Date: 2018-08-05
From: Up over Mt Moosilauke ,From lost River Rd NH112 Kinsman Notch

To: The AT Ore Hill Trail Glencliff NH
Miles today: 9.3

Crazy BritWell today was our first mountain in the Whites Mt Moosilauke, to tell you the truth I was a bit nervous about this climb, a lot of people have said it¢s so tough of a climb, it puts you on edge.Well our shuttle driver arrived, she is an expert on this area, and is the Manager of the Notch Hostel. She gave us the inside scoop, and told us that we were doing the right thing in Slackpacking this section, as coming down the North side after yesterday¢s rain, will be a bit slippery and potentially dangerous.So we got dropped off and walk up the Trail to be met with big shouts from our fellow hikers Tang and Suspenders together with his dog Murdoch. They give us some stick about Slackpacking again, but admit it was pretty scary coming down from the summit yesterday in the rain, remember these guys are in there Twenties.So we set off with just a slight incline, then of course it gets steeper and steeper, now from the bottom to the summit it is a 3.9 mile climb, and there are no switch backs just right up and over, the rocks are wet and slippery, it is really rock climbing not hiking.But we are rewarded with the sight of a waterfall for a long way up the trail, there are blocks of wood bolted into the rock face. Together with a rope on the side, one slip here and it¢s all over, we stop pretty often no point in getting exhausted as this is the first of many over 4000 ft Mountains we will have to climb.We are doing great, we meet a few hikers coming down, they reinforce our decision to go up here instead of down, we are told it will flatten out in a short while, heard that one before Well it does get better and I pop out above the tree line, only to duck back in to put on a shirt and my windbreaker, it¢s windy and cold out there.The summit is disappointingly covered in low cloud, visibility is down to about 50 ft, we get our photos taken and then sit behind one of the walls of the old shelter to have our lunch.Soon it¢s time to go down, this sounds easy but it is a really tough descent over wet slippery boulders. Not as bad as the climb up up, but no easy descent. Seemed to take ages to get to the road at Glencliff. We walk up to the Hostel get a coke and look for a ride into Lincoln , no one available so we stand outside and thumb a lift , even as tough as we look we get a ride in 10 mins , they take us half way , then we hitch again and again we get a ride , people up here they are use to hikers. We get dropped in town, get a Macdonalds milkshake, pick up some supplies, then it¢s back to the lodge for a nap. On the way up thru town I am met by a guy who is following me on Trail Journals, real cool guy offered us a room and a ride out tomorrow bug we are sorted. He gave me a short ride to the lodge, his name is Dan Paradise and hiked the Trail in 2016 with the Trail name of Terodactyle. Thank you for following our adventure, and your sincere offer of help, we have met truly great people.Now it¢s time for a beer so must close, see you tomorrow.Anyone can walk on the flat, no flat spots up here you are always on the edge.Only got 389.4 miles to go before we summit Mt Katahdin