Date: 2014-06-30
From: Lakes Of The Clouds Hut

To: White Birches Camping Park
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

I unfortunately have to start this entry with a complaint about last night. Around 11:00 PM, after we had all claimed our spots in the dining room and drifted off to sleep, I was awoken by a headlamp shining in my face. Two hikers had sneaked into the hut after the Croo had gone to sleep and set up in the dining room with us. I figured they had just had a long day and would offer compensation to the Croo in the morning. When I woke up, however; I watched as they packed up, grabbed some food from the counter, and walked out without saying anything to anyone. Supposedly one of the guys is attempting to break the AT speed-hiking record. What I know for sure, though, is that its people like these that cause people to distrust the hiker community. Should you be reading this, guy, (not that you seem to care about the opinions of other people), just know that you have a hut full of people rooting against you.Fortunately, not even the flagrant disrespect shown by this hiker could put a damper on one of the most gorgeous days on the trail. After saying goodbye to Squeak, Pants on Fire, and the Croo, Birdman and I began our ascent of Mt. Washington (6,288 ft.). This mountain is notorious for foul weather, and true to fashion, every peak was completely clear except for Washington, which was shrouded in a thick fog. It seemed appropriate, though, making our hike up feel all more epic and mythic. As we were only 1.1 miles downhill, we reached the peak within 30 minutes and took our traditional photos at the summit sign. Within ten minutes of our arrival, the fog began to clear and we were given pristine views of the surrounding peaks. Seeing so many magnificent mountains makes me feel small in the greatest way possible, like there is still so much more in the world left to explore and experience. Even after being out here for almost four months, that sense of amazement and wonder has thankfully remained intact. The summit of Mt. Washington isn¢t bare like so many others, but is instead populated with research stations, weather equipment, a visitor center, and, of course, a parking lot. It definitely reduces the majesty of the tallest mountain in New England, and I would sweep it all away in an instant if I could. Since it was there, however; I definitely took advantage of the restaurant in the visitor center. There we met up with Cool Breeze, who left earlier than we did for a solo summit, and together we snacked on coffee and whoopee pies. With full stomachs and a caffeine buzz, we all left ready to conquer the rest of the day.And what a day it was, too. For the rest of the day, we would be following a string of mountains named after former US presidents ¢ a section appropriately called ¢The Presidentials¢. Including Jackson and Eisenhower from yesterday, we also either summited or at least skirted around Washington, Jefferson and Madison. All of these peaks are above tree line, and we continually looked around in awe of the rugged beauty surrounding us. I must sound like a broken record when I describe the beauty of these mountains, but I simply cannot get used to such scenery.Before our summit Madison, we stopped in at the appropriately named Madison Hut. There we were treated to leftover pancakes, oven roasted corn, salad, and other snacks, enough food to where I actually stopped feeling hungry for a few minutes. Shortly afterward we found ourselves at the summit of Madison and there we began the long, slow 2,600 ft. descent back below tree line. Not only was the incline steep, but the terrain also consisted primarily of sharp boulders and football-sized stones (Hello, Pennsylvania!). Thankfully, we were still too distracted by the scenery to think about how much pain our ankles will likely be in tomorrow morning.We finally reached Pinkham Notch ¢ the bottom of our descent ¢ at around 5:00 PM. After most of a week spent destroying our feet and knees and continually soaking ourselves in sweat, we decided to treat ourselves to a night in a hostel. Now Birdman, Cool Breeze and I are at the White Birch Camping Park, an RV park with a hostel just for hikers. We have satellite TV, a fridge, air hockey tables, and comfy bunks at our disposal. There is also a swimming pool, but after only 10 minutes I had to get out of the freezing water ¢ my fat reserves are completely empty, offering me no protection from the cold. I eased my suffering by ordering and eating an entire large cheese pizza. It may not restore my fat reserves, but at least I felt full twice in one day.