Date: 2023-07-01
From: Nauman Tentsite

To: Osgood Tentsite
Miles today: 14.9

My alarm went off at 5:30. I hadn't checked sunrise time, and was pleasantly surprised to see the sunrise wrap up as I deflated my sleeping pad and started to break down camp. The dun was completely visible, so it seemed to be clearing up from last night.I went to the hut for another one of those big cakey brownies and tea with a BelVita bar for breakfast, then put on my muddy, wet hiking shoes to finish up the AT through the Presidential Range.I started hiking a bit past 7. I climbed up Mt Pierce, then saw great views. I decided to climb Mt Eisenhower, which is off trail. Unfortunately, it was foggy at the summit, and it took a good half hour to do that out and back. While hiking and going off trail a few times, I met Mountain Drew, a thru hiker, and a guy from NY nabbing the NH 4000 footers and doing a Hut to Hut hike, who said he wanted to thru hike the AT someday.Mist started to roll in as I hiked. Views of the Whites started to become more of a silhouette. While I knew there would be no view, I nabbed Mt Franklin, an unofficial 4000 footer due to lack of prominence, for kicks. That was just a couple minutes off trail.I went up the Mt Monroe Loop Trail to nab Mt Monroe, but with the time consuming rock scramble, I was starting to get worried about losing time while bagging my missing NH 48 4000 footers. I don't think I made it up all the way, and it was foggy anyway, so I returned to the AT. I decided to skip the rest of the peaks off trail, and save them for a Hut to Hut hike in the future. Hopefully it would be in better conditions, and not part of a thru hike.I arrived to Lake of The Clouds Hut around 11. I stayed there for an hour. I ate pea soup, free pancake, egg, and oatmeal leftovers, and a piece of applesauce cake. It was wonderful to have such a feast for lunch, even though I had only hiked 4.6 miles on the AT. I was even more compelled now to skip the off trail peaks to get through the range today, with relatively good weather.I left around noon for the climb up to Mt Washington. The mile and a half took me about 45 minutes.  The sky was clearing up again, and it was getting pretty crowded with Hut to Hut hikers and visitors who took the cog rail train up to the Mt Washington summit. There were good views atop Mt Washington, but it was swarming with non hiker tourists. There was a long line of people waiting to have their picture taken at the summit. I was about twenty feet below it, and have already taken my picture there as recently as NYE last year, so I pressed on.The sky was clear, and it was sunny. I enjoyed the views. Occasionally, the AT path became unclear because of a lack of blazes or signs. It continued to warm, the ridge walk was still strenuous, and I passed by many Hut to Hut hikers. Most were friendly, but I missed being on my own on the trail. Still, the views more than made up for it, and my feet, socks, and shoes were finally dry.I took a half hour break just past the Gulfside Spring junction around 2:30, then another hour break when I got to the Madison Spring Hut around 4. I ate two pieces of pumpkin chocolate chip cake with tea.I decided it would be worse to pay $94 for a bunk at Joe Dodge Lodge than camp a few miles from Pinkham Notch at Osgood Tentsite. I could grab an AYCE breakfast at the Visitor Center in the morning if I left early enough, plus I wanted to get there before the forecasted for tomorrow started.  The first three miles to that notch went up Mt Madison, with good views despite returning in and out mist, then a steep, rocky descent back below treeline. I arrived at Osgood Tentsite around 7:30, finished up chores, and set my alarm for 4:30.