Date: 2009-07-27
From: Galehead Hut

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 21.1

Well, it would have been an awesome day instead of just an excellent day if I hadn¢t lacked one small piece of information this afternoon. I had decided to see some new territory and take another Blue Blaze today. The plan was to hike from Galehead Hut to Zealand Falls Hut, pick up the A-Z trail, then hike over Tom Mountain down to the Highland Center in Pinkham Notch, then take the Crawford Path up to Mizpah Spring Hut. This would allow me to see some new territory, knock a few miles off a long day, and spend some quality time in a well-stocked, full service cafeteria in the Highland Center. I asked one of the employees at the Zealand Falls Hut where to pick up the A-Z trail and he said to continue north on the AT and watch for a sign off to the right for the A-Z trail¢¦he said I couldn¢t miss it. The one small piece of information he left out was that I had to go about 1/10 of a mile to the left off the AT onto another trail (the Zealand trail) to get to the sign for the A-Z trail. The end result is that I hiked all the way to Thoreau Falls before I turned around to find out where I went wrong. I found a local hiker who told me about the need to go a short distance on the Zealand Trail, but that little mistake cost me 5 or 6 miles¢¦so much for knocking a few miles off my long hike today. But, I did get to see some new territory (even though it was during a thunderstorm) and I did get to hit the cafeteria at the Highland Center (if only for an abbreviated visit). However, I did get to my destination safe and sound and in plenty of time to get settled in before supper. I did have my two least-controlled spills of my hike today. No damage, but my legs went out from under me twice today. Once was when I stepped on a wet board and the second was on a wet rock. Neither looked treacherous at all but they took me by surprise. I¢m very thankful both spills sent me into twigs and sticks and nothing more damaging. Both times I landed so hard on my pack that I was concerned I may have busted the water bladder I carry in the back of my pack. Luckily it was still intact both times. When I was at the Highland Center I got a couple of Cokes and a foot long sub. I ate half the sub and took the other half with me for later. When I got to Mizpah Spring Hut, Kuru and Snorkel were there for a break, so I gave them the other half of the sub and they clearly enjoyed it. The clouds obscured most of the views today and we had a brief thunderstorm (while I was well below tree-line. I¢m being told by all the locals that this is the wettest year on record in this area. I hope it lets up soon. Oh, I don¢t think I mentioned yesterday that one of the hut workers recognized me from my hike two years earlier. Once she mentioned it, I do remember having seen her, but it was really neat that she recognized me and mentioned it to me. They must see thousands of faces per year coming through their huts. Well, the forecast for tomorrow is better than any day since I¢ve been in the White Mountains. I¢ll be heading over Mount Washington, so I¢m hoping the forecast is accurate. I¢d love to get some good pictures while I¢m up there. I was looking through the hiker register and saw that Swiss, the Chocolate Bandito had been in this hut just a few days ago. I met her early in my 2007 hike and she was hoping to run in to some hikers she knew while vacationing in the Whites. Just missed her!