Date: 2017-06-23
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

Slept like the dead; I don't think I moved all night and hopefully didn't snore too loudly.  Yesterday's long hike lingers on my body today.  I feel more than a little battered.  It poured heavy rain last night - I could hear that at least - and is still raining this morning.  The peak baggers are a hardy lot, I'll say that.  They are gearing up to go bag a few more this morning.  Breakfast is served, the morning skit is underway - the one that reminds us all to fold our blankets - and then it's time to push off and get moving.  The forecast is for thunder showers so I'd like to be off the ridge before that occurs.  The day starts with a climb up South Twin which is blanketed in fog and light rain.  I take a picture of the signpost pointing the way along the AT but have to keep my phone in its protective baggie to keep it dry.  Or at least partly dry.  So the picture looks bleary and wet.  The trail maintainer is up at the summit removing a hiker-made cairn.  He's placing the rocks right on the trail instead of deeper into the trees, which makes the trail more of an ankle-bender in that section.  Hopefully he'll work them into a tight formation to keep the trail surface firm and continuous.  I keep up my fluid intake, along with ample electrolytes, and after the summit I'm surprised by a long stretch of flats.  I'm grateful to let my legs unwind a bit and develop a good hiker rhythm.  Very relaxing.  I begin to fantasize that this sort of trail will continue straight to the next hut - Zealand Falls Hut - where I have a reservation for tonight.  The trail soon opens onto a boulder field at the northeastern portion of the ridge before it drops back into the tree line.  As I get out onto the ridge the rain begins to get heavy and thunder booms.  The thunder dies out but the rain picks up, becoming a soaking monsoon in no time.  But the great thing about getting wet is that once wet you can't get any wetter, and I get completely wet.  I begin to meet up with SOBO day hikers and peak baggers and realize it must be around midday.  There is one fellow I stop and chat with.  He has a dog with him - one of the many I'd seen up in these difficult trails - and we share dog stories for a minute as the rain sheets down on us.  When I'm not hiking I'm stopping to pee, which is a comical struggle to pull sodden clothes on/off of a slippery wet body.  Imagine you are standing under your home shower which is on at full blast.  Now down with the pants.  Now up with the pants; all the while wearing a backpack.  Should have captured a video of that.  The hardest part is the "up with the pants" portion, since the pack is in the way, my shirt is sticking to my skin and needs to be kept outside the pants, and there are just too many belts to keep straight.  Frankly, with the amount of water pouring out of the sky I could probably have just peed my pants and all the evidence would soon be washed away.  Oh well.  I own one of those lady spouts that let women pee standing up, but it's a bear to figure out how to use it with hiking pants.  Better for skirts, I think.The rain is not only cleansing but refreshing and it turns out I'll need all of that.  While I'm making much better time today - 2.0 mph or more - I soon encounter the slower downhill portion which on this section of the AT, also known as the Twinway, is ultra steep and seemingly endless. I meet a Croo member as she hiked uphill and marvel at how she travels this trail regularly.  Girl's got good legs!Finally hear the unmistakable sound of rushing water and figure the ZF Hut must be close.  Crossing streams is fording them up to shin depth and the water is fast so I take extra care not to slip and fall.  Then there is the hut and there is some sunshine!  Incredible weather changes up here.  Folks at the hut are scrambling to lay out their wet clothes and shoes while the hot sun is out and I join them.  It's around 2 pm and I've made good time for this reasonably-spaced hut-to-hut hike.  I catch up on my journaling, chat with some of the other hikers, and investigate the shuttle options for the next day.  I'd planned to hike to 302 the following day - another 8 mile stretch that looked relatively 'easy' - then catch the shuttle over to Libery Springs Parking to get my car and take a night and a shower out in Lincoln before heading back for the next section on Sunday.  OK.  Last shuttle leaves Zealand Rd at 1:50pm.  Um.  There is no way I can hike 8 miles and then walk or hitch the 3 miles to Z Rd and get there by 1:50, unless I leave before light the next day.  OK.  Rethink.  How about taking a nero to the shuttle from the hut, take a night off, then drive to the Z Rd parking lot, hike back to the hut and down to the next campsite - and bring my self-standing tent this time.  Then either hike to Pinkham or hike to Mt. Washington and take the Cog RR downhill to eventually get my car and head home.  Sounds good.  I've made a plan.