Date: 2005-09-09
From: Eliza Brooks Shelter

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 5.9

Another great day on the stray sod!It rained during the night on and off. A group of Dartmouth students slept under their tarp on the other side of the brook, and a number of other hikers tented out around the shelter. I started off in a morning sufficiently cool to wear my rain jacket, as I started up Kinsman¢s Mountain. It was very difficult going. It is steep and rocky and muddy ¢ it is rather like the worse rock gardens of PA standing on its head! Much of it is a rocky scramble, clutching at outcrops of rock and roots to pull yourself up. The sunny morning and the exertion soon had me climbing in my shirtsleeves.   It was a beautiful day and despite the difficult going, I was filled with euphoria, as I climbed up into the Alpine Zone and watched once again as the trees changed and gave way to the spruce, and then I was in the clean air on the summit of South Kinsman. All around me was clean air and mountains. I could see Wolf Mountain behind me, and Moosilauke behind it. Row upon row of serrated mountains stretching away in the distance in all directions. I found myself a little nitch in the rocks and just sat there and marveled at it all. It was yet another of those magical moments!   Then it was a short dip down into the trees again and up to the summit of North Kinsman, where passing clouds obscured what I am sure is an equally impressive view.   Then my camera jammed! Yes ¢ it is the same camera that jammed before ¢ an Olympus Epic. It seemed to have cured itself of that particular affliction and, since I realy like that camera a lot, I decided to take it back on the trail again. So I have no one to blame but myself. It is still taking photos but the lens will not retract behind its protective cover. I will still be able to continue to use it until I have finished the current roll of film.   Then it was a long and steep and tricky descent down off the mountain. Once again there were steep sections of sheer rock, some with the now familiar wooden steps cut into them, and small rough hewn wooden ladders over particularly steep sections.   All of my companions from the shelter from last evening passed me by on the descent, and Cruise Control did a video of me, which me has promised to post on his web site.   In the middle of a beautiful afternoon I finally arrived here at Lonesome Lake hut, to find all of the hikers from last night here eating soup! I am very impressed by this hut. It overlooks the lake with Franconia Ridge in the background. A very impressive sight.   There are only two people registered to stay here tonight, but so far there has been a steady stream of hikers and day-trippers passing through. Spent some time talking with a retired nurse, and also with the volunteer here ¢ an older lady ¢ who went swimming in the lake.   This was a great day, wonderful weather and great views, and I even enjoyed the difficult hiking. With a great hut to stay in at the end of the day, you just can¢t beat it!      As I observed before, it is hard to have deep philosophical thoughts when you are working hard on the hike. But today I realy felt once again in a magical place and that I had stepped once again on the stray sod. Thought for today ¢   Be Here Now!