Date: 2006-07-08
From: Town and Country Inn

To: The Barn Hostel
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: broken clouds

Well, last night after I finished journalling I ended up waiting for Pop-tart and Ridge Fungi along with her parents. I thought they would have been finished around 8:30pm, but they weren't and we all started to get a bit worried. Pop-tart's Dad was pretty much ready to take a flashlite up the mountain after them. Finally, they showed up at 10:30pm. Now that is slome slow hiking.So we were all relieved. Pop-tart's parents invited me to stay at their hotel that night and use the extra bed, and I said yes after much convincing. But first we all went to dinner and then found our way to the hotel around 12am.So this morning I woke up around 7:30am and Pop-tart's Dad took me back to Pinkham Notch around 8:30am. I said thanks and then went inside the visitor's center in search of T-Lars shot glass, I thought I had accidentally left it on top of the coke machine. Well, it wasn't there, so I was a bit bummed out. 8:45am rolled around so I started hiking.Climbing out of the notch up Wildcat was freekin' steep, and then when you go to the top you headed straight down into Carter Notch. I ended up eating lunch at the Hut down there. Tom was in there when I walked in as well as the Hut's caretaker, Bethany. It was funny, Tom had never heard of the name Bethany before. He even asked if her parents were black, thinking it was an ethnic name. The whole situation has me rolling. I told Tom at his age there aren't too many firsts left so rejoice.Later Mango came in and we all got talking. I explained that I think I'm developing planterfacitus in my left foot , but also said I wanted to go all the way into Gorham tonight so I could take a zero day tomorrow. Mango thought I'd be an idiot if I tried doing that with a bad foot. So that comment along with Tom's doubts from yesterday thinking I couldn't make it all the way king of pushed me over the edge as to where I was determined to make it to Gorham tonight. So I pushed on.The climb up to the Carter ridge line was equally as tought as Wildcat. And then after that there were three peaks to Carter, but they weren't that bad. So I made it to IMP campground and thought I could make it over Mt. Moriah on 1/2 liter of water. That was a mistake. It was crazy hot and again very steep. I had to stop and sit down a couple of times. During those times I thought to myself why am I killing myself today to go into Gorham, especially on a bad foot. I knew there was a bit of pride involved on my part, and that is wrong. I should not let pride be the main purpose for doing something. In escense I'm saying, "I'm better than that" when in reality I am nothing, it is Christ in me that makes me something. Thank God for that moment of wisdom. So I prayed for strength to make it to Gorham and God provided. Mango and Tom were right, I couldn't make it on my own, I needed God's help.So up and over Mt. Moriah I went. I finally came to the shelter 2 miles from the road that Restless and 2 Shoes were at and upon seeing 12 teenage girls sitting around a campfire giggling, that pretty much sealed the deal that I'd go into Gorham and stay at the Barn Hostel tonight.So I hiked to the road, hitched into Gorham and stayed at the Barn Hostel. Chunky Monkey, or just Chunky, was there too, a SOBO I met during the day. It was just us two tonight so it was quiet. We talked a lot about God and why we are hiking the trail. Tomorrow I get to do a zero day and I'm so thrilled about that.strawberry havest powerbar---cheese, peanutbutter, honey nut cheerios---footlong spicy Italian - Subway, rockstar energy drink