Date: 2013-08-31
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 6.8

I slept pretty well. Hobo not so much. Several hikers came in around midnight. They stumbled around, opening squeaking doors, headlights flashing about, doors slammed. Badger's alarm went off at 4:30. Walkhard's went off by 5:30. Needless to say we were all wide awake by the 6:00 wake-up time. We packed up and moved our packs outside on the front porch. One of the hut guests wandered out and asked us, You guys are still here? We looked at each other. Where did he think we would be? None of us were much amused. Hobo and I sat outside and waiting for our turn to eat. We'd get the leftovers, if there were any. We ate pancakes, bacon and oatmeal, and then we set to sweeping the floors. We didn't get on the trail until 9:30. We passed the Flying J's and Pressure-D as we were heading up South Twin Mountain. The forecast was pretty terrible, but the sky looked hopeful. We passed Karma on the way up and had a happy reunion in the middle of the trail. Hobo and I had hike with her a different times before she flip-flopped up north. It was a lovely, but all too short, visit.When we got up top, the view took our breath away. We dropped our packs and climbed atop the rock outcrop. There was a cluster of other hikers that had the same idea. There was a clear view of Franconia Ridge and Mt Washington with his head in the clouds. The layers of other ridges rose and fell so suddenly. Stoic as stone giants. The top of our peak was covered in squat, dense evergreens the color of olive trees. We were told that they are hundreds of years old. There was one small yellow bird that sat so still on the ground in among the rocks. It was sick. Its eyes were closed, and it seemed to struggle to breath. Occasionally its mouth would open and it would lick its little bird lips. It was sitting right in the pathway, and I knew someone might easily step on it, but I didn't dare move the little guy. I couldn't help but feel a little sad for it. After almost an hour, Hobo looked at his watch and laughed. It was 11:30 a.m., and we had hiked exactly .9 miles. We needed to get moving. We chatted and laughed at our silliness as we moved down past the short evergreens. I felt like a giant on a Christmas tree farm. We picked through a boulder strewn path, but the Whites were so beautiful that at this point they are forgiven for all their misdeeds. We stopped atop Mt. Guyot for lunch. There was a large open gravel covered bald. There was a 360 degree view. Storm clouds were moving in, and as we packed up it started to drizzle. For the next hour or so it rained. The already wet rocks felt like they had been coated in a layer of grease. We were passed by several hut guests from Galehead. They, too, were headed towards Zealand Falls hut. The trail had a steady downward trend. The dirt and sediment had long since eroded away exposing white granite just under the surface. So out in the middle of the mountains, a perfect white granite path weaves and curves its way through the mountains. My boots gripped it like Velcro.The rain/mist let up, and a a thick mysterious fog set in. The balsam and spruce passed us like ghost soldiers, line after line, rank after rank. There were boardwalks over watery marshes. It might be half an inch or three feet deep; it was impossible to tell. As we came down to Zealand Falls, we crossed a white granite flume. The water was a cool coppery color, the color of weak tea. I wanted to stop and swim, but I wanted to get to the hut more. The hut was hopping with people. There was already one work-for-stay, and normally this hut only takes two. Luckily, they accepted both Hobo and I, but our reception was far less warm than at the previous hut. Giver, a SOBO, was the other work-for-stay, and she was super nice. I took a bath in the river, and when I got back to the hut Hobo told me that Pressure-D and Tough Cookie had been turned away. They were stealth camping about a quarter mile down the trail. It started to really rain, and we both felt terrible. The three of us sat on the bench in front of the hut and watched the other hut guests eating inside. One of the croo members popped her head out, grabbed the door and pulled it closed. We felt a little like second class citizens. Hobo went to use the restroom and came back to report that the door on the other side of the dining (which opened onto the other porch) was left open. Now we really felt like second class citizens. At 7:38, I finally went inside to ask if we could eat. We were starving. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, gravy, green beans, and peas. I have to admit, it was pretty darn good. Our work was easy. We were asked to take the stuff off the kitchen shelves, wipe down the shelves and then put the items back. Hobo and I took it a step further by lining up the spices and herbs in alphabetical order. They'd either love it or never be able to find anything again. Giver got to clean out the freezer. In all, it maybe took 10-15 mins, and finally the staff warmed up to us the tiniest little bit, but by then we really didn't care. After "work", we went back outside and sat on the benches. We talked and looked at the stars. Tonight I have my bedroll laid out under one of the dining room tables. The water of Zealand Falls is so constant it could be a fan. We're going to try to get up and out early in the morning. No breakfast work-for-stay for us. We're headed into Crawford Notch, and I'll finally get to meet Hobo's Anita :D