Date: 2015-08-16
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Liberty Springs Campsite
Miles today: 5.7

As usual, I woke up at 5 a.m. I quietly climbed down from my top bunk and carried my things outside to get organized and pack up. There are no showers or flush toilets at the high huts. So getting ready to go was not that different than on the trail - throw on the same dirty stinky clothes.I considered skipping breakfast to get an earlier start, but I needed the weather report. Breakfast and the report were both at 7. So I wrote out some note cards and watched the sun light up the surrounding mountains until breakfast was served.As I was sitting outside near my huge pack 2 ladies came by and offered me food. They did not want to carry their extra trail snacks back down the mountain. Now I know how the squirrels and chipmunks feel when people feed them (although they are not supposed to do it). I did not really want the extra weight but I could not pass up the nuts and good quality dark chocolate. I politely turned down the apples, explaining that fresh fruit is too hard to pack to keep from bruising, and then I have to carry out the cores.Breakfast was again family style. I sat with the friendlier family from the night before. The weather report was excellent for both today and tomorrow. Time to hit the trail!With all the out of shape day hikers I saw yesterday I suspected the trail down to Franconia Notch must be relatively easy and I was right. There were some wet and rocky spots, but overall the trail was a breeze. There were 2 brook crossings which were just a little scary with such a large heavy pack, but I got across just fine in both cases. I was just so grateful that I was not clinging to steep wet rocks I just did not care.In no time at all I was in Franconia Notch and then heading up the long steady climb to Liberty Springs Campsite. The humidity was high and there were rocks to climb over, but nothing close to what I have seen over the past few days. It was a beautiful day and the trail was extremely kind to me. Maybe the Whites were not trying to kill me afterall!I stopped at a spring to take on some water and met a couple from Sarasota, George and Alice. We discovered we are all members of the Florida Appalachian Trail Club. I reached the Liberty Springs Campsite by early afternoon. I considered going further, but I noticed the trail was getting steeper, which meant I may not be able to find a flat stealth campsite later if I got too tired or it got dark. I also was feeling pretty good and did not want to push my luck. So I stopped for the night. Initially I had a tent platform all to myself, so I strung my bear line between 2 trees and dried out some wet clothes and gear. I did not hang any granny panties, but I did hang one of my ugly sports bras to dry along with my sweat soaked hiking clothes. It would be nice to put on dry clothes in the morning even if they were dirty and stinky. (Putting on wet cold dirty stinky clothes in the morning is by far my least favorite thing on the AT.)The water source and cooking area were purposely set away from the tenting areas because of bear activity. I decided to have dinner and get my water collected and filtered early so I could go to bed early. As I was filtering my water a young couple came by. They were day hiking and completely out of water. They knew better than to drink the water without filtering it, and they had no filter. So they were going to hike almost 3 miles with no water. I filtered water for them, but made them promise they would buy and carry a water filter on all future day hikes. I returned to my tent to discover I had a platform mate - actually 2, a nice kilt wearing young man named Josh and hike hiking beagle buddy named Cleo. I promptly took down my dirty, but now dry, laundry.Josh, Cleo, and I all turned in early. Unfortunately a clueless hike on a nearby platform decided that 8 p.m., also known as hiker midnight, was time for her to start a loud and long cellphone call. Afterwards she decided it was time for a long and loud conversation with her platform mate. Josh and Cleo were very considerate platform mates. Unfortunately Cleo woke up several times during the night and each time shook, as dogs do, shaking the entire platform and waking me up. This was night 2 with little sleep.The AT is calling. Tomorrow I am going above treeline again. I hope I am ready for the challenge!