Date: 2014-07-15
From: Osgood Campsite

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: moderate rain

Alright. Well decisions need to be made today. The weather is not working in my favor but at least it looks like a pretty dry morning. Must have stopped raining early as the outside of my tent is completely dry. Not even any overnight drips from when the wind blows through the trees. Last forecast was for heavy rain and thunderstorms today and over night. My plan is to get to Pinkham Notch where there's a major road and I can get cell service and decide to either head back up the other side or hitch into Gorham and call it a nero. It's about five miles so at least it's something. Surprisingly my knees don't hurt at all. They're stiff for sure but no aches. I took three Advil anyway. Left around seven and thankfully the campsite was at the bottom of all that unhappiness so this was just a hike parallel to the mountain. Stunning really. Rushing streams and waterfalls and back down in the mixed forest. Even crossed the road that leads up to Mt Washington, plus several other trails that showed a distance of less than four miles to the summit. Clearly there are other, probably easier ways up but the AT never takes them! Made it to Pinkham in about two hours to discover there's a big visitor center. If only I had looked more I could have gotten a shower and spent the night and had food! Damnit. Well they did have the weather and still bad. They also had cell service so I checked weather.com and same prediction - 80% chance some heavy and thunderstorms starting at 12:45. Well dang it. What to do. I was going to try for Carter Notch hut. Way up high and some seriously steep sections but I bet I can't make that by 12:45. And there's no tenting so I'd have to do work for stay which I found is terrible for sleeping. So....I called the reservation desk and got a bunk. It's not cheap - $114 but will be worth it to have some place enclosed, I can dry my stuff, eat good food, and sleep well. Let's hike!It's all of 5.7 miles to the hut and only 9am. In normal hiking hours I could easily do that but I've been averaging no more than 1.5 miles/ hour and this is almost all uphill so good luck with that Dune. Even the flat parts were strewn with boulders. It's also totally overcast and the tops of the mountains are shrouded with clouds. Not the best sign. The uphill was so steep I collapsed my poles and just went with my hands. So much easier and quicker. It's still daunting to look up though and almost fall backwards trying to see the top it's so steep. There was a point where there was a huge vertical boulder on the right and a huge lower boulder against it on the left making this narrow crevasse to climb. They had wedged smaller boulders in between to serve as precarious steps. I'm up in the clouds and can't see far. Kind of glad as it seems the drop offs are intense and I'm scared of heights so the less I know the better. Met a couple of south bounders, Walkie and Talkie, but otherwise the trail was dead today. And as usual when I think I've finally reached the summit I'm only half way there. Argh. The summit has a gondola you can take down to a restaurant but I declined as I really want to beat this weather. I'm on a ski mountain if you hadn't guessed.Finally a sign for the hut saying it's three miles but again that's an eternity in this terrain. It's several ups and downs, overall going up, then the big drop into Carter Notch. I decided to not check my map and not check the time and just go! It's really foggy and can't get any sort of bearing anyway so I should just move. Out of the blue I turn a corner and there's a huge downhill pile of boulders ahead. Is this it already? I've learned not to get too excited but it just keeps going and going. Yay! And then it starts raining. Boo! Looks like I missed escaping again. Round three. Thankfully it's not heavy so I'm not drenched, just dampened. The down is over shockingly fast. It's also really nicely graded with steps (I think they do that near all the developed areas for the sake of the tourists!) so it was easier than normal. The hut is the first that's off trail - a whopping .1 miles - but a very important distance that is. I start hiking and in the fog I come across this massive drop off. But it's not a drop off at all. It's a remarkable lake silent and reflective with all these yellow water lilies closed up in the misty gloom. For all you nerds out there - total Mists of Avalon scene here. Very very cool. You hike on some sort of a causeway and there's another lake. Gorgeous with a few boulders breaking the surface. The hut is just beyond and it's warm and cozy. Very small compared to the others. Checked in and she told me there are all of eleven guests tonite and I can have a bunk room to myself!! Score! She also said the pond is great for swimming. I think that was a hint to go take a bath. It's been six days and I admit, I'm disgusting! It's really more my clothes and pack but just to get the dirt off is a relief. Went and found an empty bunk room   Totally awesome with comfortable beds and thick blankets and hooks everywhere to hang my junk. Dumped stuff then off to that pond! It was almost surreal swimming in that mist. Someone even left a bar of soap there. I know you're not supposed to, pollutes the water, but I just had to. I'm now in my bunk with my feet up and it's 2:30. Thinking of a nap. I'm a little annoyed that the torrential rains haven't hit now that I'm safe and sound but I guess it's a good thing for all the other hikers. I plan on sticking around here in the morning until the rain lets up then summit one more peak before I start a long downhill to Gorham and get picked up by family! Friends are also coming a few days later so I'll be taking a few days off and hiking a few days with them...if they dare. Crazy to think Maine is right around the corner. FYI it's now 3:15 and the rain has started. Glad I didn't try to go further. Also glad it's pitter pattering on the metal roof while I lay in my own bunk room under a thick wool blanket with the door and windows open napping. And wow it's coming down hard now. Almost torrential. Sorry hikers! About 5:30 I decided to head down to the main hut with my book and maybe make friends. There were two southbounders there doing a work for stay. Really nice. Gave me a lot of good advice in Maine. Didn't get to talk long though before the dinner bell. I felt horrible leaving them to gorge but they'd get there fill shortly. There's a whole process to the meal. They like to introduce themselves and talk about the hut. Then dinner is served! Starting with clam chowder (although I don't remember any clams) with bread, followed by a nice mixed green salad, peas and a really thick hearty lasagna. I ate so much! Two huge servings of lasagna. Dessert was big fudge brownies and the girl across from me couldn't finish hers and gave me half. Right after dinner I was up and out to the cabin and noticed the weather was somehow phenomenal!   What's with the forecast? I'm not disappointed that I spent the money to escape it only to get it for all of an hour but I feel cheated! The clouds have cleared and there is a massive ray of sun shining on Carter Dome opposite the hut. The birds are all going crazy and the temperature has cooled. Not sure if that's it or we'll get more. Either way I'm ready to have a real day off.