Date: 2012-08-08
From: Garfield Pond

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 10.8

Last night is was I think the calmest and quietest night so far on the whole trip. I think it was because we were so high in elevation and we were in a little bowl in the mountain. We were up early at around 6:00am since we went to bed so early last night plus we have a big mile day today. First thing we had to finish climbing up the remaining 500 feet up to the top of Mt. Garfield and it was steep all the way to the top. We got to the top and we had some great views of Mt. Lafayette behind us and Mt. Washington ahead of us. We did not stay at the peak for long because Hill Hiker was still out ahead of us and we wanted to catch up with him. We started down the other side of the mountain. The trail went down a little over 1000 feet very steeply so once again we were going very slow. We finally made it down to the bottom where the shelter was and where we caught up to Hill Hiker. We were all glad we decided to stop at the pond last night rather than continue on to the shelter...it would have killed us. We took a break there and continued on up the trail. From the shelter the trail was not as bad. It just went up and down little 300 feet or so hills till we got to the bottom of South Twin Mountain. We started up the mountain and got to the Galehead Hut which was about 200 feet up the side of the mountain. We took a break there and filled up our water bottles before we continued up the remaining 1100 feet up to the top of the mountain. After a half hour break we started up the steep climb which turned out to be more of a rock climb up rather than a climb up. We finally got to the top after about an hour and we all took a break there amongst the other day hikers. From there the trail went down slightly then up to Mt. Guyot which is higher than South Twin but the trail did not go all the way up to the peak so that made us happy. From Mt. Guyot the trail stayed on the ridge for a while then went steeply down 1500 feet down to the Zealand Falls Hut. It took us about two hours to go 1.2 miles but we finally got there and we went inside to ask about work for stay. Before I could ask one of the crew(that¢s what the people that run the huts are called) came up to me and asked if I was a thru hiker and if I wanted to do work for stay. He said all we had to do is wipe off the tables and sweep the flours once all the guests were done eating then do a speech/Q&A about our hike for the guests. We got there at around 5:00pm and the guests did not eat till 7:00pm so we just had to sit in the corner of the porch till they were done eating so we could clean up after them. It was just weird because while they feasted we just sat there and they all kept staring at us, we felt like we were a lower class and like they were all looking down on us. Finally once they finished desert we could then clean off the tables and sweep the floors but the guests did not help at all by getting out of the way. I felt like a slave. We then we stopped so we could give our speech which was not too bad and then finally at like 8:30pm we were allowed to eat the cold leftovers. The food was not that good but it was free fresh food so I guess it was worth it. Then after we ate the crew piled on more chores, we had to wash the rest of the dishes, and pots and pans. Then we had to take everything out of the refrigerator, clean it out and scrape all the ice out of it then put everything back in. Finally at around 9:30 we were done and it was lights out for the guests and it was then we were allowed to set up our air materesses on the floor under the tables once everyone was in bed. Then in the morning we have to be up and out of the guests¢ way by 6:30 so we will have to wake up at around 5:45am. Well enough venting it¢s time for bed. I just hope it is just this hut that makes me feel this way...night all