Date: 2010-07-08
From: Madison Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 12 - "Who'se your momma now".I sat outside the hut waiting patiently to do my duties. At 7:30, I went in to see if the croo was ready for me. I got to eat first. Ham, cold potatoes, cold peas and cake. Wasn't the greatest, but it was free. Tasted good, but this morning I felt like a swollen blowfish from the salt.My job was to clean the grill. Exciting. Even more exciting was when I found out what my tools would be to clean the grill. Rice vinegar, a scrungy that was disgusting, a spoon, a small paint scrapper and heres the capper - 7 giant coffee filters. And, I mean giant. They were at least 24 inches in diameter.I scraped and scrubbed for over an hour. One of the croo approved of my work so I got to sit at a table until lights out (9:30). at 9:30 - I had to wait until everyone or most everyone went to bed before I could set up my bedding. I opted to sleep on a table. Done that enough on the trail - so I was all set.Hotter than heck and I couldn't fall asleep. Probably got 4 hours of sleep.I was up about the same time the cook was up starting to prepare dinner. I was ready to go at 6, but asked her if there was any other chores I needed to do. She said - nope you are all set. She gave me a pancake right off the grill and of I went.I think the trail was letting me know who was boss. She gave me a gift yesterda and today she made me pay. I had to climb up and over Mt. Madison (5363). It was brutal. I felt like I was wondering aimlessly on the face of the moon. It was hotter than hell - the sun was blinding. Rocks every where. Boulders, bowling ball size, baseball size, dark black. I kept losing the cairns (which direct you where the trail goes). It took me 2 hours to go 1 mile.Finally got below treeline and it never ended. It took me 7hrs and 15 minutes to go 7.8 miles.The weather is good no rian, but brutal for hiking. No air and hot.Got to the vistor center to get my packages and only one was there. And, it was the one I sent not the one the SQ sent with my phone cord. My phone is in the red zone for battery and was about to die. No cell reception so I couldn't call the SQ. Tried to make a credit card call and it would not accept my credit card. I was ready to blow a gasket.Was able to text the SQ - who said that the PO said it was delivered. Back to the desk. They checked again. Nope not here. Really ready to blow a gasket. The kid send me over to the lodge to see if it went there - on the way over the woman from the lodge was coming to the visitor center. Nope no package at the lodge. She made a phone call - nope not in storage. She had an idea - has me follow her to the employee area. Hurray - there it is.The SQ forgot to write hold for AT hiker, so they thought it was a package for an employee. Thank you momma trail - you are all powerful like the OZ.Another killer day tomorrow up the wildcats. Still hot but better than rain.Monkey has had his face smashed into so much granite that his smile is being rubbed off. It told him to deal - since my boot is falling a part and the granite is cutting my legs to shreds - he is lucky that that is all that is happening.Each room at the lodge has a name - my room's name is Yellow Birch.