Date: 2015-09-12
From: Gondola 

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 3.0

I believe I survived the Wildcats! It was another trying day for me bit not as difficult as yesterday. It rained most of the day and was cloudy and misty as I climbed over Wildcat C, B and finally A which was the steepest. I'm not sure why they all got letters instead of individual names as they were all deserving in my opinion. We took the Gondola ride up the mountain and walked a very short distance to a wooden platform with an observation deck at the top of Wildcat D. Normally it would be the perfect spot to view the mountain ranges on a clear day. All I could see were blankets of white clouds while a light rain spattered on me. I was not too disappointed because I am still thankful for the magnificent views I saw every single day while hiking in perfect weather through the Presidentials. I had read that 60% of the time Mt. Washington is in clouds and that it rains over 100 days of the year and can snow on any given day. How lucky I was! I do not want to be greedy.There were no blazes or signs telling us which trail to take so we checked our guthook apps which told us to head down on the right. The trail was again maDE up of rocks and roots which were very slippery. I don't know what I would do without all these strong roots coming out of the ground to grab and hold onto and hoist myself up and down the climbs to keep from falling. They are extremely slippery went wet though especially when stepping on them. After about a half mile I noticed I hadn't seen any white olaces, which are few and far between in The Whites, which concerned me for some reason. I had a weird feeling we may have gone the wrong way. Again we consulted guthook and it showed that we were off the trail. Disappointed we climbed back up to the wooden platform and again guthook told us to go the same way we had just come, and we found something etched into the wood by someone telling us where to go. Off we went for the third time with more rain soaking us. They say practice makes perfect. This time I was able to climb down in two spots that I had to butt blaze the first time going down.These three miles took me the better part of the day, and I made it to Carter Notch Hut by 4:00 in the pouring rain and very cold. It was dark and dreary and very cold. There were two beautiful ponds surrounded by huge boulders and a "beach" area right next to the hut. This would have been a great place to camp if it was not illegal. You cannot camp within a quarter mile of a hut, shelter, campground, road or water. Or within 200 yards of the trail or above treeline. This is why it has been so difficult finding a place to camp if you are a slower hiker. We were in luck tonight as we were given work for stay for the first time in the hut system. This means that after the paying guests leave for their bunk rooms in the evening we are given chores to do in exchange for sleeping on the floor of the dining room. Carter Notch Hut is the smallest and most remote hut and the farthest north of all the huts. There were only 10 guests this evening so it was a cozy group. Fizzy came in soaking wet and shivering after dark and was given work for stay as well. A male and female hiker with a gorgeous dog named Venus came in after soaking wet as well and were not allowed to stay which was very sad to see on a very cold night when it was forecast to drop into the 30's. Another thru-hiker named Loon was so kind and offered to pay the $250 fee for them both to stay, but they declined. Loon's generosity and compassion blew my mind and brought tears to my eyes. Fortunately they were able to have leftover dinner with us before they left in the dark and rain to find a place to camp. I hope they are safe.We dined on a delicious meal of stuffed pasta shells, salad, homemade bread and cookies and cake. It was a treat indeed. Our work for our stay was to scrub baking pans that were stained and greasy. We scrubbed for an hour straight and as hard as we worked it barely looked like we did anything. My wrists are very sore. All the climbing with my hands have been pushing them beyond their limits as well.I am warm and cozy on the floor of this hut and soooooo thankful to be here. The wind is howling so loud it sounds like this hut may come down, but I know it have been here for about a hundred years so I am safe. What a beautiful spot! Good Bye Wildcats.