Date: 2015-07-26
From: 1,764.6 campsite, NH

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel, NH
Miles today: 25.9

A light rain fell in the early morning hours, ensuring a slick, muddy hike would follow, but otherwise my tent and gear remained dry. I was up at 6:45am to the shuffling of other hikers and Yoohoo would soon be up as well. We hun around til 8:30am, talking with the Ice Cream Man, enjoying 3 Coke's, coffee, and waiting on Huey who joined us before hitting the trail. We were soon off gradually climbing the ~2,000ft up Smart's Mountain over the first ~6 miles. The trail proved muddy and the climb took extra caution as we maneuvered up large, exposed rocks soaked with the early morning rain.As we passed the halfway point of the climb, the terrain became noticeably steeper and Yoohoo would step aside to let me by. I quickly covered the last couple miles to the summit, ascending a series of rock steps zigzagging their way up the mountain. I reached the summit 2 hours after beginning the hike, maintaining a 3mph pace up the mountain. Feeling accomplished, I made my way past a fire tower offering no views due to dense fog and into the Fire Warden's Cabin. A few other hikers were also resting and refueling after the climb and I'd stay here for close to ~45min after waiting for Yoohoo and Huey to join me and get in their break as well.Just after 11:30am we made our way back to the trail and into the cool temps hugging the higher elevations. The next ~4 miles we have us descending close to ~2,000ft back down the mountain before immediately beginning the next ~1,500ft climb up Mt. Cube. We run into Rabbit during this stretch who passed us as we breaked atop Smart's Mountain. The 4 of us made our way down, doing our best to avoid the large mudholes dotting the trail, but ultimately failing. I'd ultimately eat it while crossing slick logs, nearly hitting my head on the sharp remnants of a tree stump along the trail. Fortunately I was able to throw my free hand over the top of it and push myself away as I fell. Yoohoo, too, would experience his own mishap while crossing a series of log foot bridges. As he hopped from one bridge to another, water and mud on all sides, the bridge he landed on sank 6" into muddy water. Trying to avoid wet feet, he jumped to the side for what he thought was solid mud, but found himself submerged knee-deep in a sloppy goop of mud and had to use a nearby tree to pull himself out. I crossed right after him and, having watched the show, decided to test my luck with the logs. I slowly made my way onto the sinking log, water covering the bottom inch of my boot, but made my way safely across. As I stood halfway across the log, Huey joined us, unaware of the trap ahead. Yoohoo and I both had to yell at him to stop as he was feet away from stepping onto the log I was on, saving me from the mud bath I would've surely enjoyed.With the mud pit behind us, we continued towards Mt. Cube and the ~1,500ft climb over the next ~3 miles. Yoohoo, Huey, and Rabbit all stopped to break at the foot of the mountain while I continued on. The first ~1.3 miles would fly by as I passed Eastman Ledges and Hexacuba Shelter. The next ~1.6 miles, though, seemed to drag by as a series of false, rocky summits chipped at my spirits as my legs burned and mind grew weary from focusing on every step worrying about the slick rocks. Just before 2:00pm, though, I reached the exposed rocky summit shrouded in fog, keeping any view to be had a mystery. The sun began burning off a little of the fog and warming up the air, making my rest on the exposed summit a comfortable one. Huey would join me ~20 minutes later followed by Yoohoo a little later. It was at this point we decided to officially try and reach the Hikers Welcome Hostel, still ~13 miles away.The next ~3 miles would lead us down ~2,000ft off of Mt. Cube down to NH 25A where we would stop to break again. Huey fell back off our pace and unfortunately missed out on some trail magic. A young man, having recently relocated to New Hampshire from Pennsylvania and always wanting to hike the trail, stopped in the middle of the road to offer us Gatorade. As vehicles went around us, we stood in the right lane posing for a picture with our Gatorade's in hand. He was soon off and we were soon enjoying our random, much-appreciated trail magic. Huey would arrive after we had already finished our drinks, but understood that stopping to deuce sometimes coats you trail magic.With ~10 miles still to cover, our break was short as we returned to the woods. After trekking up and over Ore Hill, we reached Lake Tarkenton Road where we breaked under the light humming of overhead powerlines. With daylight gradually fading, we needed the break in order to shove in a few calories that'd carry us the final ~4.5 miles. As we snacked, we noticed tons of blueberry bushes around us and would enjoy a few handfuls in the process. As we continued down the road towards the woods, a man sitting in his car said he had Coke and beer of we'd like any. As gold as a cold brew would've been, we opted for just Coke, hoping the caffeine would kick in. As we enjoyed our beverages and chatted with the man, we realized we had already passed the SoBo hikers he was expecting to pick up from slack-packing. We told him he was on the wrong road and corrected him. We all agreed that the moment was uncanny - offering random hikers a little trail magic and discovering he was in the wrong location.Riding my Coke as quick as I could, I quickly lead our group up the ~700ft climb to the summit of Mt. Mist where Yoohoo would then take over and lead us down. We quickly shuffled our way down the mountain towards the road that'd take us to the Hikers Welcome Hostel, jumping over, around, and through mud pits as we raced the fading sunlight. Just before exiting the woods onto the road, we passed the 400 miles remaining spot, though unmarked. The final 400 miles are about to get very real as we soon enter the White's, followed by the ruggedness of southern Maine, and the 100-mile wilderness still lying in wait before reaching Mt. Katahdin.Having made good time, we reached the Hikers Welcome Hostel at 8:30pm, just before dark set it. We were welcomed and given the rundown. For $20 hikers are able to stay in a bunk ($15 to camp) as well as a shower and shuttle ride included. The hostel also offers a limited supply of frozen pizza, snacks, tons of soda, and chips that can be purchased separately. For $5 hikers can enjoy a combo of a frozen pizza, a soda, chips, and an ice cream bar. I quickly enjoyed said combo before retreating to a hot shower and a nearby bunkhouse where I enjoyed a soft bed, fleece blankets, a fan, and a charging outlet. It's definitely the small things - just what I needed before climbing the massive wall of rock that is Mt. Moosilauke, a trek of ~6 miles that'll take us up ~3,800ft.Deciding to take the next day easy as we return to the large climbs of the White's over the next week, we're enjoying a slow start to the day. It's currently just after 10:00am, I'm sitting with Yoohoo and Huey as we watch The Waterboy (1 of hundreds in their available DVD collection,) our laundry is going (even though we'll be soaked in sweat soon,) and wrapping up yesterday's journal. As we leave here within the next hour or so, we'll begin our climb up and over Mt. Moosilauke, our goal for the day simply being to have a good, healthy day after yesterday's 26-mile day.I'm enjoying the moment for now, for soon it's onward and most definitely upward. Also, a big thanks to my mom for sending me a couple items of warm clothing to add to my armory in hopes that I can make it through the White's without a sleeping bag. I can tell they were freshly laundered as well - greatly appreciated.Here's to high quality H2O, a return to real mountains, and under 400 miles remaining.