Date: 2005-09-10
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Started @ Lake of the Clouds HutDestination: Madison Spring HutMiles today: 7.0Total Miles: 1845.2Stayed in hutDay 183We left the hut just after 8:30 this morning. We had the "croo" check at Madison Spring Hut to see if they had any room for 2 more paying guests but they only had 1 bunk left. So we decided to ask for work for stay when we got here if no one had canceled their reservation. Well, they are completely full but we are able to work for stay. It sounds like we will do some mopping of floors in the morning since they are closing the hut for the season. Since we are going down to Pinkham Notch tomorrow and it is 7-8 miles we should not need to get out early.When we got here sometime before 5 there were 4 hikers here that have been passing us up every day and ending up where we end up. They had planned to go on to Pinkham Notch today (making a 15 mile day) but the trail was about as difficult for them as for us. They knew we wanted to stay here so they had already asked about work for stay for us. We were lucky because the next 2 hikers that came were turned away.Work for stay means we do whatever work they ask us to do either tonight or in the morning. In return we get to eat leftovers after dinner and breakfast after the paying guests eat and we sleep on the tables or the floor. Tonight that is certainly a good deal for us because our only other alternative is tenting at a tent site further up the trail and it is VERY COLD and windy tonight. So we are blessed.When we got up this morning the temperature outside was 33* with winds at 35-40 miles per hour and a wind chill of around 12*. Inside, the temperature was in the high 40's. It was still windy when we started out but not quite as bad and the sun was shining brightly. The sky was clear with few clouds and Mt. Washington was visible from the hut. Some hikers that were up there yesterday did not see anything since the clouds were hanging around the mountain top. The trail to Mt. Washington this morning was rocky, rocky, and rocky! Once up there the views were great all around. There were many tourists that had driven up in cars or on motorcycles or taken the cog railway up the mountain. There is a tradition that SOME thru-hikers moon the train and so one hiker did as the train pulled up to the top of the mountain. Toto got a picture of him.We had a lunch of turkey sandwiches, clam chowder soup, coke, and hot chocolate from the snack bar at the summit. We looked around the museum and gift shop a bit and then decided to get on down the mountain. The weather usually gets worse in the afternoon if it is going to be bad and it was already about 11am. We were on ridges all day in the sun and wind. We started out in the morning with our fleece and rain/wind gear. We did remove some layers but most of the day we had a fleece hat and jacket and gloves on. By the time we got here at this hut it was getting really cold and windy again. The worst part is that the "croo" asked everyone to leave the dining room so the tables could be set and the only place to go was outside since we have no bunk room to go to. The younger hikers were washing off the tables and setting it and there were plenty of them so we were not needed. Toto went out on the grassy area with the young kids after they finished there work but it is too cold for me. I sat near the door on the outside and then moved inside to sit out of the way while they were eating.