Date: 2013-09-04
From: Franconia Notch

To: Stealth camp at Garfield Pond
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

The sun was a welcome sight in the morning, especially today when we would hike above tree-line on the exposed ridge of the southern Presidentials. And after the past two days of cloudy summits, we were excited to anticipate some pretty spectacular views! After enjoying a nice breakfast and resupplying at Price Chopper, Fat Man Walking, Chopper, Fritz, Anni and I got a shuttle back to the trail-head. Shortly after we started hiking we met Mooch and Rambo, who wished Chopper a happy birthday, and then we all sang for him. I was thrilled to be in such a great group on a day like today, hiking up to Mt Lincoln and Mt Lafayette. I took my time hiking up the "endless staircase," which is exactly as it sounds, a long stair-like climb up a few thousand feet. When I realized I was alone, I started praying out loud. As I thought about how far I'd come, it was almost unbelievable that I was now in the Whites!! It seemed like a miracle. I began to name all the things I was grateful for and soon tears streamed down my face. Tears of joy. This dream, hiking the trail, has come true. No, finishing was not "in the bag," but I doubted that God would bring me this far and not enable me to finish. As my thoughts turned toward the future, that is, my post-trail future, which is so unknown yet approaching fast, I began to feel anxious. As I expressed my anxiety to God, it was like God reminded me of how much had happened to bring me to this place, here on the endless staircase. Meeting people like Weatherman and SIS who were so generous toward me, all the trail angels, the help that Maw and Paw gave me, the healing that had taken place in my back, receiving health insurance after many years of being uninsured, the job that allowed me to save up so I could go on my thru-hike. As I reflected on all these things, I felt reassured that God would work things out just as he has on this trip. Just because I leave the trail does not mean I'm "on my own"!It was so great to get to the top of the staircase and meet up with everyone. The views were wonderful. We all hiked up and over Lincoln and met up again at the summit of Lafayette. That climb above treeline was the most joyful, blissed-out I felt on the whole trail, with the possible exception of my first day. Joy was palpable. We were getting blown by the wind but were so excited to be up there on the ridge with clouds going by and the sun shining. Mooch and Rambo celebrated at the top with cans of PBR. After a few celebratory photos, I took off again, because it was late afternoon and I still had to hike over 3 miles down the mountain and up and over Mt Garfield to get to the shelter where we were planning on staying. It was getting dark and clouds were rolling in when I got to the pond at the base of Mt Garfield. I had received a stealth camping guide to the White Mountains which listed all the places (legal or not) where a hiker could camp for free. I decided to stealth camp a ways off the trail where a shelter used to be rather than go over the mountain in poor conditions. I was happy to see Hagrid and Killer, a couple I had met off and on since Pennsylvania, already there. Soon a guy named Bison showed up. We all ate dinner together but when the rain came we headed to our tents. It was a cold night, so I put on most of my layers and as tried to fall asleep, I wondered where my friends ended up. I hoped that they weren't worried about me and that everyone found a safe place to spend the night.