Date: 2006-07-18
From: Mt. Washington

To: Crawford Notch & beyond
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Today was one of those days that is totally about to beat you down when something so random and unexpected happens it makes up for everything. Today started out with blue skies but warnings of sever t-storms by the hut croo. I figured it wouldn't be too bad of a problem since I only was doing 9 miles, the worst being over in the morning. Well, the worst was something so terrifying I can't even begin to describe it to you. But I'll try.I had to go down Webster Cliffs which was basically a series of straight downs. Straight down big rocks that is, with no hand holds, foot holds, or anything else but more big rock, and some of them were wet. A lot of the trees to grab onto were dead. It was just me, my useless poles, and rock. I'm thinking to myself, "You shouldn't be doing this alone," but what choice did I have. There are no SOBO's out here, I've hardly met any NOBO's. I felt like the only long distance hiker anywhere in the White's and was completely miserable.The cliffs themselves didn't offer what I felt was a great view and the 65mph winds on them were no fun at all. I didn't even want to try and check out any amazing view, I didn't want to be blown off the freaking things in between trying desperately not to kill myself. So what do you do when faced with straight drops? First, you constantly hear your mother's voice saying "You're going to break your neck," then you tell yourself "You are going to break your neck and you're all alone and are going to die." That was the start of my descents. After convincing myself I wasn't going to die I threw my poles down the steep ass rocks and slid down on my butt, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes not. The involuntary ones were the scariest. I would head toward trees, other big rocks, and frantically try to stop. I always did, just sometimes barely. My butt and my pants took quite a beating today. I'll be sporting a green stripe of duck tape from now on down the butt crack of my pants. After going, going, going down I stopped for a break and told myself not to cry. I hadn't really had a bad day out here yet and this one wasn't going to kill me. I hoped. I knew I only had about another 1.5 miles of down till I reached Crawford Notch and I could do it. So, I reluctantly got back up, put my pack on and started to hike. Not 2 minutes later I came upon a hiker. In my totally miserable state I uttered the obligatory "Hi" and looked back down. But something was different. I looked back up and thought I was seeing a hallucination. My mind couldn't comprehend what I was seeing and it was working so hard to figure it out it forgot to tell my body what to do. So I take the upteenth fall of the day all the while going "I know you... what are you doing here?" Mallow had come to visit me! For the first time in over a month out here I really cried. I couldn't help it, it just started. She's asking me if I'm okay and I'm saying no then yes. It was exactly what I needed, a friend. We sat on the trail for half and hour than headed the rest of the way down to her car. She took me to get ice cream, gave me a new CD Go-Go made for me, gave me my signature neon green duck tape, traded headlamps with me since mine was kaput, and made my day. It was the best! While eating ice cream the storms rolled in extremely quick and with a vengeance. We were safe and sheltered. After a few hours she dropped me back off and I hiked back into the woods. Of course the storms came back but I didn't care. The terrain was easy and I reached the shelter in no time at all. It was supposed to be 4 miles but it couldn't have been, I made it in an hour and half. So now all I have to do is decide rather to tent or brave the shelter. I think the shelter is winning out. I heard there might be hail tonight, no use ruining my tent. Also, I can hear the bull frogs from the shelter. There is a wonderful, huge pond here that might afford me my first moose sighting! That would be awesome. And I have Kung Pao Chicken for dinner. Yummy. The rest of the week is going to be just fine.