Date: 2005-07-18
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: fog

Wow! Yet another great day with an early start and exciting climbs. The day started early and ended late. Having done my work the night before I got an early start and was on my way at 6:25am. The start has you walking out of the hut and starting up Mt Madison (5363'). As soon as I started, my knees started screaming at me. The last week has taken a toll on them. The climb was going to be all rocks and then down a series of ridges which were also all rocks. This has been the cause of my knee pain. It is all high steps going from one rock to the next. I just couldn't get motivated to do it. I finally took some Ibuprofen in hopes that would help. It did a little and I continued through the series of climbs wishing my knees didn't hurt so much. It took me three hours to do three miles-- slow progress. It got a little better and I made it to Pinkham Notch at 12:20pm. Seven miles in five hours and I was now through all the easy stuff. I had a quick sandwich and sent my son my latest emails. I left the notch and headed towards Wildcat peak which was another 2,000 foot climb. Now this is where it gets a little exciting. The first mile was all flat and I covered it in a half hour. Only five miles to do now. Easy I thought. I put my climbing face on and started up. About half way up I see a white blaze on a shear rock face. There is no way up it and I could see the trail leading off to the left where they had cut out some rocks to make a place to put your feet to get around the corner. I start around and came to a series of climbs leading to two rocks making a V shape. The first thought was ¢this can't be right there have been no white blazes.¢ This is the only spot the trail goes so it must be right. I tried three times to figure out a way up but with no luck. Now I'm sort of stuck there and the rain has started. I now back track down to the last white blaze. This isn't an easy climb down either. I know I must have missed a white blaze. I headed back up and looked it over again. The only way I'm getting up there is to make a rock step so I can get high enough to reach a hand hold and pull myself up. I gather up the only loose rocks I can and make a toe hold step. I test it and it didn¢t hold. I work on it some more and it holds this time. Now I'm thinking that if I get up there and it isn't right how will I get down. All this time it continues to rain and I realize much later I forgot to put my pack cover on. Some how I managed to get up there using my knees since I could not lift my leg high enough for a foot hold. How I ended up doing it I'm not quite sure, but I made it. I lost a good 45 minutes on this little exercise. I added three falls during the day which wasn't much fun. As bad as it was for me I passed three day hikers that were going to stay here. I assume they must have given up and taken the chair lift down from the top of Mt. Wildcat since they aren¢t here at the hut. I did make it for work for stay only this hut doesn't make meals. I do have a bed in the bunk house. Tomorrow I would like to do 14 miles and make it to the shelter two miles from Gorham. Time to take some IB and head to bed.