Date: 2014-07-19
From: bridge @ mile 1835

To: madison spring hut
Miles today: 23.4

As i got back to the trail this morning i saw some locals footprints in the mud. I was tracking a moose! I walked along quietly hoping to sneak a look of a moose getting breakfast. I never saw it but tracked it down the trail for @ a half mile. I made good time past the ethan pond campsit and then down the long hill to crawford notch. The whole time going down the hill i thought about climbing all the way back up. Crawford notch is at 1200' and i would reach mt washington later in the day at 6288'. The good part was a fresh cooler of trail magic at the parking lot. I had a soda and two chocolate chip cookies. I was happy with the caffeine. Ok, here goes the rest of my day. First was up to webster cliffs, felt like i was scaling the cliffs! It was up over places i thought could not be trail, but they were. At the top i talked to a few folks curious about my hike. I answered as best i could and in return three people gave me snacks! I have become the guy that never turns down snacks if people are giving. I ate two granola bars and a little pocket of oreo cookies, mmmm. Then came mt jackson, not a bad climb and it gave me a good look at washington, oh my. In the valley between there and mt pierce was the mizpah hut. I did stop there hoping for something sugary to drink. I got two glasses of lemonade and a piece of blueberry bread. I had a nice talk with a volunteer at the hut and got the low down on how these places work. I told the lady of my plan, she said i better get going, so i did. Up and over mt pierce i could see the big hill getting closer every step. Then i got to mt eisenhower and had a dilema. The AT goes around the mt but there is a trail over the top and down the other side that hit the AT again. Why go around if i could go over the summit for the same miles just more up and down? A purist would not go off the AT but im not that pure, i went over the top. I did feel a little bad but i really couldnt see the point of going next to the mt. I went over eisenhower, the trail then went over mt franklin then i went off trail again to summit mt monroe. I was starting to drag so i dug into my bag of tricks and pulled out a caffinated gel pack. I utilized the tool to keep me going. These last few mtns were all above tree line so i could almost always see where i was going. The bad thing about this was that it was really rocky and hard on the feet. I stopped quick at the lakes of the clouds hut at the base of washington for some water. I also ate a protein bar for some fuel for the climb. I never touched dirt the whole way up, its that rocky. By the time i got to the top i was really getting a second wind with the cool temps and breeze, i like these conditions. I got to the sign for the summit for mt washington and got in line for to get my oic taken. Yup a line. The people that drive up want to stand next to the sign and get ohotographed. I stood there for a few minutes while a couple had their pic taken with arms crossed, arms up in the air, jumping in the air, thumbs up pose, hugging...... Are you really doing all this while the rest of us are waiting? Yes they were. I lost patience and walked away. I still had over five miles to go. First i walked down along the cog railroad then over to mt clay. I again went off trail to summit with great views back to washington. Next was jefferson also went off trail even though this one added 0.4miles, i still want to say i summitted these mountains. From jefferson it was a chore getting over to the madison hut. I was beaten, a little bloody and out of gas. I caught up to mr jingles, pg 14 and haiku just before the hut. I had met haiku before but not the others. They planned on going to the next campsit a few miles farhter until they saw mt madison, it was big and ugly. I got some water from the hut and made my was 0.6 miles down a side trail to the tent area. This was not good because it was down a steep hill for that half mile that i would have to go back up in the morning, not good. I finally gave up on finding the tent site and settled on a horrible little spot down over a bank that was not really even big enough for my little tent. I set up and ate a couple granola bars for dinner. Then fell into bed. This was the worst spot i have put my tent on the entire trip. I tried to not think about it and think about all i had seen today, again with good weather. Two days in a row is wicked lucky. That must make me the luckiest guy ever, yes i am.