Date: 2007-08-03
From: Nauman Tentsite

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

I looked at my watch when I awoke this morning and it was 6:30. I had hoped to get an earlier start. I packed up my gear and ate some poptarts. I checked my watch again as I was walked out of the campsite. It was 6:30. It must have been 5:30 when I woke up. Walking Cowboy and Gut had already left. I was taking a picture along the trail and my camera battery went dead. I forgot to charge it at the campground a few days ago.The skies were clear and the trail wasn't too bad. I was moving along well. I caught up to and passed Walking Cowboy within the first few miles. The trail was above tree line for most of the day. The views were incredible again. I reached the Lake of the Clouds Hut around 9:00. I went inside and met Johanas, one of the croo. He fixed me a bowl of oatmeal, made some lemonade, and set out some bread. Walking Cowboy arrived while I was eating. Before I finished, Johanas brought out a chocolate cake with raspberry frosting. It was delicious.From there it was a little over 2 miles to the summit of Mt Washington. I have heard all the stories of treacherous weather conditions and the highest recorded wind speed of 230 miles per hour. I looked up when I walked out of the hut and the skies had become cloudy, but this cleared in a few minutes and the sun returned. It looked like there was a dark cloud forming as it approached Mt Washington and quickly vanishing after it crossed the summit. The clouds were high in the sky and the summit was clearly visible. I reached the summit and headed straight for the snack bar. The pizza wasn't ready so I had two hot dogs and an energy drink. I charged my camera battery and cell phone while I was there. I hung out there for about an hour and a half and went back for a slice of pizza and another energy drink.I left the summit and headed towards Madison Spring Hut, which was 5.6 miles away. The trail crosses the tracks of the Mt Washington Cog Railway where tourist ride in a rail car pushed up the mountain by a coal powered steam engine spewing large clouds of black smoke. There is a tradition for thru-hikers to moon the train near where the paths cross. I chose not to participate in this tradition, but talked to another hiker who said he did.I saw a lot of day / section hikers on the trail today. I saw a couple of boys that were excited to see a thru-hiker and had a line of questions for me to answer. They told me about other thru-hikers they had met. Later I met a group of 5 ladies from Quebec that were excited to meet a thru-hiker. They said I was like a celebrity to them. They had lots of questions also. They asked if I got depressed on the trail and if I had a ball with a face on it like Wilson in the movie Castaway. They gathered around to have their picture taken with me. I was like a rockstar!I have been watching the weather reports for a while and they have been very consistent in predicting a chance of thunderstorms for Friday afternoon and sunny the rest of the time. I have also noticed in my guide book I would be crossing a location called Thunderstorm Junction on this Friday afternoon. I recall the heavy thunder and lightning storm I experienced when I arrived at Thunder Hill Shelter back in Virginia (I think). Surely the odds are too great for a repeat. Well dark clouds had started forming already and my destination was already determined. I passed Israel Ridge Path and knew I was 0.6 miles from Thunderstorm Junction. The dark cloud was in that direction and yet I could see blue sky all around this cloud. A couple hundred feet later I heard some rumbling thunder and felt a few rain drops. The cloud was moving across the ridge and I thought I was in the clear. I was approaching the junction and felt some more rain. I turned around and saw another cloud had formed. I headed through the junction, but wasn't sure I was on the right trail so I backed up and the rain started to pour. It was very cold. I confirmed I was on the right trail and started back down the trail. Kaboom! Wow that was loud thunder and sounded like it was right over my head. Now I was worried. I rushed down the trail and a few minutes later the rain stopped and the sun was shining on me again. I guess it just wouldn't be right for me to go through the Whites without some rain and of course I would get a thunderstorm at thunderstorm junction. I sure hope they didn't label anything tornado alley further up the trail.I made it to Madison Spring Hut and am doing work for stay again. There are 5 thru-Hikers here tonight. Nobos: Diesel, Walking Cowboy, Gut, AAA. Sobo: Red Beard.