Date: 2003-08-05
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: light rain

Well, another lousy nights sleep. I was over tired, and zoned out. I really didn¢t want to hike today, but I figured I¢d give it a try. I mailed out boxes at the Post office (I felt like crap, I was dizzy, and in a cold sweat), then back to the hostel to finish packing up. A nice hostel, and packrat is a cool guy (he even remembered me from Trail days.. sort of¢¦). I figure I can hike 2-3 days and get off at Francona notch to go to a hospital if I need to. Nice green phlegm, clogged lungs, stuffed head, a perfect way to climb above tree line for the first time (What was I thinking?). The hike up Moosilauke started out cool, a ford of a river (well, we had to walk on semi submerged rocks.). Next was a warm up mile (on trails and a woods road), then we walked up sanatorium road (it seems appropriate somehow) then cut back into the woods and started climbing. It wasn¢t the steepest climb we¢ve ever had (and we will have steeper ones soon), but it was a long steep grind. I was worn out, but doing short ¢trudge ¢ steps so I wouldn¢t die before I got to the top. I got worn out, but not really out of breathe (I stopped and sat down frequently to drink water), my cold didn¢t really bother me until I got to the shelter (I took lots of drugs). OK, one down side of the day¢¦ I got really pissed off at the trail markings in one section before the climb (there were none). I walked a half mile around fields and woods roads with no blazes, so I turned back to find the last blaze, then I followed the trail again. It turns out I was on the right path in the first place, and now I added a mile to my day. I was so pissed off I sat down and cussed out everyone who had anything to do with blazing the trail. I was hot¢¦ Almost ready to go give up¢¦ But so damned stubborn I knew I couldn¢t, and this pissed me off more. Sigh¢¦. So I continued on. Just a bit up the trail, I made a wrong turn, then back tracked after I realized I had followed a trail to a private building. Lousy markings again at a three way intersection. The trail up the mountain was a challenge, it was a combination of steep trail, rock and root steps, all wet, with a foggy drizzle falling. Maybe this helped, there was no heat to wear me down more, I function better when it is wet and cool. I love going above tree line, and it was still cool in the fog, even if there were no views. Before I realized it, I was on the carriage road across the top, with stunted trees and such on both sides, . Then there were piles of rocks with blazes on them, that would appear and disappear in the fog, giving the day an eerie feeling. Occasionally it would clear up enough to see 25-30 yards away, but no more. Being closed in by fog on a wide open mountain is a weird feeling, so free, but so closed in¢¦ I took pictures of the view on the open summit (the sign), and talked to a couple from Virginia (about McAfees knob and Tinker cliffs), then hiked on. The down side of being above tree line¢¦. When nature calls (screams is more like it), you really have to hustle to get below tree line. It was a close race, but I made it, barely (I will apologize now for stepping off the trail onto the fragile ecosystem). After the tough time I had prior to now, the 2 miles to the shelter was a breeze. At the shelter, I sat, relaxed, and ate 2 ramen noodles & beef for an early dinner. For after dinner entertainment, wee watched the Air Force (Well, listened mostly) do simulated rescue drills down in the valley, in the fog and clouds. A Southbounder said he saw the AF forward controllers setting up, to guide in the rescue personnel as A-10 Warthogs flew through the valley doing their air support roles. They were awesome to watch, zooming in, pulling out of the clouds and doing wing over turns up over the mountains. These guys were good, it was awesome to watch. NOTE: If I don¢t get better, I¢m going to the medical center in Lincoln NH to get my chest looked at. Now it¢s 7PM, and there are 8 of us at the shelter. A Southbounder (David), Wench, Hotdog, Space monkey, Spiderman, Bree, Snappy & Puff-Puff. Space monkey is playing guitar, and e are all relaxing. It¢s raining, and we have a steep, dangerous drop, (with log steps, rebar and rocks to play on), all the way to Kinsman notch. Can you say slick? It should be fun. And now two more southbounders rolled in, friends of David (Pizza ass and ??). Hey, we are UNDER 400 MILES TO GO!!! 390.6, we¢ve hiked 1,782 miles so far, and on the trail 158 days.My pack weight on Springer with winter gear, food and water was 36 pounds, now, it¢s 32.5 (not bad). But it¢s more than my summer pack weight of 25 pounds. Oh well, I got some gray closed cell foam scraps (to put under my shoulder straps) from the people at Moonbow (at the Hikers Welcome hostel), so my shoulders feel much better now. I feel like crap, but life is still good.