Date: 2007-09-25
From: Osgood Tentsite, NH

To: Carter Notch Hut, NH
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: broken clouds

When I woke up, I had a new thru hiker named "BullWinkle" come over and introduce himself. When he found out that I was a thru hiker and went over the ridge last night; he burst into an emotional, "was that real!" I said, "Yes, my boy, yes!" Just as emotional. Being a counselor, I knew that we both needed to process what had happened last night and we did. He did not quite have "the 1000 yard stare"; but, maybe, just a "hundred yard stare". It was the first near death experience(as we thought that we had both experienced) that he had ever experienced. Not being elitist here; but, I have had this feeling several times before and I know the first time is difficult to handle. I told him that I had a feeling that is what we were going to experience yesterday and mother nature delivered. I told him that I had experienced that kind of stuff before and now that he had experienced; he would seek out that "adrenaline rush"! Now being a good southern boy(he's from Raleigh, NC), he admitted to praying several times. He wears a kilt and showed my the blood on it where he had wiped the blood from his hands last night. Him and I were best friends and had just met. The feeling of surviving a near death experience(whether rational or not) together makes you instant brothers. We finally got gong and did the little 7.8 mile fairly level trek down to Pinkham Notch. He was there way before I. He can hike about 3.5 miles an hour sustained. When I arrived; I went to the grill and ate a big salad and a turkey sandwich. Him and I talked and discussed the pressure of making miles to get to Kathadin; even though we wee completely wiped out. I gave him an ibuprofen which helped him get to The Carter Notch Hut. It was a serious, seemingly, never ending climb over a ridge of Mountains called Wildcat D, C, B, A and then down to Carter Notch Hut. Yall just would not believe how long this 2.9 miles was and how steep and how many times you can go up and down in 3 miles(20?). There was a ski resort up here with a ski lift in operation. I sunned for awhile here. When I got down to the Hut; there was Bullwinkle. He was done for the day, we were talking about gong another 7 miles. It is hard to accept these small 10 mile days as a thru hiker and I know you civilians reading this will think we are "whimps"; but, even the speedster "Worldwide" had slowed down. I had heard like everyone else; he had tried to do big miles through the Whites; and like everyone else; his knees and the rest of his body was killing him. I was wondering if I would make it to Kathadin before the snow now. I really wondered how much it mattered. Is it Kathadin or everything in between or a mix of everything. Is "Flyin' Bryan" right or is it "Rambo Ron" or is it the mythical "Traveller"? Now this hut was opened; but, called self service. It was run by one hut girl named Avery. Not going to get into it; but, this girl was wanting to spend the entire winter up here and going around THe Whites checking on the huts over the winter. Why is that attractive to me? Anyway, she allowed Bullwinkle and I to work for stay which amounted to sweeping and re-arranging the game box for me. I happened to met group of hikers that consisted of a couple of American Airline pilots; a widowed pilot's wife; and 2 Dominican women and a Dominican man. The pilots happened to know my Uncle Jed(former president of the American Airlines Pilots Assoc during 911), John Edward Darrah. So, we had quite a bit to talk about as both my grandfathers worked for American, as does my mom. I will not mention the Dominican's tight clothing, oh, I just did. I slept well this night, after doing my push-ups: which I can now do about 50. That is up from 10 at the beginning of my hike. These upper body excercises are actully becoming "overkill" as I get a full body experience climbing these rocks out here.