Date: 2013-09-13
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Mt. Garfield
Miles today: 10.3

33189 steps. I got a ride in the morning from some local trail angels along with Boomerang and Critter back to the Liberty Springs Trail parking lot. There were several other hikers who had been at Chet's on the trail. It was cool and misty and there were more difficult climbs. At one place I had to take off my pack and hoist it up the rocks, then climb up after it. I couldn't lift myself and the pack at the same time. Above treeline, there was a stiff wind, and the ridge was in a cloud, which amounted to driving rain. The visibility was maybe 50 feet, I could just make out the cairns marking the trail. I didn't put on my poncho, because it would have hindered more than helped in the wind, so I just had my nylon hiking pants, merino sweater and merino undershirt and a fleece hat under a Goretex rain hat. I got soaked quickly. Everyone got ahead of me and I was up there alone. On Mt. Lafayette, I ran into a couple of day hikers who must've climbed up from Greenleaf Hut. Supposedly you could see the hut and the trail to it from the peak, but not in these conditions. They asked "How's it going?" and I replied that actually I was scared. However, I took their picture on the peak and they high-fived each other and went on to the south and I went on north. After Lafayette and on to Mt. Lincoln, the rain picked up and the rocks were slippery. I slipped and slid down the rocks a few times. It was difficult to follow the trail. Somewhere between the two peaks I was thinking that this would be a stupid way to die and resolved to give up on the Whites this late in the year. I was above treeline for about four hours, soaked and cold. I was relieved to get back in the cover of the trees. I ran across Hawaii, eating lunch on the trail. She said "That was brutal". I wanted to stop and eat too, but I was afraid I couldn't make it to the shelter before dark, so I kept going. My legs were exhausted, they gave out on some of the high steps up rocks that I would ordinarily be able to lift easily, and I had to haul myself up with hands on trees. Hawaii passed me up again as I was struggling up the rocks.My down sleeping bag was stuffed in a dry sack, but still got soaking wet, as did all of my gear. I was aiming for Garfield Shelter, but I didn't know how far it was, so I stopped in a little mossy clearing as it was getting dark and pitched my tarp there. I cooked some ramen noodles under my tarp and got in my wet sleeping bag and put my space blanket over top. The noodles warmed me up a little, but I was still cold. I was only about twenty feet off the trail, it was easy to see my tarp, but I couldn't see out from under it to the trail. I heard some people go by talking in the dark. I found out later that it was Boomerang and Critter. They also had a really hard day. They had gone down to the hut from Lafayette and had continued on in the dark to Garfield shelter. After dark Blast and his dog Copper, a 10-year-old Golden Retriever, arrived at the clearing. I had met them only that day, earlier on the trail before we got above treeline. Blast had been slowed down helping Copper over the rocks. Blast wanted to pitch his tent there, but I had my tarp in the only flat spot big enough, so I scooted over and made room for them under the tarp. Blast draped his tent and tent fly over one side of the tarp to block some of the wind and Copper snuggled up against me while Blast was cooking his dinner. We were both shivering. I got some intermittent sleep but resolved to get down off the mountain in the morning.