Day 140 - Carter Notch campsite to Gorham

Got packed up quick so the tent wouldn’t get wet. Climbed up to Carter Dome, followed by three more Carter peaks.

 

Then we hit a nasty, rocky descent. Just the kind that I hate, especially when wet. Actually had to take my pack off at one point. Also did a lot of sliding down rocks, which felt lovely when the small pebbles and dirt particles ground into the backs of my thighs.

After lunch the terrain flattened out quite a bit. We planned to stay at the shelter two miles out of Gorham to save money, even if it was raining. However, when we got there, Dave made an “executive decision” to push into town. I didn’t resist too hard.


 
First we stopped at The Barn, a hostel. Saw Swagman, Bad Moon, Frankenstein, etc. Really crowded. We walked further into town and found a motel room with bath down the hall for $32. Perfect! Great shower, soft bed, nice pillows. Met some hikers at the Chinese restaurant across the street. One beer and I was feeling pretty loopy. Went back to the room, had some oatmeal, and zonked out.

Took it easy in the morning, then we split up to do the usual town errands. Took a nap in the afternoon. Watched TV. Awesome day! Feel very refreshed and ready to tackle these last 300 miles. How hard will the Mahoosics be? Can they be that much more difficult than the Whites? Will they be even more beautiful? Can I handle 10-12 miles per day? I think so. No, I know so.

Day 139 - Mt. Madison to Carter Notch campsite

A campsite for two on top of Mt. Madison

 I’ve been getting behind in my journal writing. Let’s see… Great night’s sleep on top of Mt. Madison. I was so exhausted that the rocks beneath me almost felt like little pillows -- almost.

 
Had breakfast, then started the long, rocky, rooty, slow descent into Pinkham Notch. Thank goodness we hadn’t tried that hike at night. It would have been disastrous, I think.

Got to Pinkham Notch and the AYCE buffet around noon. I filled up on fruit punch and hummus sandwiches. Not psyched about the upcoming climb up to Wildcat Mountain’s five peaks. Quite a strenuous hike, followed by a steep descent into Carter Notch. When I stopped hiking, I realized that my toes were killing me.

Got water at Carter Notch (no food there) and walked a couple tenths of a mile to a decent campsite. Couldn’t sleep. I think it was a combination of being disgustingly dirty and having many thoughts (trail and otherwise) spinning around in my head.

Woke up to a very grey, heavy sky. Rain was near. Glad it was our last day in the Whites (rained on our first day, too).

Day 138 - Mizpah Hut to Mt. Madison

What a day! (in more ways than one). I didn’t have a great night’s sleep in the bunkroom. Too dark. Thank goodness for the skylight, which helped a little.

Worked breakfast and got to eat leftover scrambled eggs, blueberry cake, and grits. Then we were asked to clean out under all the mattresses (lots of them). It took quite a while. Finally headed out to climb Mt. Washington.

Lake of the Clouds

Another perfect day. We were told there was 70-mile visibility from the summit -- almost enough to see the ocean. Lots of people around. It was a steady climb to the peak. Great views from the top -- along with a parking lot and tons of people. Kind of like Disneyworld. Went downstairs to the backpacker room, then had lunch and hung out for a while.

It was late by the time we left, and the sun was beating down on us above treeline. Got to Madison Spring Hut at 7:30 p.m. The croo already had two thru-hikers staying there and turned us away, but said we could each pay $10 to sleep on a table. They had offered hiker duo Team GAK the same deal for $6. Bunch of college kids collecting some beer money on the side, I think.

So we headed out at 8 (sunset) and had to climb Mt. Madison. Very rocky. Fine going up, not so fine going down. I wouldn't have liked the descent on a dry day, and was positively not comfortable hiking down with a headlamp. Very fortunate to find a semi-flat spot about 25 feet past the summit -- big enough for two sleeping bags and that’s about it. Beautiful night, with a sky full of stars and no chance of rain. Not too cold, either. We cooked dinner and hit the sack. I was physically and mentally exhausted and slept quite well, despite the rocks. Up at 7.

Oh, forgot to mention my crying fit on the way to the hut. Just tired of walking, especially on rocks, tired of trying (and failing) to keep up with Dave. Said I might not make it to Maine and that maybe I don’t want it badly enough. But Dave said I would have given up long before now if I didn’t have it in me. I guess this is true. How did I get so lucky to find this man, who says and does just the right things at the right time??

Day 137 - Zealand Falls Hut to Mizpah Hut

Tons of stars out at night. I didn’t see any meteors, but Dave did. We slept out front on the ground, which was much better than on a dining room table.

Had a pretty good night. Funny to have people walking around me while I was still in my sleeping bag. Had a great blueberry pancake breakfast with the croo. They even gave us a bunch of food to take with us.

Talked with a lot of guests, too, who were really interested in the trail. Mostly women. One said I didn’t look like a thru-hiker because I “looked great.” Must have been that hair washing the night before. It felt sooooo good to get the dirt and oil out. Too bad it won’t last.

Had an incredibly easy seven-mile walk (Is this really the Whites?) to Route 302. Then it was up from Crawford Notch to Webster Cliffs and the Presidentials. It was a good climb.



We thought we reached the top and hung out for a while. Then we kept climbing. Guess we miscalculated where we were again. But it was perfect weather for getting a view -- bright blue sky and puffy white clouds. Not above treeline a lot, though.

Got to Mizpah Hut at 5:30. One southbounder was already here, but the croo let us stay. Not incredibly friendly, but nice. Told us we’ll have to do work in the a.m., which is fine -- but if it’s a really clear day, we’ll be bullin’ to get to Washington. The pasta and calzones we had for dinner weren’t enough to feed these hungry hikers. My stomach was going crazy.

Mizpah Hut

Cold night. Thought about staying outside, but we opted for the bunkroom instead.

Day 136 - Garfield Ridge to Zealand Falls Hut

No rain during the night. Got up at 7, then rested in our sleeping bags on the tent platform, looking up at the sky. More and more clouds started rolling in. Didn’t look good.

Walked a long 2.7 miles to Galehead Hut; kept bumping into chatty dayhikers. Nice hut, recently rebuilt. Stopped for $1 AYCE baked goods (coffee cake) and cocoa. I was soaked with sweat and getting cold. It was one of those “Why am I here?” moments.

But we started walking, and the sun did come out around 2. We weren’t above treeline so much today, so it wasn’t as exciting. A good walk nonetheless.

Got to Zealand Falls Hut around 5. Eventually decided to do a work-for-stay. We’re running out of food, so it wasn’t too tough of a decision. Nice, normal, friendly croo. After setting tables, we hung out by the falls. Then had soup, rice, steak tips, green beans, and homemade bread for dinner. Hung out with the croo at night.

 

We’re sleeping out front, on the ground. There are millions of stars out. Chilly but toasty in my zero degree bag. We’ll hit the Presidentials tomorrow. Looking forward to getting to the top of Mt. Washington (Wednesday).

Day 135 - Lonesome Lake Hut to Garfield Ridge

It was a long day, but a good one. Walked three miles down to Route 3, then took a side trail to The Flume so Dave could use the payphone. He talked to Luke, who can’t hike with us now but wants to in a couple of weeks. We should be pretty far up in Maine by then -- and doing the toughest section of the trail -- but I guess if he really wants to…

Didn’t start hiking again til 12:30. I was a bit concerned, since we had a big climb ahead of us and many miles yet to walk. The climb was tough, but not impossible. Actually, the first part was easier than expected. 

I cannot get over the number of people who hike in the White Mountains. Mostly day hikers -- young, old, and everywhere in between. Lots of French accents. The trail was like a superhighway. I’m really surprised that they’d tackle such tough terrain -- and seem to be enjoying it!



We went up and up, then up some more. But no views at all. Finally we broke through the trees. “Can I look?” I asked. Dave said yes. I turned around and said “Holy shit!” We were so high up. Couldn’t believe the view. And it only got better. We walked along Franconia Ridge. So beautiful with the green trees, blue sky, purple mountains, grey rocks. We could see exactly where we were going. Very cool! There were still climbs, but everything was so open and free.



Climbed Garfield at the end of the day. It looked like something might be rolling in, but never materialized. Stayed at a free campsite with a platform. Cooked dinner and went to bed. Good to rest the weary legs and feet.

Day 134 - Oleson's Pond to Lonesome Lake Hut

Good night’s sleep, followed by a relaxing morning. The up and down stretch to Eliza Brook Shelter (for lunch) was a little tough. Glad we hadn’t done it all in one day. 

Then we tackled South Kinsman Mountain. Quite a climb up steep rocks. I don’t mind scrambling, though, if it’s uphill. My first view above treeline. It was nice, but I don’t really understand what all the fuss is about. Then North Kinsman Peak, followed by a steep descent to Lonesome Lake. Glad it wasn’t raining. 

Lonesome Lake

 Surprised by the number of day hikers out, even though it was a Saturday. We asked for and got our first work-for-stay. Place is run by a “croo,” a group of college kids. We helped set the table and clean up after dinner – about 50 people were staying here. 

The hut has running water but no showers or flush toilets. Simple but nice. Dinner for us was leftovers – chicken and rice, corn, salad, and homemade bread. We ate a lot. 

The croo was drinking spiked punch, playing the guitar, and singing. I think they get a kick out of their “coolness.” It was OK, but made me feel really old. They were up late partying, which meant we were up late, too. Had to sleep on the dining room tables. 

Two women were lost in the woods, and we listened to the updates on the radio all night. Eventually, they made their way to the bottom, eluding the manhunt. Terrible sleep. Tough getting up at 6. Helped with breakfast, then we got to eat. It was OK. 

The whole thing was a good experience, and I’m glad we did it – but I wouldn’t rush to do it again. Left a little after 9. Big day of climbing ahead of us.