Date: 2005-08-31
From: NH 25A

To: NH 25
Miles today: 9.8

Started @ NH 25ADestination: NH 25Miles today: 9.8Total Miles: 1759.3Stayed in HostelDay 173We were on the trail this morning by 8:30 after being shuttledby Fat Chap here at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. We hiked one ofthe sections south of here winding up back at the hostel andtomorrow will do the 14 mile section just south of the sectionwe did today. The reason we did the northernmost section firstis because we were advised that it would be better to do todayin the rain since the other section has more steep climbs andwould be harder to do. We finished our section today by 1:30pmso did pretty well. Everything on the trail was wet from lastnight's rain and the fine rain this morning but it did not rainvery hard until around noon. Even then it was not a downpour. We did not get a downpour until this evening about 5:30 or 6after we were inside. Tomorrow there is supposed to be lesschance of rain and we are planning to hike the 14 mile sectionsouth of here. Then on Friday we will hike over Mt. Moosilaukewhich is about 10 miles. We will also be slack-packing that section and hiking south from Kinsman Notch to here. Then the next day we will be shuttled back to KinsmanNotch to hike on north.The hostel here is an OK place to stay. Accommodations are onthe primitive side. But we are dry. We pay $10 each for abunk--which could be a bed with mattress, a cot, or a tent setup in a large heavy duty tent out back of the house here (whichis where we are) or something similar in the upstairs of anaddition (old garage?) to the house. A shower (with towel andwash cloth) is $2.50, and washer and dryer load is $2.00 each. A trip of 5 miles into a very small town with a small restaurantand a general store is $2.50/person. The refrigerator andfreezer is stocked with frozen pizzas, ice cream sandwiches,sodas, microwave popcorn, candy bars, etc. that we pay for. Thebig expense for us is the shuttling--$1.25 a mile--which addsup. But with the cost of gas--$2.90 at the general store thisevening that is probably a deal. The shower, sink, washingmachine, and flush toilet is all behind the house under a canvastop with wooden sides around most of it. No doors on the shower area or the toilet area--just a shower curtain--but at this point in the hike that is a lot of privacy!!We will be glad to get through the White Mountains because it isexpensive to stay anywhere. Many campsites and shelters charge$8 per person to stay and the Huts charge around $70 (I heard)per person. That does not get us a shower but I think it doesincludes breakfast and/or dinner but I do not know if that infois even correct. I do know that hikers can offer to work forstay but they only need so many hikers for that. So it shouldbe interesting to see how we manage through this section. As I write now at 8:15pm it is pouring down the rain on the topof this heavy duty tent that is our bunkhouse. I also hearthunder and the light has flickered off and on several times. But it is supposed to be less rainy tomorrow!! We'll see. Wedo so want to hike tomorrow. Fat Chap says that the averagehiker can finish the rest of the trail from this point in 30days. We may be a little less than average so our estimate ofaround the first week of October is probably a good one.