Date: 2018-08-16
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Carter Notch
Miles today: 5.9

Crazy BriWe leave Tim¢s house and head to the Trailhead at Pinkham Notch, stopping on the way to get Coffee at Macdonalds and a breakfast sandwich. After this we head out to the Trailhead at Pinkham Notch, this is a very busy place lots of cars in the carpark, all these cars means lots of people out hiking the trails.We cross over the Highway with Tim taking photos of us, he would love to hike with us but after his kidney stones the doc said no strain on his body, so we leave Tim thanking him profusely for his kindness in putting us up as his house guests.We are surprised that the trail looks like it¢s skirting the mountain, and we check our Guthook App on our phones to make sure, no we are on the trail, then it starts going up, now we know we are on the trail, it¢s a rough rock strewn trail, going straight up the mountain no switch backs here.We are told this is one of the hardest Trails up and over the Wildcat Mountain Range, this is a tough trail. We do have some great views on the way, this gives us a chance to take a 5 min break, any more and it¢s a problem to get the legs going again.There are 4 peaks in this range E.D and C. And A, don¢t ask what happened to B I am only taking it from the guide book.Each of the above peaks are tough, lots of Hand over Hand climbing and the descents are a lot worse, slippery rock with mud holes in between. We hear on the Hiker Grape Vine that a NOBO hiker fell yesterday afternoon and it took 20 people to stretcher him of the mountain, he had slipped on one of the sloping prices of Granite and broke his leg. He was stretchered off because it costs roughly $25.00 an hour to get the National Guard up to the Mountain with one of their Black Hawk Helicopters, an Expensive game.From where we are having our lunch , sat on a rock outcrop on Wildcat Peak A., we can see the collection of Huts way down in the Notch below, it looks pretty cool sat above two Alpine lakes. After lunch we start down, this is a really tough trail, very, very steep Slippery Rocks and plenty of mud holes to help with the difficult terrain.We make it down ok and come out onto a beautiful Alpine lake. These lakes are pristine very clear cold water, this one had Lily¢s growing all around the edge of it, as we went up the trail we came to another equally as beautiful lake, today we are being spoiled.The Hut is just up the trail and we enter and book in. This is the Last AMC Hut Northbound or the First Hut Southbound really homely place. Today is the first day of their Fall season so the Hut today is only managed by Two people.For two people they do a great dinner, fresh baked bread, soup, salad and an Entree followed by dessert and lots of Coffee. After dinner we go on a Nature walk run by one of the staff, really interesting stuff. Now it¢s time to settle down, chill out and do today¢s journal, once done I will say Goodnight see you all tomorrow with hopefully another FaceTime from on top of the Dome on Carter Mountain.Anyone can walk on the flat, up here in the mountains it¢s hard to find a flat place so you are always on the Edge , it¢s pretty Cool and Exhilarating, you should Try it.Only got 313.5 miles to go before we summit the big boy Mt Katahdin.