Date: 2015-08-16
From: Summit Mt. Washington

To: Pinkham Notch NH16
Miles today: 13.5

Sunday, August 16th   Yesterday it was decided, by the Sherpa, that under no circumstance, would she drive to the top of Mt. Washington, EVER again.   So that meant the Iceman, his son-in-law Jon and 3D would have to take the Mt. Washington Auto Road shuttle to the top. At 8:15 the Sherpa brought the hikers to the ticket office to buy a one way ride to the top. The 1st shuttle is scheduled to leave each day at 9am but the driver, knowing how anxious the guys were to get started, took them up at 8:45. Nice fellow! They started hiking at 9:15 and it took over 9 hours for them to hike 13.5 miles down the AT trail. There are many trails that go up and down from the Mt. Washington summit but the AT is by far the most difficult. They hiked this section of the AT out of sequence because of a conflict with reservations at the Carter Notch hut. New Hampshire's economy, in this area of NH, depends on tourism and on any given weekend in the summer months there are hundreds of people hiking the many trails in the White Mountains. The weather today was perfect, sunny and very clear. From the summit on Mt. Washington one could see 50 miles in every direction. There aren't many clear days on the summit and the Iceman thanked God that today was one of those rare days, since his hike took him over Mt. Clay, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Madison and a number of in between peaks for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The entire ridge was covered with razor sharp boulders shaped like ax heads. The Iceman, Jon and 3D had to leap from one boulder to the next for those 3 1/2 to 4 hours.   The Iceman was using his trekking poles for balance and to help him get from one boulder to the next when all of a sudden his pole lost its grip and he went down into the razor sharp boulders. He tried to save himself but couldn't and cut both of his knees and put a gash into the palm of his right hand. The hand was bleeding so profusely that the bandage, Jon quickly put on it, wouldn't stick. After a short while, the bleeding subsided and the Iceman got a bandage to stick.   He put on one of the gloves he carries to keep out the dirt. The hiking continued until they all reached the NH16, Pinkham Notch where the Sherpa was waiting for them. What a shock to see blood on the Iceman's shirt, legs, and everywhere else and a black glove covering his right hand, the same hand that he smashed a few days ago.! While waiting for the Iceman the Sherpa was sitting on a bench near the trailhead and a woman came over and asked " Are you the Sherpa"? "Why, yes. How did you know?" said the Sherpa. She recognized the Sherpa from the trail journal photo's. This woman's husband also uses the trail name Iceman and when she was reading the trail journals, some months ago, came across the Iceman and Sherpa's journal. She too was waiting for her Iceman to come down from the mountain. We had a nice conversation and then her husband came from the trail and told us that he had met the Sherpa's Iceman at the top of Mt. Washington.   That Iceman has been hiking the AT in sections and is almost finished.   It was now 6:30pm and Jon had a 3 hour drive back home so he left and the Iceman and 3D climbed into the Sherpa's car and headed back to Jackson to their respective lodgings. But first a resupply stop was made at a small local grocery and then 3D was dropped off at his place. The Iceman now clean and bandaged up had dinner, with the Sherpa, at the Wentworth, again. Tomorrow the Iceman and 3D start a 3 day overnight camping trip in the Mahoosuc Range. This is one of two of the most difficult sections of the entire AT hike. He has just completed the first one. Hooray! There are some great photo's, taken by 3D, of the Iceman and Jon in the photo section.