Date: 2014-07-18
From: franconia notch

To: bridge @ mile 1835
Miles today: 22.5

I got up from my stealth campsite early to be gone before the authorities came looking for me. I wasnt sure if i was supposed to tent there. Also i wanted to get going early because my site elevation was 1420 and i was on my way up my lafayette, elevation 5291! Yup it was going to be an uphill battle for a while. I got going up and got my morning water from a nice spring on the side of the trail at the liberty spring campsite. It was crystal clear and brainfreezing cold. Once i got up on the ridge there is not much water so i had to tote plenty. I was glad the weather was clear and cool, about sixty degrees. The first mt on the way to lafayette was mt lincoln, over 5000 ft. It was magestic, open views in all direction, and clear blue sky. I couldnt believe how lucky i was. In the big mountains you are more likely to be guaranteed poor weather than good weather, let alone this perfect conditions. I sat and drank an orange soda on lincoln and chatted with a fella that was out for a week to hike the presidential mountains. He said he had been up there many a time and never seen a forecast like this. On i went up to lafayette and i gotta say, amazing, there are no words to say how this was. Truly gods country, or mother natures country, or no-mans land, however you feel. I could see huge mountains for miles and miles, places i had been and places i was going. I ate some chips and took a drink on top and marvelled at my surroundings. Then i dragged myself away and over to mt garfield. On the way over was a perfect moose pond, no moose. The trail here was rough, big steps up onto rocks and plenty of roots mixed in. It is for surely slow going. At the top of garfield i took a proper lunch break in the sun on a rock. There were plenty of day hikers or weekenders there too but i found a mostly secluded spot so i could sit in peace. Unfortunately a lady and her friend came over and sat nearby. She loved the term 'avid hiker', after hearing her call herself an avid hiker for the 50th time i bolted back to the trail. Turns out that garfield was steep on both sides. Its the kind of steep that makes it slower going down than climbing up. Some places i stood briefly and thought, how the heck am i gonna get down there? Over thru the 'low land' to the base of south twin mt was also rough going, boulders to get over and around. I took a sit again just before the climb. I knew it was to be steep so i needed some fuel. Well south twin is no joke either, steep steep climb had me pooped by the time i got to the summit. However you soon forget the climb when you see the sights. I figure its a lot like birthing, if you remembered the pain, nobody would have a second kid. I would only climb one mt. I couldnt have been more happy for that to be the last major climb of the day. I did go over mt guyot but it wasnt much to go up and over. Some of the views there were of a boulder field. Millions of rocks poured down the mountainside. From there it was about seven more miles to where i wanted to tent. I passed the zealand hut even though i could smell the food being cooked inside. Food i could buy if i wanted to but i knew i needed to eat food i had been carrying before i bought more. Back down off the ridge i passed thru another boulder field that you could see was the side of the mt that has fallen off. I would have loved to be a fly on the next mt over when that happened, what a ruckus that must have been! I got the scoop from a hiker coming toward me that there was a good spot to tent near the next foot bridge. I got there and to a shine to the spit so i stayed. I was as efficient as i could be to get night chores done and myself in bed asap. I actually hung a bear bag for the first time in i dont know how long, what a disaster that was. I wont even get into that mess. I got into bed as it was getting dark, too late for this guy. Grateful for the weather i got today, anything could happen tomorrow and i would still feel special. Maybe cuz i am special.