Date: 2006-07-14
From: Firewarden's Cabin

To: NH25A to Warren
Miles today: 10.2

Our plan today was to make the 12.6 miles to Ore Hill Shelter, putting us within easy reach of Glencliff tomorrow. Things have panned out differently.We weren't in a big hurry to move out this morning. The sun shone on to the front porch of the cabin, and gave an opportunity to dry out some clothes and even our wet boots to some extent. Also before leaving, Verity and I went up the Firetower. It was a bit hazy but still we had a remarkable view and it brought home to us just how far out in the wilds we are (or at least appear to be). What a beautiful country!We sat up there for a bit and talked about how tired we are too. After that, we were off. Most of the first three miles was downhill but my legs and feet seemed to be everywhere. The Trail was even more glutinous than yesterday and you had no option but to plough into ankle-deep mud, pull your boots up with a great plop, and just get on with it. I have to say also (as every other hiker has remarked) that the Dartmouth Outing Club, responsible for the Trail in this region, don't make a great effort to keep the Trail clear of overhanging vegetation, so it is often diffiuclt to see where you are placing your feet.I slip and fall every day, but it was now I took my heaviest so far. In mud galore, I stepped on a tree root I hadn't seen, and down I went. My left pole broke most of the fall, my nose took the rest of it. I got up caked in mud from head to foot, and blood coursing down my face. Was I in a bad mood! Partly because in the next hour I didn't pass a single creek where I could stop and clean myself up - yesterday we crossed them every few minutes - so I plunged on with great dods of muck and blood on my face. Finally I caught up with Verity sitting by trailside. At least I could look forward to a bit of sympathy and concern, even some fussing, from my daughter. She looked me up and down, and then cooly said, "You aren't having a good day, are you!" Ha!   There haven't been many streams today but the ones we have encountered have been big and sometimes difficult to cross. South Jacobs Creek was quite dangerous. A heavy, rushing flow, and at its narrowest point, spanned only by a log to a wall of stone opposite. We took it in turns to straddle the log, with backpacks on, and edge our way across. Top heavy as we were, losing your balance didn't bear thinking about!Most of the afternoon, we struggled up the pretty steep 1500 ft of Mt Cube. The elevation tells only half the story for the ground was very rugged too. By the time we came down to Brackett Brook on the other side, we both decided we didn't have enough left for the last ascent to Ore Hill Shelter. At NH25A we hitched a ride, this being the kind of thing that dirty yellow blazers do. Our benefactors were a young New York couple. The girl thru-hiked the AT in 2000, trailname 'Bride'. She and her husband are on their way to a family retreat in Maine, and always come this way because of the number of trailheads and the possibility of picking up some needy hiker. In 2000, 'Bride' hiked the Trail with her (now ex-)fiance. My assumption has always been that if you can remain in love with someone through the pressure, exhaustion and filth of life on the AT, then you are well-suited to deal together with life's other challenges. Not so. Bride's fiance was a great trail mate, but proved later not to be so good at paying the bills, etc. Relationship over.Anyway, they dropped us at the Inn in Warren, which we then found to be full. With no plan in sight, we walked along to the Warren Village Store a half mile down the road, hopefully to buy a soda and contemplate our future. When we walked inside we found a host of familiar faces - Summer, Low Key, C-Ram. The shuttle from Glencliff Hostel had dropped them there, and the shuttle driver (Phatt Chap) was delighted to give us a ride back. So here we are at the Hostel. We'll drop into the PO tomorrow morning to pick up our winter gear (incongruous considering it's so hot). We have some big decisions about how we proceed from here, if at all.