Date: 2012-07-30
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: light rain

Hey all! Another long delay but I will attempt appeasement by posting new pictures. Today¢s first entry was written while I was sitting in the downstairs ¢hiker¢s bathroom¢ of the Mt. Washington gift shop, taking a break while I charge my phone and take a sponge bath in their sink. Which is probably why they have a separate bathroom designated for us hikers. It¢s hilarious to me that they segregate us but since I saw some of my fellow hikers running around in their underwear washing their armpits in the sink, I¢m thinking this is all really to our benefit and so I¢m sure I like it. So I wanted to get down a few thought of the day before I forget.   There was a gorgeous sunrise this morning and I was so excited about the promise it entailed for the day. I was the first hiker out of the hut this morning having woken at 5. The trails were still wet but inviting. I climbed up the first of the presidentials Mt. Clinton (mountain peaks named after our presidents) and saw that the sun wouldn¢t last long. While there were some views to the south, to the north and the direction I would travel, there wasn¢t much of a view, only glimpse of the rocky exposed alpine trail I would travel. While I watched a dark could came in from my left, climbing up and over the low ridge connecting me to Eisenhower.   I was equal parts disappointed that today would be another day of fog, clouds and slogging without views, and also completely enamored of how interesting the clouds were as they interacted with the mountains. I spent a lot of time taking pictures, trying to capture these transition moments but as usual, they don¢t do it justice because they can¢t capture the moistness in the air as the clouds roll in, or the way the wind chills you as it hits you. You can¢t capture the feeling of the snow globe, the knowledge of how vast the views are around you but the underwater feeling of traveling in clouds. The rocks were giant boulders that the trails wound around. I felt almost like herds of sheep should be working their way across the little grassy valleys connecting the peaks. A lot of blueblazed trails ran over each presidential peak but I stuck to the AT since there was no point in adding miles and climbs without the reward of views. On one plateau, another traveler had arranged rocks the read THHHHHHEEEEE WHIIIIIIIIIIIITES which was pretty funny considering yep, that¢s the only view a lot of people get. Without views to distract me, I concentrated more on the delicate alpine plant life that survives at this elevation. A lot of very pretty flowers and low scrub, and blueberries, full delicious tart and plumb-like blueberries. At one point a little baby bird that fell out of a bush next to me and hopped along in front, probably trying to desperately escape me. Finally it used its new wing to flutter into another bush but I got to see it¢s ma or dad flutter down on top of it and stat chirping at it as if it was scolding in for leaving the safety of the bush. And the fog played tricks, you could hear people coming a good 15 minutes before you saw them at which point they seemed to materialize from nowhere, apparently I embarrassed some young 20 something fellas who thought they were all alone and were preforming truly invigorating renditions of 80s songs. They thought they were alone and when I mentioned I enjoyed their songs they all blushed bright red. Hahaha.At some point it seemed to get lighter and lighter until poof, all of a sudden half the clouds disappeared and to one side I had sunny views of valleys. These cannons below were deeper and wider than I had seen anywhere else in the whites. Amazing, and the trail I was climbing on was only a few feet away from steep landslides dropping into these valleys. Awe inducing, heart pounding views, finally! I could see the weather stations of Mt. Washington, the rocky dessert like tops of connecting mountains. As I moved closer and closer to those landmarks (not quite sure they were mt. Wash) the sky continued to open up. I was giddy. And then I rounded a corner and saw the Lake in the Clouds hut which is a mile down from Mt. Wash summit. I practically skipped into there and chatted up the staff, who were AWESOME! They were so nice and interested and we chatted, and then they fed my breakfast leftovers!!!! Once they learned my trail name they made jokes that they¢d need to bolt down everything shiny and then gave me spoonful s of caramel. And so newly fueled and super excited about the next mile, I took up off the rocky climb to the 2nd highest summit on the trail. Mt. Washington loomed and I enthusiastically climbed goat like up this trail grateful for PA (I know, I was just as shocked) for making me indifferent to the rocky scramble. Monty phyton like I was all psh, ¢I¢ve had worse.¢ It was actually one of the easier climbs in the Whites and I didn¢t need my hands once. There was a hilarious yellow sign in the vein of the wizard of oz¢s ¢I¢d turn back if I were you¢ basically telling us all the people who die climbing this mile because they overestimate their own abilities and underestimate the quickness and danger of the storms that hit this mountain with the least warning. There were a lot of tourists, day hikers, hut section hikers out and I¢m not going to lie. I was reveling in my bamfness as I flew past all of them, even with my heavy pack. Okay sure, I¢ve had about 4 months to build my body into the machine it is today but still it was nice to know I¢d earned this ability and was kicking ass. Okay I may also have been racing the old coal cog up the side of the hill. Once at the top though, I was overwhelmed by the hordes of people swarming around the summit. There is a little 10 foot high peak where the summit sign is but I didn¢t feel like waiting in line to get a picture next to all the others who drove up here and that was the extent of their climbing journey. Okay I know how I sound here but we were warned by other hikers and I have to agree, there is an element of falseness to the whole affair of Mt. Washington¢s summit after spending so long in the woods. I am glad that it has been made accessible to the handicapped and small children but still a little part on my hiker self resents the swarms of humanity that are so loud and desperately unfit. Hiker snob, hiker snob. Oh well, can¢t be perfect and I was annoyed mostly because their damn kids kept running into me over and over. Seriously, one of the best things about the trail is the lack of children. I was disappointed that they did not have the ¢this car climbed Mt Wash¢ bumper stickers as I wanted to put one on the bottom of my pack. So after my mini wash and phone charge I quickly left the area. Which is when I ran into Dos. We hiked the rest of the way together trying to make it to the next hut before dark. She was once again witness to my incessant, giddy chatter. So overcome with enthusiastic joy and humbling awe, I was beyond being able to decern and process how these sites affected me. All I really know is they are spectacular.The views and sightlines here are so deceiving, with cliff like drop offs and great views of the northern peaks. They looked both so far and so close at the same time, imposing and inviting all at once, but most of all magnificent. I could have happily stared at them for hours. You can see Adams and Jefferson and Monroe as three peaks ahead of you and it seems like you¢ll be there in no time, but they are mountains, large mountains one on top of the other. The terrain is not so very easy and once again I was visited by the familiar AT ache in my ankles and knees caused by the sharp pointy rocks of the last few miles. Every little breather you take ends up with staring around and being struck anew at the sights. The trail wraps its way around the side of these mountains and slowly snakelike you get to take in eastern and western views. All you can think is wow. The air smells so good up here. If ever there was a scent that I wish could be bottled, so clean and unique. Fresh. With the sun and almost constant breeze, I was comfortable in the extreme. Such a marked difference from the rest of my travels in the Whites. Surprisingly, despite the almost constantly changing weather, I have been surprised by the defining stillness and silence of the whites. So often I am struck by the absolute absence of noise or movement. Occasionally there is a bird call but it rings loud and clear without competition.   The day was getting long and after many false valley opening, I finally arrived at Madison Spring hut after a steep descent. Dos and I were both put up for the night in exchange for cleaning out the fridge and scrubbing it down. There is a lot of free time to write and sit, simply relaxing and enjoying nightfall in the huts since we can¢t set up for bed until all the hut visitors do. Great food tonight with more amazing bread! So amazing sunset views tonight and the colors were fantastic. Peace, great peace today after a full day. I am so lucky that the sun cleared because this section fo the whites is amazing. I will be back, I promise myself that, I will come back here.