Date: 2009-08-25
From: Lake of Clouds Hut

To: Osgood tent sites
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The experiences I had hiking today I know I shall never forget. Things that I saw with my own eyes today, my mind may not have been able to imagine a year ago. At times I felt like I could have been in another climate, another time period, another country, another ecosystem, and perhaps on another planet.      Certainly I was in another air mass as I was the first to leave Lakes of the Clouds and experience the bone chilling cold that the cold front passage provided. At the Hut, the temps were in the high 30's and the wind blowing about 40 knots. For the first time in a long while, I hiked in gloves, winter hat and fleece. Up the mountain I went into a cold, vast, rocky land that reminded me of how I think the desert looks. The small plants that manage to grow here are a science lover's dream. They look like they would be more at home a hundred feet under water than they do here. Today they were frosted over like a winter morning. Since the side of the mountain is nothing but rocks, it would be impossible to distinguish the trail if it weren't for dozens of big rock cairns that devoutly lead the way. Today the cairns all had a gleaming white boulder at the top almost like a lighthouse.      The top of Mt. Washington was so cold. Looking out over the unthinkable amount of space was humbling. I was thankful for the few minutes I had there by myself before the masses began to arrive. There is a train that comes up from the valley and is actually pushed by a true coal powered steam locomotive. It was so 1800's. When I finally began the trek away from the summit I had problems getting around the 20 people herded at the summit sign for pictures. I was cool here but there is one sign at the top of another very special mountain that I have my eye on: I will be hurling day hikers off that one if need be!      I only spent 30 minutes on Mt. Washington and felt disappointed leaving so soon but I was freezing and I was also pouting because my phone/camera was dead and I couldn't take any pictures of this, the most beautiful day of my entire hike. However I soon became aware that the greatness of the day wasn't just summiting Washington, but to be next to it as you parade by and over Clay, Jefferson, Madison, and Adams. Each of these are huge in themselves and you spend intimate time with each one on your way by, always with Washington in sight.      At lunch time, a small miracle happened when my phone came back on line. Not all of it works, but the camera does and it sends pictures, so I am feeling much better. To celebrate, I climbed Mt. Adams and sat up there for 2 hours, staring at many places. I had been trying to make time to get to Pinkham Notch to get into town to solve the phone dilemma, but now, thankfully, I can enjoy this most amazing of days and relax with "plan A".      The evening came so soon and I was sad to leave Mt. Adams. The 3000ft. descent ahead was making me a little uneasy and I didn't want to do it in the dark. For the first time in over 24 hours, I returned to the treeline and descended from the ridge. Finally I got to camp and am the only thru-hiker here. It's an hour past bed time and lots of work to do tomorrow. Until then...