Date: 2003-08-24
From: 0.7 mile past Lonesome Pond Hut

To: Mt. Garfield
Miles today: 12.1

CHECK OUT THE NEW PHOTOS!Cold, cold, cold night. I was warm enough in my 15 degree bag. The frigid air is partly due to the high altitude of the Whites, but mostly it is cold artic air that blew in. It also means clear skies which gives me great views. It should stay clear until Tuesday when I am on top of Mt. Washington. The sky is only clear about 50 days a year there so I feel lucky, but then things naturally go my way except for hitch-hiking. That brings me to the impossible time it was to hitch today. I know with my long beard I don't look like my usual cute self, but it was really difficult to get a ride to town. I hitched on the Interstate which is a no-no, but that was where the traffic was. Finally after 2 miles, a guy picked me up and dropped me off in North Woodstock, NH. I got and drank a half gallon of chocolate milk for the calcium and went to breakfast. I ordered the $3.99 special which turned out to be especially small. I also ordered a Coke. When the bill came, that tiny glass filled with ice and two sips of Coke cost $1.75. I got groceries, hopefully enough for 4 days. In any case, it is all I could carry. My hitch-hike back was a nightmare. I know the routine. I wait until the cars are just the right distance. Then I turn slowly so they see my pack on my profile. I then stick out my thumb almost into their lane giving them plenty of time to check their rearview and pull over. So that is how I walked the 6 miles back to the trail. Backwards, smiling pleasantly at all he on-looking tourists. No one picked me up. I think maybe the New England yuppies are reading my journal. Every one was going to a visitors¢ center just before the trail. I also went to the center and I remembered all the faces of the people who thought it was too much trouble the take their foot off the gas and put it on the brake as they turned their wheel to the right. I seem to be getting meaner as time goes on. If you ever see a hiker hitch-hiking, pick them up. They just want to get to town and back. It was 2 pm, and I had only done 3 trail miles. I had to do some readjusting of my overloaded pack when Bug Bite came by. She was a welcome face. She is hiking from Hanover, NH to the end of the trail. She thru-hiked last year and is an incredible wealth of information. Plus, she hikes as fast as I do which seems to be a rarity lately. I hiked ahead up the hill and got to a campsite with water and a couple of hikers. I said, "I think I'll eat one of these cucumbers," as I pulled out a huge cucumber. I like cucumbers, but they are lousy trail food. They are empty vitamins, but I think cucumbers are just always humorous in any situation. We then hiked up a huge ridge. It was incredible. As soon as we got over the tree line, the cold 40 mph winds would chill us to the bone. On the way up, I ran into Rambler and his sister Dealer (who changed her name to Snooze). I haven't seen Rambler since we stealth camped and passed out in the laundromat way back in the Shenandoahs. We all climbed to the ridge line that had a series of peaks. The biggest was Lafayette at 5,249 feet above sea level. Wow, it was incredible. It was also freezing and windy. So windy I felt like I was being blown off the mountain and it did make me lose my balance a couple times. I got some awesome pictures you won't believe. Bug Bite knew of some stealth campsites so that is where we went. It was so cold I had to eat my dinner as fast as possible. I was shaking and I was wearing all my clothes including my raincoat. I got in my bag fast enough so I didn't die of exposure. I have another big day planned for tomorrow. I also hope to see Ranger, Monster, and Uncle Mark who are just ahead. There aren't many of us who are finishing this, but the ones who are finishing are just too damn cool. I am now more than 5/6ths of the way done.   Peace,Dutch