Date: 2005-08-20
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut 10:10pm - One Step Up
Miles today: 0.0

Lakes of the Clouds Hut 10:10pm ¢ One Step UpYesterday started out spectacularly. It was a brisk morning but I managed to extract myself from my tent and get an early start, well before Sam-I-Am and Origami were even stirring. I soon came across a trail magic cooler. I helped myself to a slice of watermelon and then put a soda and apple into my pack. Webster Cliffs weren¢t as bad a climb as I imagined, so I treated myself to a nice long break on top. I admired the view while drinking my soda and eating my apple. By then the day had warmed up. I had a very pleasant walk from there over Mt. Jackson to the Mizpah Springs Hut.I planned to hit the soup at the hut, but it turned out it wasn¢t ready yet. While waiting for it to heat up I discovered a stack of leftover chocolate chip pancakes from breakfast. Combined with the blueberries I had picked the day before, they made a fine appetizer. They also made a fine dessert. The French onion soup was good, but blueberry chocolate chip pancakes were better.I left the hut a bit after noon and soon climbed above treeline. I¢d remain there all afternoon. Actually, it¢s a day and a half later and I still haven¢t descended, but more on that later. Anyways, I emerged from the trees as I summited Mt. Clinton, formerly Mt. Pierce. The skies were crystal clear; the views were endless. It was a perfect afternoon. I walked for a few hours on the Presidential ridge, crossing Mt. Eisenhower (infested with day hikers), Mt. Franklin (who wasn¢t a president) and Mt. Monroe. Unfortunately the AT actually bypassed all of the actual summits, but I gladly took some blue blazed loop trails to get my views. On an afternoon like yesterday it would have been quite foolhardy to let something as trivial as white blazes cause one to miss such fine views.However, clouds began to pile up as the afternoon wore on. A particular set to the south looked particularly black and headed my way. I also knew that the next day was supposed to be cloudy ¢ it was now or never to make a run for the summit of Mt. Washington. I reached Lakes of the Clouds Hut and checked for a work to stay. They were about to get me to work immediately when I asked if I could be a choosy beggar and do something after dinner. He agreed. I dropped my pack and practically sprinted the mile and a half (and 1,000 vertical feet) to the summit. I reached it in a half an hour, beating the clouds by five minutes. I got a few scattered views of the northern Presidential peaks before they became obscured. Mission accomplished, I lingered for a few minutes and returned to the hut.I reached it just before Sam-I-Am and Origami. Unfortunately, the ride wasn¢t as kind to them as it was to me. The skies were genuinely threatening and the winds had picked up. We went inside and, like me, they got work for stays. I scrubbed out some cabinets during dinner, and then we were treated to a fantastic vegetable bake. Not bad for thirty minutes of work, I figured.We slept out in the dining room, pulling benches together to form platforms just wide enough for a hiker. We were exhausted ¢ I for one had gotten a lot of sun on the ridge and was completely wiped out. The loud, obnoxious women who were loudly carrying on at the next table over despite three hikers attempting to sleep in the same room weren¢t even enough to keep me up for long. I slept wonderfully.As usual, we waited until the guests had eaten before we had breakfast this morning. I then waited for Sam-I-Am and Origami to finish their chores (changing the pillowcases) before heading out. It was foggy, cold, and windy; traveling together seemed a good idea.The climb up to Washington wasn¢t too bad, though it was extremely harsh up top. Mt. Washington claims to have the world¢s worst weather and I believe it. Origami, unfortunately, didn¢t fare as well on the hike. He¢s been a bit under the weather and was struggling by the top. But the fog gave way to mysterious shapes that solidified into the summit buildings and we were soon warm and dry. I bought some hot chocolate and spent some time hitting the tourist circuit ¢ gift shop, weather museum, and mailing some postcards at the summit post office.Sam-I-Am and Origami decided that it would be best for them to go back down given the weather and how Origami was feeling. A summit ranger radioed down and confirmed that the hut crew would give them another work for stay. I weighed my option carefully. Madison Hut was only another 5.5 miles, but it was all above treeline. Eventually I decided that venturing out alone onto an exposed ridgeline full of wet rocks with high winds and extremely limited visibility would only be an exercise in poor judgment. 138 people have died on the Presidential Mountains, many during the summer. Reluctantly, I decided to retreat to Lakes of the Clouds as well. I called down to the Pinkham Notch and left a note for Dingle. It seems I won¢t be slack packing over Wildcat tomorrow after all.We arrived at the hut mid afternoon and pitched in to wash a rather large stack of dishes once we warmed up. I also made a snowman out of ice scraped from the freezer, but that¢s another story. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing speed scrabble. At one point a scruffy looking hiker showed up. I bet Origami he was a thru-hiker. Origami agreed, but added that he still looked a bit green and must be a south bounder. We were dead on ¢ Anxious was his name. There¢s something unmistakable about us hikers. Worn gear, dirty socks, a gaunt look ¢ so many subtle details add together to leave an unmistakable impression.We had Thanksgiving dinner tonight ¢ turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and peas. Afterwards I gave another talk to the guests on thru-hiking ¢ it seems Sam-I-Am told the croo that I¢d been a hit at Galehead. I didn¢t mind doing it. It¢s fun to talk to people, and they¢ve always got a million questions.Hopefully I¢ll be able to make some progress tomorrow. I hiked three harsh miles today and haven¢t moved.[Note - no miles today even though I hiked Mt. Washington - no actual AT miles were added today]