Date: 2017-07-19
From: Stealth site near Galehead Hut, NH

To: Crawford Notch campground, NH
Miles today: 14.6

7/18/17, Crawford Notch Campground, NHMiles hiked: 1526.5, Miles to Katahdin: 345.4, Miles to go: 663.3I awoke to another beautiful day. I was up and on my way by 7:30 AM, after stopping at the Galehead Hut for water. I immediately started a near vertical climb to the summit of South Twin Mountain. I was rewarded for my efforts when I broke treeline and was greeted by one of the most incredible views I've had yet. In all directions, all I could see was row upon row of mountains. Mount Washington, which is where I am heading tomorrow, was especially prominent on the horizon. My marathoner friends from yesterday, Beth and Kirsten, arrived at the summit while I was soaking in the views. They had spent the night at Galehead Hut and were completing the second half of their hike today. We hiked together for a couple of miles, picking up the conversation where we had left off yesterday. Eventually, our paths diverged and we said our goodbyes. The rest of the morning was spent climbing up and down rocky pathways. I soon dropped below treeline again and didn't have any more views for the rest of the day. Around noon, I arrived at Zeeland Falls Hut and stopped in for a bowl of potato kale soup and some baked goods. After resting my tired knees awhile, I headed out again. The rest of the afternoon was spent descending into Crawford Notch, where the AT crosses NH Rt 3 before starting the climb up Mt Washington. You would think that descending would be better than ascending; however, descending is murder on the knees.  I had planned to get a head start on the climb up Mt Washington by hiking another 5.9 miles to Mitzpah Hut; however, as I descended toward Crawford Notch, I realized that I was tired, even though I had only hiked 14.6 miles. We NOBOs had been warned by everyone who knows anything about the AT to be prepared to slow down in the Whites; however, it's still sobering when you've gotten used to 20-25 mile days to find that 10-15 mile days are whipping your butt!As I stopped to filter water just before Crawford Notch, Jailbird, another graybeard hiker that I have been hiking around the past couple of days, caught up. When we reached Crawford Notch, we found out that the whole area was part of a state park and camping was forbidden. So, we decided to share a tent site at a nearby campground. As we were passing through the parking lot at the notch, Jailbird asked some people who were getting in their pickup if they would give us a ride to the campground. They said to hop in the back and we were on our way. When we reached the campground, we discovered that they also had single room cabins available. We decided it was worth a little extra to have actual beds, electricity, and a roof, especially since it was clouding up and threatening rain. I am now clean, my clothes are now clean, and we are all ready to take on Mt Washington tomorrow. We will be traversing a 12 mile section above treeline and the second highest peak on the entire AT, where measurable snowfall has been recorded in every month of the year and winds were once recorded at greater than 230 mph. Let's all pray for good weather.