Date: 2007-09-10
From: AMC - Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: AMC - Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

STOP: The area ahead has the worst weather in America. Many have died there from exposure, even in the summer. Turn back now if the weather is bad.- sign on approach trail to Mt. WashingtonThe weather was windy and cloudy, but the rain had stopped. The tops of mountains were visible off and on, depending on how the wind was blowing the clouds around. After all I've heard about Mt. Washington, just 1 1/2 miles from the hut, I was prepared for the worst. The highest winds on the planet were recorded here (231 mph); the 4th of July had snow and sleet. Little did I know that the weather wasn't what I had to be worried about.The hike up Washington was easy. I took some pleasure jogging by dayhikers who were huffing and puffing, while I was barely out of breath. On top, Mt. Washington has a weather station, various buildings for the tourists who can drive to the top, and an old cog train - an old coal-buring train that belches out thick black smoke. The train is what made things interesting.I was in the restroom cleaning up when Stroker rushed in and told me to hurry up, the Cog was coming up the mountain. Out we rushed, ready to fulfill an important thru-hiker tradition. Waiting, peering at a ranger, I asked Stroker if he thought the ranger would mind. Who cares, was his famous last words. So...as the cog passed, we mooned. The least we could do to show what we thought of the black coal smoke belching out and obscuring the mountains.Well, the ranger did have a bit of a problem with this, yelling, "That's f@#$ing obscene. Pack up your s&%t and get out of here." No problem - it was worth it. Talk about uptight and overreacting. Rangers surrounded us, picking up our gear and shoving it in our packs. Someone took our pictures on a camera phone, and we were told, "Pubic nudity is illegal. We've made 10 arrests already. Spread the word that this s$%t stops!!!" So mooning is obscene, even though you see bare bums on network tv all the time, but screaming out obscenities is ok. Hmmm.... To make the whole situation even more bizzare, we were also told that NH Fish and Game police were going to track us down on the trail to arrest us. Other hikers were told they have undercover agents all over the place. I felt like the Department of Homeland Security could learn a thing or two from the Fish and Game Department. The overreaction and odd claims almost made us laugh. Of course, the rangers mood wasn't improved when nearly everyone on top of the mountain (not many at 9am) came up to congratulate us, comment that they would have liked to join us, or make other supportive comments. Both tourists and thru-hikers alike were saying these things. As I said, well worth it. So Stroker and I moved on, laughing all the way. The trail was relatively even, but it was all rocks above treeline. Clouds and fog kept blowing in and out, with a heavy mist keeping the rocks wet and slick. I fell twice, donating some skin to the trail. Soon enough, I came to Madison Hut.Dry and warm, the croo (pronounced "crew") asked if Stroker and I were interested in work for stay. Why not? There are no views and lots of slick rocks. Why hike when we could stay inside for free? Eventually Bigfoot, Skip and Bill the Pony also arrived to do work-for-stay. We had a good time hanging out with each other, the paying guests and the croo. I have to thank them for offering me sanctuary from the fuzz. Now I just need to get to Maine. I don't believe NH and ME have an extradition treaty...