Date: 2012-05-25
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: NH 25A roadcrossing
Miles today: 4.9

Take It Easy and I both woke as the sun was about to come up. Lots of bird chatter to ease us into the day. But it was too early to stir, waited for Chris to rouse, since he said he sometimes gets up early. But he didn't today. So we got up, of course waking him as we shifted and packed our gear. Chris woke up cheerful, saying he had a good night's sleep. We left Chris and the shelter behind, walked down the 0.2 miles shelter sidetrail to rejoin the AT. Watered up at the roaring stream at the trail junction, crossed the wooden bridge---thank goodness for the occasional bridge. So much safer feeling than rock hopping. With all the rain this season, all waters are fast and deep. And we're hoping to continue to stay on the topside of water surfaces. Water bags full, we start our AT hike for the day, crossing our fingers the heat won't rise too much as the day goes on.    Well, through the forest canopy we see lots of fat, heavy rain clouds moving overhead. Within 30 minutes the rain began. Ugh. Poncho on me, rain jacket on Take It Easy. Now the trail underfoot is even more challenging with the roots snaking everywhichaway, some raised to catch the toe of our shoes. Dirt turned into slippery mud, bogs got boggier. We hiked on, soaked from head to toe, focusing on every foot and pole placement. The rain was heavy and pelted strongly enough that we couldn't talk; it drowned out the reassuring click of our poles against the rocks. Several hundred yards of slick, steep rock slabs and whalehumps challenged our balance and stamina. It was like something out of a movie: the wind howled, the rain came down in buckets, and we were surrounded by thick fog, all the while feeling all of the sensations of being on exposed ridges high above the valleys. At times the rocky surfaces were so steep and slippery we had to get down on all fours and grope for hand and footholds. In some places there were stunted 3 ft. tall balsam firs lining the slabs whose roots we'd test by giving a tug on a fistful of branches before using them to hoist ourselves up the slope, or at times using them to ease our bodies down an incline. Often I just sat down on the slab and scooted on my bottom. At least that way I didn't risk a serious fall into a crevasse where Take It Easy wouldn't even be able to reach me. We both commented that the lady hiker we talked with yesterday probably fell somewhere in this vast slick stuff. Yesterday it was dry when she was here, now it's even more treacherous. For downhills, often poles were of no use...just toss them down, watch them clatter to the floor of that section of rock and work our way down to them. Did I mention that the other day there was a long knotted rope anchored on a slope to be used for hikers to haul themselves up? Well, we sure could've used a rope like that today! My goodness, I'm running out of lives to lose! After the tedious ascent and descent from the precipices, the chill set in. Thankfully the trail continued to descent, giving us a few degrees of added warmth as the rain let up too. The final hour before reaching the road was a much less rocky path, just the typical wet, twisty roots and bogs.    We reach the road, now hot but still totally wet from the rain. For the past mile or so we'd discussed our feelings and impressions of the trail, past, present, and future. We feel blessed to have made it through the past few days uninjured. And given the rugged trail ahead, combined with knowing temps will be down around freezing some nights ahead with freezing rain or snow showers, we mutually decide to get off the trail. Knowing we did our best, could go on, but that going on was taking on unnecessary risks. To the surprise of some of you readers, reason prevailed.   Take It Easy pulled out his cellphone. No cellphone connection. Deep breath in and out. Looks like we get to walk the four miles into the town of Wentworth. Maybe there we'll find cellphone connection to call a taxi or shuttle person to drive us to our car in Hanover. Right as Take It Easy finished putting away his cellphone, along came a commercial milk tank truck heading to town. No chance for a ride there. But within seconds a compact car drove near...we waved and stuck out our thumbs, all smiles. The driver stopped! How about that! The driver, Casey, got out and opened up his trunk as we approached, with Take It Easy telling him how we need to get to a place we can use our phone to make calls. Well, serendipity flowed: Casey said he'd just come from Hanover where he was rained out of today's roofing job and was on his way to pick up his girlfriend, Heidi to take her to a distant town to go shopping. Take It Easy stuffed one pack into the trunk, the other into the back seat area. Next Casey leaned into his car pulled out his Dartmouth parking Lot A permit to show us that he knows exactly where we want to be driven! We were all amazed at how neat it is that our worlds intersected. Long story short, Casey drove us a mile or so up the road to where he said there's cellphone connection, he texted Heidi, she agreed to change their plans to accommodate us! Off he drove us to pick up Heidi and head to our car. Seeing their small farm where they raise chickens, a couple of beef cattle, a cat and a sweet Chihuahua named Sasha was interesting. They aren't distracted by tv, considering it a waste of time. Surrounded by woods, but yet within the reach of town, life is different for them in NH compared to our neck of the woods. Things worked out so smoothly that we talked the whole way to Hanover, Heidi pointing out the home where "the local man who fixes everything and anything" lives, to raising chickens, beekeeping, weather--2 wks ago roofing was stopped because of freezing rain, to the river banks that were flooded by rains of last years hurricane.    Casey pulled us up right to our car in Lot A. Hugs and well wishes for all. Then off Casey and Heidi drove to shop. We loaded up, changed into the town clothes we'd left in the car, and drove up the street to eat a 3p.m. lunch at Murphy's, the same pub we had dinner in on long ago Monday. Wow, a lot has happened since then! Over our late lunch we created a plan for Phase 2 of our AT adventure. It's Friday, first day of the typical timeshare weekend check-in period. How about going to the library in Hanover, looking up my parent's timeshare on Cape Cod, calling and seeing if we can stay there for a week? Fabulous idea! And it all worked out, in the best of ways. Our AT adventure evolved wonderfully.