Date: 2007-09-08
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: broken clouds

September 8. 1,800 MilesWe were very lucky today. The forecast called for rain but we ventured out anyway...We met Melk's parents for breakfast at Peg's and started hiking around 8:30 a.m. It was cloudy and had just sprinkled a little bit otherwise was fine for hiking.Hiking together again, we climbed the first 700-foot hill off of the road. Then, as Melk would say, we went down, over, up, and then bumpity bump for a while. I had to stop at one point to try and remedy my aching shins. I tried to wrap my right leg in duct tape but it didn't last very long. It worries me a bit that they ache so bad.Anyways, at 1:30 p.m. we stopped for lunch at Eliza Brook before our climb up South Kinsman. We were there for about an hour before Sunshine and Google came by. They were freaked out because Chuck Norris and Tigger had told them it took them eight hours to hike from Eliza Brook to Franconia Notch and it was already 2:30 p.m. Not really terrain you want to night hike in for three hours.So we got a move on and started the very steep climb up South Kinsman. I was very thankful the rain hadn't lingered all day because the entire way up the 2,000-foot climb was rock scrambling. Slick rocks would have been a bad idea. So we worked our way up slowly and finally made it to the peak around 4 p.m. The views were hazy but looked impressive nonetheless. We stopped for a break with Google and Sunshine for about a half hour and then made our way over to North Kinsman. We got there quickly, finally setting our normal non-Whites pace and then began the descent. Melk pointed out all of the mountains she could since she's been hiking in the Whites since before she was born (as she tells people).Oye, the descent. It lasted forever. It was very steep and involved a lot of clinging to trees for support, butt scooting, wooden stairs nailed into sheer rockfaces, slick rocks, and scary cliff-like jumps. No wonder this was taking so long. We took our time on the way to ensure safety and, really, I was having a good time until my knees started hurting. And then the rain started.Luckily we were very close to Lonesome Lake Hut and the trail we were taking to Lafayette Campground to meet Melk's parents. We got to Lonesome Lake Hut at 7 p.m. and continued 1.5 miles on the trail to the campground. The trail skirted Lonesome Lake which looked pretty eerie and cool as we passed - it was a little dark, a bit foggy and the rain was making the water jump up and down on the surface. We hiked in our headlamps for the last half hour in the dark and rain. Now this is what I thought the Whites would be like.But we made it out of our second day of the Whites alive and fairly comfortable. I was pleased and felt extremely lucky.We had dinner with Melk's parents again at the Woodstock Inn and then headed to a motel for showers and sleep....We hit the 1,800 mile mark about a mile before Lonesome Lake Hut but in the tizzy of the rain and slick rocks, I forgot to stop and make my traditional marker. I will have to do that tomorrow. 1,800 down, 375ish to go.Also, add my watch to the list of gear taking a turn for the worse. It must have gotten wet today because it's all foggy now.- Sound of the fan in our motel room.Post Trail Thoughts:It's funny to me how scared I was of the Whites. They put the fear of God in me! Every night I was thankful to get safe and protected in my sleeping bag and laid in awe that I survived another day. Looking back, I'm proud to have hiked 16 miles in the Whites. I would soon learn how hard that would be.