Date: 2018-07-25
From: Kinsman Notch route 112

To: Eliza Brook shelter
Miles today: 7.5

I slept well but warm, tossing my quilt on and off all night. At 5am I began stretching and moving, putting on my clothes to go down to the bathroom. When I returned to my bunk everyone else was moving about. I repacked my backpack after adjusting the arc and the shoulder straps. It's more comfortable now. This is the zpacks backpack that Eddyman let me borrow and it takes a couple of days to get things dialed in for my body. The lower support where the hip belt is really has an impact on my lower back. I had my oatmeal and a coffee and squared up with Bisquick for my stay. Then I hopped in the van with River for the 7:30 shuttle to Kinsman Notch. I sat up front for a change and enjoyed the ride. The crews are still repairing route 118. The sky was cloudy but patches of blue were visible. We used the forest service privy at the trailhead parking area and set out across route 112 and began a very long climb up to the summit of Wolf Mt. The climb was steep and long filled with moss and algae covered slick, wet rocks and roots. A stream ran down the middle of the trail and several times I stopped to make sure I was still on trail and not in an actual stream. Here in the whites there seems to be a definite lack of white blazes. The terrain was definitely challenging and again we were hiking in clouds being dripped on by them and trees all day. We ran across Mudsmeller and Cutie Handful who had left the hostel yesterday for Eliza Brook shelter. They had stayed there last night but realized they can't make it thru the Whites this way so today they're hiking back to Kinsman Notch. They're going to do some day hiking and stay at some huts. We talked for a moment and River and I decided to move on without lunch in order to beat the rain to the shelter. We made it to the shelter around 3pm and met up with Rainbow who was taking a zero tbere. She gave us tea bags and we enjoyed a hot cup of tea just as the rain started. Pirate is also taking a zero here because he's wet and everything he owns is wet. Both of them left the hostel yesterday with Mudsmeller and Cutie Handful. This rain is really miserable. Before long the shelter was full and people were setting up tents in the rain. I'm so glad we got space in the shelter. Voyager came in with 3 boy scouts. They had a bite to eat and rested before moving north and we watched them rock hop across the river. The rain had stopped for a few minutes and River and I realized we have to cross this water tomorrow. It's swollen and many of the rocks are covered. I'm not sure how we'll do it but we'll find a way to rock hop or put our camp sandals on and just forde it. We cooked dinner around 6pm. Pegasus showed up. He took some time off trail and is back to finish up. He's with some of the other guys and a girl here in the shelter. The conversation was nice, just a bunch of hikers stranded in the rain not certain what tomorrow will bring for hiking. But the consensus is safely and of course we'd all love a view! It's 7:40 now and pouring. I've brushed my teeth and I'm in my PJs in my bag. River and I will be up at 4:30 a.m. and if it's not raining we'll try to get over the Kinsmans and to Kinsman Pond shelter, Lonesome lake hut or if the weather is agreeable to I-93 and into Lincoln for the night.