Date: 2017-07-09
From: Carter Notch Hut, NH

To: Rattle River Shelter, NH
Miles today: 13.3

Another great night's sleep in a bunk room. The two couples who shared the room with me got up at 4:30 to climb Carter Dome and see the dawn. At breakfast they told me that it had been too cloudy to see anything. I spent the half hour before breakfast sewing a pocket back onto my hiking shorts - it had been ripped off during my fall yesterday. At breakfast I at first was concerned that the quantity of food would not meet my needs, but the staff kept on bringing me extra until I was satisfied. I chatted to a couple outside the hut while I repaired some tears in a stuff sack with hut duct tape. The husband turned out to be Daragh, from Ireland, married to Christine. They had their two little girls with them, Adia and Aisling. Sitting in the sun, having a good conversation - before I knew it, it was 9am and I had to get rolling. It was 9:16 before I got back on the trail. There was the normal hard climb, in this case 1,500 feet, to get to the first peak, Carter Dome, at over 4,800 feet. It was not very technical and I felt really strong doing it. That led to a series of peaks. In fact, I met several hikers doing the 4,000 series - trying to climb all 48 of the peaks in NH that are 4,000 feet or higher. The weather was perfect. I have beeng truly blessed with sunshine for nearly all of my time on the Whites and Presidentials. After Carter Dome came Mt Hight and Middle Carter Mountain, and on the descent from the latter I ran into Martha, whose son had done the AT and as a result she was carrying extra food for thru-hikers. I enjoyed grapes, a ham and cheese wrap, and a hardboiled egg, while standing talking to her in the trail. Shortly afterwards I hit Imp Campsite, which had been my planned destination for last night before Wildcat destroyed me. I had heard that they had great cell coverage there, and that turned out to be the case. I met Irene, the caretaker, who looked very young. I didn't want to take the time to catch up on my trail journal, but fired off a few messages to my wife, and agreed with her on a target date for a rendezvous in Monson, Maine, with my son. That will require 15-mile days until then. I called my friend and relative Des in Waterford, Ireland. Amongst other things, he was delighted to tell me that Waterford had defeated Kilkenny in hurling, knocking them out of the running for the All-Ireland, and leaving six counties still in the running, including Tipperary, Galway (my father's county), and Waterford. Now I know this news would have made at least one of my readers in Boston dolefully sad, but them's the breaks, Mary! After Imp came the climb up to Mt Moriah. The views back to My Washington and its neighbors were gorgeous. From there it was downhill for four fairly easy miles (a few technical spots but they were not like Moosilauke!), hitting the Rattle River eventually and the nicest stretch of flat riverside trail since the trail after Zealand Falls. I met Brick, doing a section. He said the chat with me was his first real conversation since he hit the trail. I also met a SOBO, who recorded a brief interview with me. He is doing the same with all 'NOBO thrus' he meets. At a stream I had a long chat with Aaron and Alexia, two young SOBOs. Then it was time for the last mile or two on the flat into Rattle River Shelter. A large group of teenagers had commandeered all the official tent spots but I found a decent, if slightly sloping, location up the hill a little bit. It had a perfect tree for my bag. I cooked my food and went down for a bath and swim in the river. It was cold!Tipperary