Date: 2008-09-14
From: Wildcat Mtn Peak E, NH

To: US 2, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: moderate rain

If I didn't want to get into Gorham today, I would have stayed sleeping longer, then read more of my book till the rain let up...but, I haven't had a shower in a long time. :-)I woke up at 4:20am. It started raining at 4:20am...maybe that's what woke me up. It was getting very windy and I could see lots of fog when I shined my headlamp outside the tent to start brewing my Stumpknocker's Blend Coffee.I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ate that and nodded off for about 10 minutes while I waited on my coffee to cool down just enough to start drinking it.I always have such a hard time taking cold, wet, stinky clothes and getting out of a nice warm sleeping bag and putting them back on to walk again...but, once I do it and my body warms up those cold, wet, stinky clothes, it's never all that bad. 8-)I'm REALLY looking forward to a zero day tomorrow! :-)I was all packed and walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 6:20am to a dark, drizzly, foggy, soaking wet morning.I had walked down a moose path well off the Trail last night and sent up my tent there. I wasn't sure how far I had really gotten last night, but I knew it was somewhere on Wildcat Mtn Peak E. I had to walk about 15 minutes to get to Peak D where the wind was really whipping through. It must have been blowing over 40 mph there.I kept walking and passed by Peaks C, B and A. I knew it was going to be a steep descent to Carter Notch Hut. It was a 1,000 foot walk downhill...a very steep downhill at times.I came to a nice, small stream coming off the mountain and stopped and drank a liter and filled up two water bottles for the rest of the walk.It had taken me 2 1/2 hours to go only a little over three miles. I knew the next mile was going to be another slow one because it's a 1,500 climb in just over a mile. That's REAL steep! :-)I didn't stop at Carter Notch Hut. It was .1 miles off the Trail and I didn't want to add that to today's mileage.I got up to Carter Dome and was a huffin' and a puffin'. I was really feeling the need for a rest day. :-)I made another climb up and over Mt Hight, then about a 1,000 foot descent to Zeta Pass.The Carters came next...South Carter, Middle Carter and North Carter Mtns...all in the next three miles.I descended 1,300 feet to the side trail to Imp Campsite where I found a nice shiny quarter laying in the mud. I made some money today! :-)I had passed three sobos just before I got there, so I figured it came from one of them.I walked on. It was only about 900 feet up to Mt Moriah, but it sure seemed to take a long time. There must have been half a dozen false summits.I eventually got to the top...at least the top as far as the AT goes. Mt Moriah's summit was up a side trail and I wasn't going there today. Ha!It was well over a 3,000 foot descent in the next six miles from there to US 2 at Gorham.Most of that was a very steep and slippery descent in the first couple miles.I passed by Rattle River Shelter after looking in for the register and seeing mostly loose papers in the baggie, so I didn't bother signing it.I got to US 2 and got a ride to town, got a motel and soaked in the nice warm water in the tub for half an hour. Boy o' boy....talk about ring around a tub! :-)The only critters I saw today were a hare near South Carter Mtn and a spruce grouse that walked about 5 feet in front of me for about 30 yards before finally flying off.It was a cool, wet and windy day. I walked more like I used to...I only stopped briefly twice all day. Once when I stopped to fill up my water bottles and once when I got hungry and stopped just long enough to fill my pockets with snacks out of my backpack, then walked on eating a little every hour or so.I'm only 16 miles from Maine now. This walk is almost over....all ready! ;-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)