Date: 2007-08-27
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Gorham, NH US Rt. 2
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

5:15 am: Bunkhouse #1, Carter Notch Hut. Awake. Stealth packing so as to not awake the ladies.6:30 am: Carter Notch Hut Main Hall. Coffee and pancakes7:15 am: Depart Carter Notch (3,300¢) past two tranquil ponds and immediately begin the ascent of Carter Dome. The day is proving to be glorious as promised by last night¢s sunset.8:30 am: Summit of Carter Dome (4,832¢) having watched the sun creep down the east face of Wildcat Peak A into the notch below while en route.9:35 am: Zeta Pass (3,850¢)10:05 am: South Carter Mountain (4,440). I stop to take in the great views of Mt. Washington and the Presidents on the other side of Pinkham Notch.10:45 am: Middle Carter Mountain (4,610)11:15 am: North Carter Mountain (4,539¢)12:00 NOON: Imp Campsite (3,370¢) I have now covered 6 miles in 5 hours with no stops other than two for ¢comfort¢ and a few periodic ones to take in the spectacular scenery. I¢m going to have to focus and pick up the pace significantly if I¢m going to finish up before dusk.12:15 pm: On a ¢rocky exposure¢ above Imp Campsite (3,400¢). So much for the ¢focus¢ and ¢pick up the pace¢ business ¢ I¢m hungry and this spot is just too pretty to pass up with wonderful vistas looking back on the Carters, as well as, the other side off Pinkham Notch (the Presidents) including the Great Gulf Wilderness and well down Route 16 into Gorham. Ahead of me I can see Mt. Moriah. This is just too nice a place not to stop and savor while trying to convince myself about the taste of my last PB&Honey tostada for a while.12:45 pm: Back on the trail again, now in earnest. I¢m sure that I could have easily stayed at my lunch spot for at least another hour and enjoyed a great nap there on that rocky top in the summer sunshine. All I would have needed to do would have been to close my eyes for just a nano-second and I¢d have been out for the count.2:00 pm: Atop Mt. Moriah (4,050¢) I¢m now moving along at a pretty good pace. I just knocked off that uphill (900¢ climb) mile and a half in just over an hour.2:37 pm: At the split-off of Kenduskeag Trail. Being back under the jurisdiction of the AMC means I¢ve got to pay close attention to the local trail names at every intersection as things are not always clear and the ASMC downplays the Appalachian Trail moniker in favor of their own, local trail names. Further, I haven¢t seen but two white blazes in the past half hour.4:00 pm: Clement Brook Trail intersection (1,380¢) What beauty! Marvelously clear water and brilliant swimming holes. Oh, if only I had a little bit more time to lollygag around in one of those pools¢¦4:15 pm: Rattle River Shelter (1,250¢). Stopped to check out the Shelter Log, scratch an entry into it and drink some water. Didn¢t even loosen my pack. The Trail is now a wide and soft ¢woods road¢ running alongside the river under the cover of tall pines. It is most pleasant walking and, in spite of the fact that both of my knees ache from the downhill pounding they¢ve taken this afternoon, I almost wish I weren¢t about to leave the Trail to return to New York in just a few minutes.5:00 pm: US 2, Gorham, NH (700¢). I¢m done having covered the last 8 miles in 4.5 hours so I still have plenty of daylight in which to get myself organized and on the road toward home.5:30 pm: I arrive back at the Town and Country Motel, in Gorham. It took a while for ¢Wilson II¢ to do his magic, but finally a local contractor acknowledged my ¢Hiker to Town¢ sign and pathetic expression and gave me a lift.6:45 pm: Concord, NH. I sat and enjoyed a lobster roll and a Philly Cheese Steak half-sub (the local version of ¢surf and turf¢ sandwich-style!) which are delicious. My next stop is a drug store for Epsom Salts and Motrin. I¢ve been on the phone with my Executive Assistant, Phoebe who has reserved a room for me tonight at the Manchester, NH airport and booked a 9:00 am flight for me tomorrow morning to New York.10:30 pm: Time for bed ¢ a nice, big, king-size bed with fresh sheets and pillows! Such luxury! I¢ve packed all my stuff for tomorrow¢s flight and I¢ve soaked my sore knees in a nice warm tub. Today was a real workout and definitely a far cry from where I started our three and a half weeks ago. Today I put in 15 miles during the course of which I climbed 4,850¢ uphill and descended 6,350 downhill. I¢m ready for bed (and Motrin)!