Date: 2004-08-16
From: NH 16 at Pinkham Notch, NH

To: Day 116: Imp Camp Shelter, NH
Miles today: 13.1

On AT Day 116 Hot Chocolate and I got up at 4:00 a.m., ate an egg and corned-beef hash and toast breakfast and rushed to the Pinkham Notch AT trailhead so that I could start my hike by 6:00 a.m. Good thing I got the early start because I had a VERY, VERY difficult time finishing the 13.1-miles to the Imp Shelter and Campsite before darkness at 8:00 p.m.The day began with a light drizzly rain that let up around 10:00 a.m., leaving fog and mist until early afternoon when the light rains returned and finally by heavier rain as I set up camp for the evening. The hike, or more accurately, the climb up Wildcat Mountain was extremely difficult. In places it was downright scary because of having to scale rain-slicked sheer and steep rock faces. In fact, it took me about 3-hours to complete the 1.8-mile, 2,000-foot vertical climb to the 4,041-foot summit of Peak E. I slipped twice on the climb, once sliding down about five-feet on my stomach and once banging my right knee ¢ the latter hurt badly for the rest of the day.In route to the summit I was passed by a young (mid-20¢s) and seemingly very fit and tall female backpacker wearing running shoes and latter on (just as I reached the summit) by a much older (mid-50¢s) and even taller male backpacker who was also wearing running shoes. Still later in the day, on a different mountain, I repeated this observation with two other male through hikers who passed me and who were wearing running shoes. I watched one of them just walk up a sheer face that I had already slipped on with my boots ¢ makes me think that in the future I may want to see about getting some ¢approach¢ shoes when I am confronted with this sort of climbing.In any event, at the summit of Wildcat Mountain Peak E, I came to a still-operational ski lift gondola where I met a father and his 14-year old son who had camped there the night before after taking five-hours to cover what it had taken me ¢only¢ four. To be honest, I was glad to learn that I wasn¢t the slowest backpacker climber in the Whites!I then carefully made my way across the Wildcat Ridge, stopping briefly at the observation deck of the 4,063-foot Peak D to take a picture of myself with Mount Washington in the background and again at the USFS viewpoint on the 4,380-foot summit of Peak A overlooking Carter Notch, Pond and Hut over 1,000-feet below. The 0.9-mile climb down to Carter Notch was thankfully relatively easy with rock steps, rather sheer faces for most of the way. When I got to this scenic spot, it was already 1:00 p.m. and I had yet to take a food break so I stopped for lunch. I also took this opportunity for a brief chat with another NOBO AT through hiker, Sojourner, who had also just arrived and eventually the father and son who I met at Wildcat Peak A and who were now stopping for the day. Sojourner and I, of course still had another 7.2-miles to go to reach the Imp Shelter and Campsite.The second phase of my day¢s hike began with another extremely steep 1.4-mile, 1,500-foot climb to the 4,832-foot summit of Carter Dome. Once there the AT dipped slightly and then ¢gently¢ climbed to the 4,675-foot summit of Mount Height, after which it steeply descended 660-feet to a very wet Zeta Pass. The climb from the pass to the South, Middle and finally, North Carter Mountain summits (all about 4,500-feet) was not too bad, except for the very poor visibility due to the reappearance of thick blowing fog. The 1.7-mile, 1,300-foot descent from this final summit to the Imp Shelter and Campsite was, however, the most difficult and scary hiking I have ever done (including my descent from the summit of Mount Rainier!). One particularly steep descent down a sheer wet rock was so bad that I had to first calm myself down and then take off my pack and lower it down about 10-feet to a ledge before I could carefully scale the drop for myself. The fact that I had now been hiking for nearly 14-hours straight, and it was getting dark and the rain was picking up, certainly didn¢t help matters any.Obviously I was sincerely relieved when I did at last reach the Imp Shelter and Campsite. It was now dark and rainy so I immediately set up my tent and crawled in without trying to scout around for a water source. The rain seemed to be getting worse and I knew I was getting cold so I decided to change into dry clothes and get into my sleeping bag and stay there. I never did go out for water so I ate three Power Bars for dinner ¢ two of which were ¢left over¢ because I didn¢t have time on this emotionally and physically exhausting day to stop for my usual morning and afternoon snack breaks. To be truthful, I was still hungry and thirsty, but at least I was dry, warm and safe, so I was happy. Funny how your priorities change when you are on your own out on the trail in the wilderness¢¦