illegally and were hiking by 0630. Right down the hill from our campsite we spotted Shaprshin and Kestrel’s tent off to the right; they waved as we walked by. Coming up behind us we noticed another couple who we kept running in to since Chet’s place and yet never caught their names; sometimes we felt as if they were trying to race us but I’m really not that competitive so it was just humorous to me. After crossing the railroad tracks and road down below we started climbing up 2000 ft in elevation to Webster Cliffs, where the rain actually parted so we could relax and enjoy the views. From the cliffs, you could see Ripley Falls down below, which again made us glad for our little detour to the falls the night before. The hike from the cliffs transformed from a steady upward hike to literal climbing up over open rock faces with views all around. This trek continued up to Mount Webster and Mount Jackson until we reached Mizpah Spring Hut for lunch. Since the sky was looking a little dark we asked the hut worker if we could eat our lunch inside; he not only let us sit inside but offered us a ton of leftovers for free. Today just became 10x better. I’ve never seen lasagna so big/deep before. We didn’t care that everything was cold; it was free food that wasn’t peanut butter on a tortilla. In addition to the lasagna, we ate green beans, mashed potatoes, salad, and some breakfast casserole thing with plenty to spare, which is strange for 8 hungry thru hikers.

With bellies more than full, and everyone belching lasagna the whole way up Mount Pierce, we feared the weather might take a turn for the worse. The skies just kept getting darker and darker but so far the rain/storm was holding off. The weather was actually kind of nice walking through the start of the Presidential Range, taking our time and taking in the views. The trail and its surroundings were absolutely beautiful. I wish we could have lingered a little longer but thunder was heard in the distance and our biggest fear above tree line as a hiker is lightning, so we distanced ourselves from each other and picked up the pace a little while still trying to comprehend all that was before us. In the distance we spotted shelter up ahead, the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, which we were hopefully to call home for the night. We were told that even if the work for stay (WFS) slots were full that this particular hut would not turn a hiker away due to the risk for dangerous weather conditions at this elevation. Since we had taken our good ole’ time and knew of several other hikers ahead of us, we were hoping to at least get to stay in “The Dungeon”—a bunkroom/emergency shelter for thru hikers. Sadly, we were told that “The Dungeon” was covered in ice and therefore uninhabitable at this time and that yes, all of the work for stays were already taken. Sharpshin and Kestrel got 2 of them, which we were very happy about; the rest of us were given the option of paying $20 to sleep on the floor of the dining hall and eat all the leftovers, which we gladly accepted. I must say though, the whole situation was kind of awkward. The hut staff, or Croo, were all very nice. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor, though we did have to wait until everyone else went to bed before we could claim our spots, which was a tad past hiker midnight. The food was great, though it was torture to have to sit and watch everyone else eat while you wait your turn, trying to stay out of the way in the corner. The weird thing was the reaction or lack thereof from all of the 80 actual guests staying at the hut. No one talked to us, no one. Maybe they thought they weren’t allowed to talk to us or maybe they looked as us like a stray dog waiting for their scraps to fall from the table, which we kind of were, but it was just a little strange to me is all, very humbling. Otherwise, we got to eat a lot of really good food and then Moose and I picked out a table to go sleep under while the guests played card games during “quiet time” by headlamps. All in all, today was another great day on the trail.

the dungeon

Sharpshin and Kestrel

7/4 Day 123 Lakes of the Clouds Hut to Osgood Tent Site - 10.1 miles

Not our best sleep, but we were excited to finally summit the infamous Mount Washington, the 2nd highest peak on the AT at 6,288 feet. We had to rise early and get packed so the Croo could prepare for breakfast. We waited to leave until 0700 for the weather report to be radioed in to the hut then set out. Right now it looked like we were socked in; it was a cloudy, misty, windy morning but we were hopeful for a few glimpses of sunshine. Before we started up the mountain, we saw the sign warning us to turn back if bad weather. Though we couldn't see but 5 feet in front of us, we followed the cairns and continued our hike.

Once we reached the summit, it was group picture time. We were all smiles as we hung out at the Summit House, checking out the gift shop, eating snacks, and mailing post cards. Though we had to trek up the entirety of the mountain, there is the option of driving a car or riding the Cog Train up to the top; I personally think that's cheating, but the option does exist :-). After we hung around for about an hour, hour and a half, it was time to keep moving. On our way down the mountain, we did stop to take pictures of the Cog Train. I'm told that it's tradition for thru hikers to moon the train as it passes but law enforcement has been trying to terminate this tradition over the past few years; we simply waved at the passengers. The more we hiked the more the fog cleared and the views were absolutely amazing. The Presidential Range was definitely beautiful as we climbed Mount Clay and Mount Jefferson, and their trails were crawling with tourists to celebrate Independence Day above tree line. For lunch, we decided to stop at Madison Spring Hut to discuss mileage for the day. It was hot, we were tired, and from the hut we had a very large, steep climb waiting for us. Our original goal was to make it into Gorham for the night to catch some fireworks and partake in the holiday festivities; however, the trail did not make this goal particularly easy. It was slow moving as we made our way over Mount Madison. The hike was beautiful but tedious; the trail consisted of rocks and more rocks. From the ridge, you could look back at the Presidentials and to see and to know that we actually walked over all of those mountains was an unbelievable feeling. The view was breath taking; we were truly humbled by God's beauty and so very blessed to be a part of it.

Unfortunately, God's creation, though beautiful, did not get any easier and we were beat. We thought the trail would ease up once we got below tree line but it didn't. We were lucky to have gotten off the ridge before the rain started but resigned to not make it into town for fireworks. We stopped at a tent site with platforms and spent our night trying to dry off from the down pour that drenched us before tents were able to be raised.