Date: 2003-07-29
From: NH25, Welcome Hiker Hostel (1140') 

To: Kinsman Notch, NH112 (1815') 
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Aloha! What an absolutely supercalafragalisticexpealadocious day! Wuhuu! Yee Haw! Come on... do it with me! Yeeee Haaawww! Awesome!   Now I know you're probably wondering why you're yelling so I'll tell ya. You just climbed almost to the top of the world and you loved it! Okay, that's an exaggeration but it was still above tree line and it was fantastic. The whole day has just got me floating on air.   Okay, okay, okay... got to tell you about it.   As you know from yesterday, Gutsy had easily convinced me to slack pack from north to south across Mt Moosilauke. With PacRat shuttling and Proudfeet (an absolutely adorable Brit I spent a portion of yesterday with chatting about London) and Storm'n also piled in, we were off and headed up the road at 7:30.   On the way, PacRat asked for a few extra moments of our time to show us something special. No argument from us. He then introduced us to an absolutely gorgeous portion of the Lost River. Fantastic! Huge rock formations carved by water rushing past and over them.   I don't know the history of the area but it was both awesome and magnificent to see the results of whatever. It was also wonderful of PacRat to have offered to show us. We found upon returning that the slack packers of other days weren't as lucky.   (Tee Hee!)   From there it was off to Kinsman Notch for our slack south through the beginning portion of Whites. The White Mountains are supposedly one of the most impressive sections of the AT offering magnificent views with miles of above-tree line travel.   I've been given many words of warning regarding the rapidly changing weather, the need for cold weather gear even in the middle of summer, and the possibility of sleet, snow and ice on the high ridges year-round. {gulp} Each year, it seems that carelessness ends in death for someone in the Whites.   I already know one hiker caught on Mt Moosilauke unprepared and ended up sleeping curled beside the trail near hypothermic. And that was only last week. It's also been suggested that hikers adjust their mileage expectations downward since the terrain here is some of the most rugged anywhere on the AT.   These were some of our reasons for deciding to slack the first day. Pretty smart cookies, huh.   Now this is where I don't know whether to tell you about the trail as we hiked it or as we would have had we not slacked. I've decided to go with the direction I actually hike - SOBO. For any future NOBOs, reverse it.   Becoming SOBOs, as we always do to start, we went UP. And a mighty big UP it was too. The north side of Mt Moosilauke is noted to be slick, particularly in rainy or icy conditions. Luckily we were headed UP that side on a perfectly gorgeous blue-sky day.   It was only slick in spots and for that I was a mighty thankful woman. Sections of this portion of the trail use rebar, rock steps and wooden blocks for footing. It could be scary on a dry day going UP so I could just imagine a wet day coming down.   I much prefer the UP in this case.   The trail parallels a lovely 1500' waterfall known as the Cascades for the first two miles. It did help take my mind off the constant steep grade but not enough to allow for daydreaming. Any picture taking or viewing was always with concerted effort to find the flattest and widest standing spot. But we did and I have lots of pics to prove it.   On the way UP we stopped by Beaver Brook Shelter (3650') for a short break.   This shelter includes a view of Franconia Ridge, our upcoming hike. We found Storm'n snacking trailside too tired to walk the 100' to the shelter. It was a heck of an UP to that point with more to come.   From there it was on to Mt Moosilauke, which is the first major viewpoint above tree line in the White Mountains for north bounders. My first time above tree lines ever if you don't count the balds down south, which I don't believe you do. Anyway, we came out of the tree line and the view literally took my breath away. It was magnificent!   Truly magnificent. Pizazz had stated once that she had hoped to hike with me when I crossed Moosilauke so she could see my face.   To me that meant there would be gigantic rocks that I would come face to face with and have to scramble over. I was wrong. It was to see my face when I saw what above tree line is really all about. Breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking.   With the perfect weather, and a wind block of rock walls to help take the chill off, Gutsy and I enjoyed a lovely lunch overlooking Franconia Ridge and the rest of the Whites to the northeast, the Green Mountains to the west and the remnants of the 1860 Prospect House (a popular tourist spot that burned to the ground in 1942).   It was wonderful! It wasn't until we saw all the ATC attendees making their way to the top from the various trails that we forced ourselves to get up and head back down the mountain.   The down lasted six miles. It was long but not necessarily difficult. The total elevation change went from Moosilauke's 4802' to Glencliff's 1140'. Again, not terrible but I'm sure glad I was going down it vice UP.   Enroute we stopped at Jeffers Brook Shelter to check it out and see if the story I had heard about my trail son Ben was true. It seems that he did make me an alcohol stove and was going to leave it in one of the shelters along the way. Reading the various shelter registers as I go I've found a few interesting and fun notes to me about the stove.   Rumor had it that the stove had been left at this shelter. A quick look around the shelter turned up nothing. Pretty much as I expected since it had been two weeks since he would have left it. On a second look around it was spotted.   Tucked high in a corner between logs was a beer can stove with a note sticking out of it. The note was perfect. In short, it basically stated that this particular stove was created for me and that if anyone took it then they were "low down, dirty, hip digging, skunk smelling, mouse trap licking stove stealers" or something like that.   Ben's so cute! And such a sweetheart. I thank him profusely for thinking of me and taking the time to make the stove. I owe this little trail angel too.   With the stove in hand we headed back to the trail and were back at the hostel in practically no time. Still hyped from the excellent hike, weather and companionship I was raring to go. Go where I don't know but go. I've since had time to sit and relax and am now content.   It's been a wonderful hiking day and Gutsy made for an excellent hiking partner. Maybe we will hike along together for a while. Sure can't hurt to try.   Okay, Storm'n (who came in an hour ahead of us) and Fly By (who took a zero after his 27 mile slack yesterday) are working on us to do a 16-mile slack tomorrow. It would cut their shuttle cost if we shared it with them. Nice idea but I don't think I have it in me.   Neither does Gutsy. We're going to look at the map and data one last time but I believe the boys are pretty much on their own. We'll probably just put on the packs and go north. We like it like that.   With that said, it's time to go give the guys a final answer. So you take care and I'll see you tomorrow. Oh yeah, I sure hope your day was at least half as good as mine because then I would know that you had a fantastic day. See ya.BSandTs blood, no one can trip me up like me. Bumped an elbow on a wall, trying to get off the wall ended up tripping on my poles, headed down hill fast. End result - scrapped and bruised left knee, scrapped right knee, and bruised right forearm.   The Battle of Mt Moosilauke.AandPs: those will come tomorrow when I'm stiff from the fall.MandGs: no way!Critter count: don't even remember