Date: 2004-07-30
From: Franconia Notch

To: Garfield Pond Steath Site
Miles today: 9.2

Today I start a new journal and open a new chapter in my hike. Poppng above treeline on the Franconia Ridge gave me a sense of embarking on a new adventure and made me feel as thouh I had finally arrived in the White Mountains!After a tiring climb on the wrong energy source (mainly high sugar foods), I stayed above treeline for about 3.5 miles. The trail quickly changed from luch soil surrounded by stout and sturdy trees to dry, rocky, and exposed terrain. Distant mountains and ahazy 360 degree panoramic view greeted my arrival as I bounded up Little Haystack Mtn. Once on top, I eargerly pushed on to Lincoln Mtn., hoping for even a better view. My eyes decieved me, making it seem as though Lincoln and Lafayette were closer. As a result, my pace slowed as my energy dwindled, but my spirits still soared. Finally... views! I've been waiting for this during my entire hike!Stopping briefly on Lincoln, I pushed on to Mt. Lafayette where I had the best view of my progress for the day. Not only could I see the rocky path I had come, but also the path that lie in front of me. Among the spectacular views was South and North Kinsman, which I had climbed over in a cloud yesterday. I also got a good view of Lonesome Lake where I had gotten my first tasete of AMC hut food. Profile Rock, where The Old Man of The Mountain once watched over the valley, stood between Kinsman and Cannon Ski Area. Interstate 93 snaked through the valley below as it disappeared into the Northwest. Greenleaf Hut sat a mile off the trail, overlooking a small pond and up to Mt. Lafayette. Mt. Garfield, which I shall tackel tomorrow was dwarfed by larger mountains beyond. In the hazy distance I was even able to see Mt. Washington.All this was the cake to a great visit with my friend, Jess in Lincoln, NH. I woke early yesterday and got moving by 6:10am in order to catch leftovers at Lonesome Lake Hut. As I mentioned before I summited South and North Kinsman in a dense cloud and was happy to find the hut around 9:00am. One of the caretakers had some oatmeal left over and threw some coffee cake in to sweeten the deal. I'm not a big fan of oatmeal, but calories are calories and I was getting free cake too!I mae the remaining three miles into Franconia Notch in a bout an hour and began trying to hitchhike on HWY 3. Even after meeting up with Slick, we had no luck. Walking down the road, we eventually came to The Flume Visitor's Center where I ran into M and Rising Sun. They had caught up to me after I'd been trying to get a ride for an 1 1/2 hours. M yogi-ed a ride for us by solicitating around the parking lot. I relaxed in North Woodstaock for a 1/2 hour until Jess showed up. For the rest of the day, we roamed around town during which time she bought me a great lunch, dinner, and ice cream! I tried to help out with the bill but she kept insisting on picking up the tab herself. Its great to have friends who are so helpful and giving on this trip! Before nailing down a campsite for the night, we took a beautiful scenic drive up the river, past Loon Mountain Ski Area. We had a fun time exploring the town and reminecing about good times when we were on exchange in Durango, CO, finishing the day off with a six-pack of Long Trail Blackberry Ale!This morning, Jess insisited on buying breakfast at a local pancake house and was kind enough to run me around town on errands. With all the hospitality from Colleen, Chad, and Jess over the past week, I really feel ready to tackle the last leg of my trip!