Date: 2010-08-18
To: USFS vista carter notch hut
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: fog

18 August Wednesday - 13.6 miles to USFS vista at Carter Notch HutDidn¢t sleep well despite the amount of hiking I did yesterday. I could only lay comfortably in one spot and that was on a rock or two. Guess I wasn¢t that tired after all. Took my time leaving and I actually slept in for once. The sun is already over the top of the Madison mountain before I¢m out of my tent. Don¢t think I¢ll make it far over Wildcat no matter when I start. Made my favorite black tea and charged the caffeine batteries in my heart. I get a charge from that tea unlike anything!The hike out is going to be tough. One of the men camped close to the privy makes a joke as I¢m leaving. The campers think the AMC¢s tent site proximity to the toilet is a sign of appreciation for free loaders such as us. This is where the root of my sour feelings for the AMC began. Rock Dancer said that one of the forest service requirements for the AMC operation was they had to be nice to the thru-hikers. I don¢t believe ¢being nice¢ to us was any part of the forest service or AMC¢s agenda here. Why must we pay to camp where you tell us? Are there other free campsites besides Valley View? It¢s about money here and I¢m surprised they let us hang around their customers.The climb up the 0.6 mile side trail from Valley View had me sweating early. It was still worth it! Suck it AMC! It¢s got to be further going up this trail. Hollywood thinks its funny that it¢s so early and I¢m sweating like I¢d been hiking all day. He¢s jealous because he¢s out $12 and I¢m not! Sucka! It¢s loud and noisy inside the building so I leave without saying much at all. The thru-hikers have to stick around to do their chores this morning, but I¢m out the door!The trail runs straight up Madison. Madison is a pile of boulders and no soil. Nothing here except rocks and a little moss and it feels like being at a rock quarry. A few AMC customers have already started hiking and I have to wait. I wait behind them until I realize that I could just hike off to the side as I pass. Soccer moms, weekend warrior¢s and LL bean outfits fall behind me one at a time. These people aren¢t even wearing back packs! That¢s the only reason why I feel malice. Why didn¢t I think of sending all my belongings to Gorham and taking advantage of the AMC hut system? I can¢t help but wonder if the products I¢m carry are even necessary. Is this a joke told by former hikers to current thru-hikers? Maybe, maybe not! I could have made it with my summer equipment and my good sleeping bag.The trail follows a crescent shaped ridge line pointing almost back to the base of Mt. Washington. Lot¢s of cairns make it easy to tell that I¢m heading directly to the windy road leading down the whole tail of the 6288ft tall mountain. It feels like I¢m walking down the tail of a giant curled up dragon. The steps leading down hurt my knees and shows me who¢s boss here. The wind is still howling and blowing off more of my feathers. If they weren¢t so cool I¢d ditch the feathers. Instead I¢m sitting down trying to tie the back on. It seems like a lot of work keeping such decorations on your pack here. The wind never stops and feathers are going to do what they¢re made for! I think I should let them go.I stopped for water at Osgood Tent site mostly because I¢m exhausted already. I¢ve been doing nothing but downhill and I feel tired. I make more Gatorade and spill the powder on the ground. I sprinkle water on the dirt and blue powder to hide my trace. The trail crosses several cool waterfalls. Large rock bridges carry me over beautiful silver flashing water. My nose starts tingling and I realize that I¢m approaching some tourists. Their perfume is overwhelming and it makes me sneeze twice as they pass. I can smell the road before I even see it. I could smell a car having break problems. It was parked on the shoulder of the highway going up to the summit of Washington. One of the tourists told me, ¢You look like you¢ve been camping for a while!¢ he said jovially. I responded with, ¢You can say that again!¢ and kept walking.I realize that I need to make a decision about whether to hike water up Wildcat. There isn¢t any water available after Pinkham Notch until the hut by Carter Mountain. The water in the stream before the AMC headquarters has a yellow tint. I ask someone if water is available down at Pinkham Notch and they tell me there¢s a water fountain.I stop at the visitor center to use the bathroom and eat lunch. I had to ask one of the cooks in the grill for a spare spoon to eat my peanut butter. The cook is an exceptionally nice guy and he¢s extremely nice to me. He calls me ¢brother¢ as he gives me the piece of silverware.My cheese stick opened and fell on the bathroom floor on my way out. I couldn¢t bring myself to eat the darn thing afterwards. Funny looking young hikers around in a large group, maybe they¢re scouts? New boots and nalgenes and huge packs weighed all the little kiddies down and I felt sorry for them. They must be walking up the Osgood Trail because it¢s an easy one. I can¢t believe a scout group would go south up to Madison.Finally built up the nerve to face Wildcat mountain! I realized I needed to get started when I noticed it took me until 2:15pm to arrive at its base. So tough here! Couldn¢t figure out what was going on with the AT by Lost Pond. The names appropriate. Why can¢t they put more blazes around here?Wildcat was brutal! We rock climbed for the first time today. We rock climb with backpacks actually. There were places where all you have to hold onto is a 5 inch crack along a sheer flat rock wall. Nothing but the tread of your shoes keeps you upright. If you fall it¢s over! I don¢t look down much. I have to take several breathers at the vistas. I get a great look at the ski trails on Tuckerman¢s ravine. It looks enticing. I can¢t believe people can survive that! They must have balls of steel when they drop their toes into that valley! Got a little turned around and convinced myself that I was almost finished. When I heard the chair lift I knew I¢d been mistaken. I¢d only hiked about a mile since Pinkham notch. I started considering the likelihood that I¢d be making the next hut a lot later than 4:30pm. I need water to camp up here and I decided not to bring any up this mountain. I found a small spring a while back but the water is bright yellow. I asked the chairlift operator if he knows where I can get some water but he just raises his arms with helplessness. At first he just shakes his head no and ignores me, but as I walk away he calls me back. He had a change of heart and gave me his jug. He had at least 3 gallons! Score! I¢m set if I find a campsite now. I settle for just getting up Wildcat for the day. No need to go any further.I bypass several mediocre campsites with no nearby views. When I arrived at the USFS vista I knew I was set! I¢d already scoped out a nice flat stealth spot nearby. I¢m DONE!I call Lish to tell her I can see Maine for the first time! I call Dad and everyone I know but nobody is around. I call Jo Ann to tell her I¢m not finished hiking the AT yet. She¢d left me a message wanting to know if I was home. I take several pictures as Wizard, Rehab, Tree and Jenn pass through on the way to Carter Notch Hut below. I could throw a rock from my private view and hit the roof of the hut down in the valley. I can hear them announce that dinner is ready down there. That¢s okay¢¦I¢m sleeping alone with a priceless view on my back porch!