Date: 2007-08-19
To: Niezpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 5.0

mi. 5sleep hut/floordest. Niezpah Spring Hut day 38 Well as you can see I am hitting up all the huts. Can't complain though. Each one gets better. The day started off where yesteray left off. It was really cold in the hut, and in the 20's with the wind chill outside. I woke up and packed up as usual. Breakfest was great. Lots of pancakes. Once again more than anyone could finish. No one was in a hurry to get started. The forcast was for possible clearing later. After breakfest the 4 of us, were standing around thinking about the cold. Someone asked where th hiker box was, here otherwise known as the lost and found. Barbra scored a nice fleece and left glove. Hyde, one of the northbounders, scored a hat. After everyone left me and Barbra swept out the bunk rooms as the rest of our work. I scored a right glove for him. Funny how these things work out. I sat around with Barbra and one of the guests and played the longest game of UNO in my life. I never played it this way, but we played where you kept drawing a card until you could play. The game lasted close to 2 hours. Great time though. I am getting really good trail magic from everyone up here. One guy asked me if I wanted any extra food. Of course I said yes. He gave me 3 health food bars. The one I eat later was pretty good. The woman playing cards then got out some grapes and we were eating them. Then the guy came back and gave me a PB and J sandwich. I asked Barbra if he wanted half. He gave me the do you even need to ask look, and shook his head yes. Around 11:45am I finally headed out. I figured it wasn't getting any nicer. My goal was only a short 5 miles away anyways. The first hour was like yesterday without the the rain and a little less wind. Best of all I could wear my glasses. After about an hour of hiking the wind picked up and the sun started to come out. Everything slowed cleared out. I was so happy to have some views. I was a little disappointed I didn't wait longer. The offer was there that I could have work for stayed a second night if I wanted to go over Washington again. The terrain was easy enough I could have went there and back and still made it were I was today. But that is the way it turns out sometimes. Funny thing too. They hut crew was talking that they had 200+ lbs of stuff that had to go the mile to the summit. I offered to do that for my work for stay, but they wouldn't let me. It would only be 40 lbs but on this crazy looking pack. I figured that would be a cool work for stay story. I stopped right after the clouds opened up for my first coffee on the trail in days. The weather kept me from doing it the last couple, and other things got in the way before. I found the best spot. Great view, great rock to sit on, and out of the wind. I had a day hiker take my pic. That is one I'll get posted when I swap out cards next. It was my favorite spot to date. Well I officially blue blazed for the first time today. That is where you take a different trail other than the AT. I didn't take it to skip a hard part, for the weather, or to see water. I took it to go over a mountain that the trail went around. The AT skirts the side of Mt Esinhower. The climb was a really easy up and over. Only about a 500 ft elevation gain or so. With the views I was having today, no way I was going to miss it. The trail picked up the AT on the other side. I took a long break and chated with some really nice day hikers. Then the backcountry tourons came. A big thing to do in NH is to climb all 4000 foot high peaks. This was one of them. A couple walked up. I was sitting next to a carin with the 2 day hikers using it as a windbreak. He walks between me and one of them, sits right next to us, and almost stabs us with his trekking pole. We definitly made a comment about that. We talk loudly to each other about what ther peaks they were going to bag today. I left to get away from then. They passed me on the way down a couple minutes later. In case your wondering to me a backcountry touron is someone who does tourest things in spots you have to hike to. Come on people stop and enjoy what you are seeing. I scored my third bit of trail magic for the day. I was chatting with a couple other day hikers. When they found out that I was a sounthbounder, one of them asked me if I needed any more food. I replied with my usual I won't turn anything down. I was still a little concerned at this point. He gave me 2 health bar things. I swear I am going to gain some weight back in the Whites at this pace. I didn't want to get to the hut too early. It was only around 3pm at this point. I took a couple more long breaks and enjoyed the scenery. I talked with a couple northbounders who said the hut I was shooting for still needed a work for stay. Usually if you get there to fast they turn you away. Plus there is a tent site really close. I got to the hut and they said it wouldn't be a problem. I also asked and got a bowel of soup or free from lunch. I sat around and chatted and finished yesterday's journal. This work for stay ended up being the most work I did to date and the most fun. There was only 4 people working the hut when I think they usually have 6. Hey asked me to sit the tables for dinner. I did that and walked into the kicten and asked what was next. They said if I didn't mind I would basically be one of them and help out through dinner. Not a big deal I would just be sitting around anyways. It was every reminisate of my crap job back home. For those who don't know I waited tables the last 1.5 or so to fund my hike. The difference here is I also had to help with all of the dishes. I'm kind of glad I did it this way. I got a really good understanding of what the hut crew goes through on a daily basis. They are all people in the 20's either in or finishing up college. They work something like 11 days on 3 days off. They basically do everything in a resturant and hotel. They take turns doing the cooking. But everyone has to serve and clean up. They have to do all the little jobs around the hut. They also pack stuff in and out. A lot of work. Their day just whinds down after they are done with dinner nd the thru hikers get to eat. Basically at 7:30pm or so. It starts around 6am. Don't get me wrong the have some free time in the day and goof off a lot. I'm just trying to explain why they are short with thru hikers sometimes. Other than Carter Notch, they have all been good. I even got introduced after dinner to everyone. They do a thing where they bring the whole croo out and you say something about yourself. Ghey could have warned me. But it was better this way.