Date: 2008-09-07
From: Tenting near Eastman Ledges, NH

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 5:45am after a rainy, rainy night. It rained for over 12 hours straight...from about 4pm yesterday till after 4 this morning without stopping or letting up. I sure do love my tent! :-) I brewed up my coffee and ate the last two muffins I had. I wanted to let the wind blow a little of the water out of the trees, so I didn't get dripped on all morning. I stayed in my sleeping bag and read more of my book for about half an hour. I started packing up my stuff, then looked at the pile of my hiking clothes...all soaking wet from walking in all that rain yesterday and all cold from the temps this morning. Unlike some of my wimpish friends from NC, I picked my clothes up and I had to wring the water out of them, then I put them on. It's hard to come out of a nice warm sleeping bag and put on cold, wet clothes, but I put them on and I smiled because that's what REAL hikers do. (got that Chief and Liteshoe?) It's never as bad once you get the wet clothes on because my body heats them up pretty fast. I stuck my muddy wet socks on next and then put my muddy wet shoes on...and I smiled! That's what REAL hikers do! ;-) I wiped my tent down and finished packing everything up, then started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 9:15am. I walked past South Jacob's Brook, then got to the side trail to Hexacuba Shelter, I saw a bunch of hikers coming down from the shelter. I waited and met Robert and Stretch...both nobos. Then Rain and Barley came down. They are nobos that I had met way back in TN. We all stood there and talked for about 10 minutes before walking on. Ledgy Trail around Mt CubeI finished climbing Mt Cube, got a self portrait in front of the sign, then started down that hill. Stumpknocker on Mt Cube South SummitI walked with Robert for a while. I walked with him all the way to N.H. 25A. We were talking a little about trail magic while we were walking. I stayed at N.H. 25A to eat my lunch because it was breezy along that open area. Robert walked on. A guy by the name of Archie pulled over in a pickup truck and gave me two ice cold Cokes! :-) Stretch came by and got a Coke just before Archie left. Thanks Archie! :-) I climbed 1,000 feet in the next 2 1/2 miles to the side trail to Ore Hill Shelter. I had caught up to Stretch and walked with him a short while, then he headed to the shelter and I walked on. I was walking along and met two hikers walking south. They were Dog and Butterfly '94 and had just put in at Glencliff and were walking down to PA. They said they had walked with Weathercarrot back then. I was getting close to N.H. 25C and I saw a bunch of porcupine quills in the trail. Not sure what happened there. I crossed that road, then climbed to Mt Mist before heading down towards Glencliff. It was getting close to 5pm, so I started walking faster...I knew Phat Chap usually made a town run about that time and I wanted to get to the hostel before he left. I made it! I saw Phat Chap's car, then walked inside and saw Him there. It's always great to see Phat Chap! He's one of the people along the Trail that really helps lots of other people all up and down the Trail. We headed into town after catching up on what's been going on and I bought a few snacks. Phat Chap is going to drive me to Kinsman Notch tomorrow so I can slack back to the hostel tomorrow night. I've never slacked up here and it just felt like it would make tomorrow an easy day...and I get to go eat a real sit-down breakfast with Phat Chap in the morning. I got a shower when we got back and Flapjack, Phat Chap and I went out to dinner. The other hikers that I know that are here are Stretch, Dirt, Truckin', Flapjack, Pilot and a guy I had met in VA by the name of Hell On Wheels...or something close to that. I dried out my tent, then set it up on a leaf pile. I've got a nice soft leafy woods bed right here at the hostel. Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)