Date: 2012-08-01
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Mizpah Spring Campsite
Miles today: 14.3

Mizpah Springs tent site - 14.3 miles some rainI was awake at 5:30 when the hut cook started making breakfast. I wasn't in the way so I just stayed in bed until 6:00. When they wanted to set up the dining room, all the thru hikers sleeping there had to clear out. That's OK, I packed up and got my stuff outside. We again waited until after all the guests had breakfast. Then they asked us to come in and help them bus the tables and wash the dishes. After that, we got all the leftover breakfast. I had several helpings of egg omlet, peaches, and danish. I was full. After breakfast I had to fix up all 36 bunks (fold blankets, and generally clean up) and sweep out the bunk rooms. All total I probably did 1 to 1 1/2 hours of works for all you can eat dinner and breakfast leftovers and a dry place to sleep on the floor. Not a bad deal. Guests pay $95-115 for a bunk, dinner and breakfast. After all the work was done, I was free to leave at about 8:50. The 7+ mile hike ftom Zealand to Crawford Notch was easy walking. The best it has been since I got to the Whites. But after the Notch, the trail turned steeply up to Webster Cliffs. I got there very tired, but sooner than expected. I stopped for a snack with Chesty and Roadhouse. As we sat there, we watched clouds roll in. Then we could hear and see the rain coming. We packed up just before it got there and started walking again, except now it was in the rain. The rain made all the rocks slick as I tried to climb Mt Webster and then Mt Jackson. It was slow going. The climb up Jackson seemed long and there weren't any blazes on the trees. The guide showed it as much shorter and less climbing. So I thought I was off the AT and on some other trail. Eventually, I turned around and headed back down the rocks I had just struggled to get up to find where I had gone wrong. After a 1/2 mile, I found a white blaze right on the trail I was on. So I was right all along, but the guide was very wrong about both the distance and the elevation change. Anyway, I climbed back up and this time kept going. It was probably 3 1/2 miles of steep climbing from the cliffs to the top of Jackson; not the easy 2 miles the guide showed. When I finally reached the top, there was a bright white blaze, so I was on the right trail, but I had wasted a good 45 minutes. I took a quick break to reward myself for getting there, then continued on. The sign said it was 3+ miles to Mizah Springs, my guide said two. The sign was right. It was another difficult stretch up and down rock faces. I finally reached Mizpah Spring hut at 6:30. I had planned to do work for stay again, but Steps who got there just before me asked, and they said they already had a full staff of work for stay hikers. So I went to the campsite next door. It turns out they were also full. I had to pitch my tent in a postage stamp size slanted spot. It was the only thing available. It wasn't even large enough to completely stretch out the sides of my tent because trees were in the way. I made dinner and cleaned up, then went to fill up my water. When I did, I saw Chesty. He told me that when Danish got there, he signed all 4 of us up for work for stay (Danish, Chesty, Roadhouse, and me). So I had a spot but didn't know it. However, I had already pitched my tent, ate dinner and cleaned up, and they already had their dinner before I found out, so it is too late now. I went back to my tent and climbed in.