Date: 2015-07-16
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: Stealth camp at summit of Mount Garfield
Miles today: 9.9

I like staying in town, but all the chores (resupply, laundry, journal updating) are very time-consuming. We went to bed very late and were consequently quite tired when we got up. Shrugs' mental capacities were particularly compromised as he did not understand the concept of a breakfast sandwich, to the great irritation of the deli cook.I felt like zero-ing but I knew we could not as it was a gorgeous day and we needed to take advantage of it, especially since more rain is on the way. I am beginning to loathe the rain.We realized that there was even less traffic than yesterday evening, so hitch-hiking would have taken a while. Shrugs called a shuttle and, after hanging up, said that the driver would be there in 5 minutes. We packed up our stuff as quicly as we could and we were at the trailhead before 8 AM.The weather was perfect: crisp, cool air, vast blue sky without a single cloud. The type of day which could make you think that rain is a myth. The climb up the ridge was steep, yet fairly easy. It did involve large strides to navigate through rocks and high rocky steps, but the terrain was definitely more clement than some areas we have already experienced. The trees became sparser and the patches of visible sky grew larger. We arrived above the tree line and began hiking along Franconia Ridge, an exposed 5,000'-high segment which connects Mount Lincoln to Mount Lafayette, one of the most popular mountains. The views were awe-inspiring. The closest mountains appeared as giant, mossy rocks and those towards the horizon turned gradually bluer and paler until the waves of mountain lines faded in the distance. Walking along the ridgeline is particularly intense, more so than if we had seen the same views from a lookout. The mountain ranges and vast sky surround you from every angle and engage all your senses; it's akin to comparing a 2D image to a 3D one.Of course, the Trail was incredibly crowded. It was slightly irritating to walk behind lines of people, especially since I stopped frequently to take pictures so others would pass me and I would catch up to them a minute later. There were many camps and other youth groups. One kid overheard us speaking French and asked us if we were from Qu©bec. We said yes and he anwsered that he was from Qu©bec City. He then wanted to know if the blue Fiat in the parking lot was ours as the car had a Qu©bec licence plate which caught his attention. I said that no, we didn't drive here, we walked. I don't think he understood, though it did make me ponder the absurdity of walking 2,189.2 miles.I was quite tired for the rest of the afternoon. We hiked back down below the treeline and continued through quite rugged terrain composed of roots, boulders and the occasional short cliffs to scale up. Shrugs commented that we were like mountain goats.The final challenge of the day was Mount Garfield. The elevation profile shows a fine, pointed arrow, an inverted "V". Indeed, the climb was steep and difficult. I was completely exhausted, to the point where, in addition to my aching and weary body, my focus was completetly depleted. I could no longer concentrate on my footing and balance so I was uneasy about the immediatly upcoming super steep descent. The summit had a small patch of pine trees behind the lookout which formed a small circle inside of which laid flat ground, a perfect stealth camping spot. We set up right there.I realized a bit after that the area was flat as it had been continuously trampled by people coming to this small wooded area to pee. A faint smell of urine was present, but the view of the sunset was definitely worth it.- Axon  Path along Franconia Ridge  Sunset from Mt Garfield (view of Mt Lafayette)