Date: 2005-08-26
From: Garfild Ridge campsite

To: Zealand Hut
Miles today: 9.7

Today's hike was significantly better than yesterday's, with a couple of sections where I felt like I was actually back to hiking rather than straight rock climbing! It was tough enough, however, and it still took me about 8 hours to do just under 10 miles.The views weren't as impressive as yesterday, but it was kind of cool to be able to look back and see yesterday's peaks, and equally cool to be able to see the coming challenge - Mount Washington - the start of what is called the Presidential range, looming forbiddingly in the no-longer-so-distant horizon. Mount Washington is the grandaddy of the Whites, but is then folllowed by 25 miles of the same sort of above the treeline, ridgeline trail that I had for just two miles yesterday. (More about the challenges of the Presidential range shortly.)I took my morning break at one of the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) owned "huts" - a really nice place to stay, but you need reservations unlessyou want to just hope for a "work-for-stay" slot. That involves just a couple of hours of work, and then you get meals (dinner and breakfast), but only after those with reservations have eaten, and you don't get a bunk, but may at least get a piece of floor to sleep on.While I took my break, I tried my cell phone and was thrilled to get 4 bars! I immediately called home and, in the space of about ten minutes, my wife had found the right hiking poles (on line) at REI, checked and confirmed that UPS could deliver them by tomorrow (Saturday) to a "remote location" (as most of the towns near the trail up here are characterized). She will now add to her schedule for today securing the needed replacement poles and getting them to UPS, while all I have to do is keep on hiking. Just one more example of why I say that I really could not do this little walk in the woods without her!I reached the Zealand Falls hut about 3:30, and asked if they had a vacancy. They said no, that all the slots had been reserved. Unless someone with a reservation fails to turn up, therefore, I will have to go for the "work for stay" approach. C'est la vie!I did manage to get the hut manager to agree to forget the work bit in exchange for an appropriat fee, but will have to eat with the crew after the "guests" have all eaten, and I have to sleep on one of the three tables in the dining room. Still, I'll be out of the elements, I won't have to cook dinner or pump water, or set up and take down my tent. Life is good!Today's hike is dedicated once agan to my wife - who I miss more than she will ever know. I am sooooo looking forward to being home again, just to be able to spend time with her. Thanks, Babe, for all you do!A post script: I got lucky! One of the guests was slow hiking in, and thus missed dinner. Good Ol' Private Walter M. Longhaul, therefore, got to eat early (with the regular guests even) and had a mighty fine meal indeed. We started with freshly baked bread and a pumpkin and wild rice soup - a bit watery, I thought, but flavorful, and with enogh for seconds, so little Mr. Piggy here had two bowls, of course.We then had a nice salad, small but tasty, followed by a tarragon-flavored chicken breast, sweet corn, and cous cous. Dessert was an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Yum!I was actually quite full. Of course, that was partly because of the 8 peanut butter cookies I ate soon after I arrived - when I thought I waa going to have to wait until 7:30 for dinner with the crew...Lights out was at 9:30, and by 9:35 I was sawing logs, sound asleep on the same table at which I had earlier dined Such is the life of an itinerant former banker now, quite by choice, a homeless person out wondering in the wilderness. Is this a great country, or what?Stay tuned, Longhaul------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com