Date: 2003-08-09
From: Garfield Pond

To: 0.5mi north of Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 12.0

Last night, when I got up, around midnight, I could see the moon! I thought "Wow! A chance at views tomorrow???" When I got up this morning, I could not see the sun. It was cloudy, overcast and foggy. Same ol' same ol'. We got going around 8:45, and had almost a mile before we started the climb up Mt. Garfield.On Mt. Garfield, I could actually see some other mountains, but not very far away. The clouds capped most of them, and fog and clounds hid others completely. Still, it was great being above treeline again, even for a brief amount of time. We stopped at Garfield Campsite on the north side of Garfield to get water, and shortly after heading on down, we met two slackpackers that we'd been seeing frequently for about a week. They are hiking the AT southbound, but going north, so we get to see them almost every day. It's cool, not only because I like them, but also because they can tell me what's ahead, or who's ahead. It's fun to see some of the same people regularly.We stopped at Galehead Hut for lunch, and were given a bowl of soup each, plus some baked goods. Since it was only around 1pm, we didn't want to stop there to try to do work-for-stay. We left around 1:45, with a possible goal of Zealand Falls Hut, about 7mi farther. The way the morning went, I wasn't sure we"d make it that far, but the profile suggested an easier hike in the afternoon.It was. We had one steep climb, up South Twin Mtn, then some fairly level, shorter climbs, and a lot of down, some steep. We were making better time than in the morning, and thought we'd make Zealand Hut around 6pm. It started raining around 3pm, and rained until about 5 or shortly after. The trail became a river, and the only reason to rock-hop was to avoid the ankle-deep mud.Hotdog and I started joking around about having a water fight, after he 'accidentally' splashed me from behind. I thought some water balloons would be quite fun! Instead, we just splished and sploshed up the trail, crashing into deep puddles when we stepped down off of rocks. No chance for dry feet again today.Before we reached Zealand, we came to a stream crossing. Only, this little stream had become raging rapids and waterfalls. There was no dry way to cross. The only way involved stepping into water up to mid-calf, and that water was really moving fast! Hotdog went first, having the longer legs. It took some maneuvering to get his first step in a solid place so his foot wouldn't get swept away, but after that, he took a giant step to a rock above the water and made it safely. He took off his pack and took one of my poles from me, while I positioned my first foot securely under the water. Then I got into position to get across, and Hotdog pulled me as well. Aaaahh... made it safely! I don't know that I would have made it by myself, but knowing me, I would have tried.We came to another swollen stream crossing, but this time the water wasn't quite as deep, so it wasn't as dangerous. The rocks we walked across under the water were flat, and possibly slick, so we took it slow, making sure each step was secure. No mishaps there either. It wasn't long and we were at the Hut.I took off my shoes and squeezed as much water out as I could, then took off my socks and wrung them out. Hotdog and I went in to ask about work- for-stay, but were turned down. There were already 5 thruhikers there. The croo leader was kind enough to tell us where the nearest stealth campsite was north of the Hut, and I put on my wet shoes and socks and we headed north, once again.We found a site about a half mile away, and just as I had finished eating dinner, the rain started again. I climbed into my tent, changed out of my wet stinkies, and am listening to the raindrops fall. That means another damp, if not wet day tomorrow. My feet are getting raw spots where the shoes rub. In dry conditions, I don't think I'd be having any foot trouble, but when my feet are wet all day, blisters and sores are much more likely to happen. Maybe one of these days, I'll dry out.Today the trail beat me up. I stepped down off one rock, onto another one, and it had a small part sticking out. When my foot came down, that part hit me on the side of my foot where a little bone sticks out. Ouch! I had some choice words for that rock. Then, while going down a slick, slanted, rock face, I was using some trees to prevent slippage, and toward the bottom, I took a giant step onto a level rock. On the way down, my upper left thigh hit the stub of a branch sticking out, once again, making me use words I shouldn't. I have a 3" scratch, and underlying bruise now, thanks to that branch. Oh well. You play, you pay, so the saying goes.While the views weren't terrific, they were the best I'd seen since coming into New Hampshire. There was a viewpoint not long before Zealand Hut, where I could actually see about a dozen other mountains. The clouds were around their tops, and there was fog that looked like smoke in some of the valleys. It was awesome! I'd love to see that on a clear day, but it was pretty good just the way it was today!I am not looking forward to packing up all this wet gear tomorrow, but will do it anyway. It would be nice to be able to dry out for a day or two, but even when it doesn't rain, stuff doesn't dry. It's just too humid. I hear that in about 4 days, it might clear up. Ha! About the time I leave the White Mountains! Oh well, I'll see what really happens. It's difficult to be wet all the time. I get tired of it. But, what can I do about it? I'm not going to wait it out until a clear day. If I had done that earlier in this trip, I'd still be in Virginia! We are planning on going into some town to resupply tomorrow, and I am tempted to find a hotel room for the night, just to be out of dampness. It just depends how the weather is, and how I feel, and what Hotdog wants to do. I guess for tonight, I'll just let the raindrops put me to sleep, and I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.