Date: 2008-07-22
From: Hanover, NH

To: Crawford Notch, NH
Miles today: 97.4
Weather: fog

July 22, 2008    Crawford Notch, NH AMC Highland Lodge    AT Mile 1,831.2    345.0 Miles to Katahdin       Rain, Rain, Rain.    After weeks of mostly clear blue sky's, a humid wet weather system has settled in over the White Mountains. These past few days have been a mix of dark overcast skies, some light drizzle, and heavy rain mixed with brief periods of patchy blue skies and sunshine.    The Appalachian Trail in the Whites is much rougher than anything we have seen to date. All this rain is making it even more difficult.    So far much of the NH trail has been steep, wet and slippery 1,000 to 3,000 ft rock and boulder filled ups and downs. The rest has been not quite so steep, wet, slippery, muddy, root and rock filled ups and downs.    I had thoughts of blasting through the last few hundred miles and finishing the trail before Jessica's wedding in a few weeks - but not any more.    The White Mountains have long been my favorite place to be. We have made countless trips up here over the years and I really want to take time to enjoy them.   Also - now that I have come this far so quickly, I finally feel like I can relax and easily coast to the finish line on Katahdin by early September. No more getting up and out on the trail by 5:30 am and doing 10-12 hour hiking days.    So about this past week.    Last Friday it poured down rain late afternoon and night so I stayed at the Eliza Brook Shelter with Traveler, Cricket, Old Man Sky, and Root.    Saturday I hiked straight up and over the wet and insanely treacherous South Kinsman Mt (4258 ft) and North Kinsman Mt (4293 ft). Coming down the other side I stopped into the AMC Lonesome Lake Hut and bought a delicious bowl of soup, bread, and a huge brownie for lunch.    The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) operates a series of "Huts" along the AT up in the mountains. The huts are really very comfortable rustic solar and wind powered guest Lodges. The different huts sleep 30 to 90 guests each night and are staffed by four or more college kids who cook meals and educate guests about the ecology of the White Mts.    The Huts serve full home cooked dinners and breakfasts "family style" every day and usually have soup and snacks at lunch. They have water but no showers and guests pack out their own trash.    The huts are usually booked solid months in advance by single, group, and family hikers who come to hike hut to hut to hut during the summer.       It rained Saturday afternoon and evening as I tented at the Liberty Spring Tent Site which is perched way up on the side of Liberty Mountain. Cricket, Grasshopper and Brakeman were also there.    The skies were only partly cloudy at sunrise on Sunday as I packed up my wet tent and gear. I hiked to the top of Liberty Mountain (4250 ft) and posted my last report. An hour later the skies clouded up and the drizzle began just as I climbed above the tree line and crossed Franconia Ridge.    Even in wet weather the views from the high mountain trail over Mt Lincoln (5089 ft), Mt Lafayette (5249 ft), and Mt Garfield (4488 ft) were Awesome. It was almost like being on another planet.    There was a heavy rain around 3:00 Sunday afternoon as I came to the AMC Galehead Hut. My plan was to hike another 2.8 miles to the Guyot Campsites. The Galehead crew said they had a cancellation and that I could pay to stay for $89.    A hot home cooked dinner and breakfast plus a dry warm bunk won out over setting up a wet tent on a damp rainy night. I had a great evening at Galehead meeting and chatting with the other guests.    Grasshopper and Breakman, Cricket, Bad Idea, and HighLife came in later that afternoon and the hut crew let them stay and sleep in the dinning room on a "work for stay". Stay for free in exchange for a few hours work cleaning up in the morning.    I think I like this hut to hut to hut way of crossing the White Mtns.       The morning weather report called for rain again yesterday. The crew radioed ahead and I was able to get a reservation at the next hut at Zeeland Falls. Again it started out sunny but it quickly turned into a seven mile hike in the rain.      Again I had great meals and spent a wonderful evening at Galehead Hut with the other guests.    HighLife, Bad Idea, Cricket, and Old Man Sky came in later and did work for stay. Cricket and Brakeman pushed on to someplace in Crawford Notch for the night.    This morning the weather report again called for rain showers so I asked the Zeeland crew to see if I could get a room here at the AMC Highland Lodge. It was a easy 7.7 mile hike to Rt. 302 in Crawford Notch and I quickly hitched a ride a few miles up the road and got here around 2:00 PM.    The large Highland Lodge is more like a beautiful rustic four star hotel with both bunk rooms and single rooms with bathrooms. It is nestled between the mountains at the top of the notch with panoramic views of the Mt Washington Valley.    It was pricey but I got a super nice private room with bath on the third floor. A family style dinner and breakfast is included. I can clearly see the famous Mt Washington Hotel down in the valley from my window.    Almost everything in my pack is wet so my expensive room looks and smells like a refugee camp with my tent, sleeping bag, clothes, socks, and stuff sacks hanging out to dry all over the place.    Ok - My Plan for the next several days is this:    Tomorrow (Wed) I'll hike 6.4 miles up the mountain to the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut (3800 ft) and stay the night.    Thursday I'll hike up above the tree line past the Lake of the Clouds Hut (5040 ft) to the top of Mt Washington (6288 ft). This was a very special place for Lynn and I, so I want to spend a little time there.       Then I'll hike along the high ridge line of the Presidential Mountain range (5000 ft) to the AMC Madison Spring Hut. Right now they are booked for Thursday. If a bunk doesn't open up by then I'll camp at one of the tent sites near there or just hike a few more miles down to the USFS Osgood Tent Site for the night.       Friday I have a confirmed reservation for the next hut at Carter Notch.    Saturday I will either hike about 7 miles to the Imp Campsite - or - move on about 7 more miles to Gorham, NH and get a motel room for one or two nights.    I am in no rush to get to Gorham over the weekend. I mailed some of my stuff to myself in Gorham so I wouldn't have to carry it over the mountains. The Post Office won't be open until Monday.    Monday morning I will resupply with several days of food in Gorham, go to the Post Office, then hit the trail towards Maine.   From what I am hearing from Southbound thru-hikers, The AT in Maine is rougher than New Hampshire.   It is what it is. I'll just keep moving forward one step at a time til Katahdin.    I guess that's all for this time.    Thank You for your words of encouragement in my Guestbook. It really means a lot to me.   I'll post my next update in a few days.    Katahdin Bound . . .       -Wes-