Date: 2017-09-04
From: Mount Washington Summit/Gorham, NH

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: fog

9/4Mount Washington Summit to Madison Spring Hut5.7 miles Total miles: 1862.6The conditions on Mount Washington were quite breezy this morning with sustained winds of 70 mph and gusts of over 90 mph. The forecast was for no rain and diminishing winds, so we decided to give it a go. The shuttle was scheduled for 9:00 and we were there in plenty of time.  Polecat dropped us off and said goodbye. He is such a great friend and hiking partner, and I will miss hiking with him. Thanks again, Polecat, for joining the trek!  Dove was also on the shuttle up the mountain, and we all decided to stick together until the weather improved. The wind at the summit had dropped a bit, but it was still very blustry with sustained winds of over 50 mph and complete cloud cover. We started out a bit after ten and found a white blaze. We followed to the next white blaze, and then a third. I followed that blaze, right back to the door of the visitor's center!  Never one to be afraid to ask directions, I found an employee who kindly showed us the correct path and we were off.  The going was challenging as the wind buffeted us around as we stepped from rock to rock on our way down from the summit.  We made sure to keep each other in sight and moved carefully.  True to the forecast, the wind diminished and eventually the sun came out.  We could see Mount Washington receding in the distance as Mount Madison grew larger before us.  The trail consisted of stepping from one uneven, jagged boulder to the next for the entire day. It made for difficult, challenging hiking that required non-stop attention to the placement of feet and trekking poles. Factor in strong, gusting winds; wet, misty fog; and limited visibility, and you have my morning today. By afternoon, the sun was out and the skies were clear, but the rugged, rocky terrain remained. We covered 5.7 very tough miles today, with only about 0.2 miles being what you would call trail. Again, it is amazing how fast something can become the new norm, and I scrambled from rock cairn to rock cairn all day long, without much thought.  While we were still a few miles from Madison Spring Hut, a young woman passed us, and we struck up a conversation.  She asked where we were headed, and I told her we were for sure headed for the hut but might try to continue on to a camping area a few miles past if possible. It turned out she worked at the hut and encouraged us to consider the tentsite area since it is below tree line, and it is supposed to rain tomorrow. The trail continued to be slow going for a couple of old men, and, while we made it to the hut well before dark, there was no way we had time to hike the additional 3.1 miles to the tentsite. We arrived at 6:30 to find the hut staff waiting for us. Chisa, the young woman we met on the trail, had given the rest of the staff a heads up about our upcoming arrival.  We were greeted enthusiastically, and were immediately offered work for stay, which we readily accepted. Zak, another of the staff members, signed us up. Chisa let me know there were free unlimited pancakes available right away, so I helped myself to two. I was asked to take as many as I could, as the rest would have to be hauled off the mountain as waste. I took six, and Zak added syrup. Gravity and I sat at a bench while the paying customers ate. After dinner, Tim, the resident geologist, gave a fascinating presentation on how the Whites were formed and why there are so many rocks. Let's hear it for glaciers!  We were then invited to eat all of the dinner we wanted, and I feasted on beef, couscous, peas, and homemade cookie bars.     Gravity and I then scoured baking pans for our work for stay. Once again, my dishwashing prowess was put to the test. We scoured the pans and then washed up all of the rest of the dishes from the evening. Zak and Chisa asked if we could stick around for a few days until all of the other pans were scoured, but we told them we would need to leave early in the morning. Two miles of rugged trail still remain before we are back below tree line, and we are 7.8 miles from Pinkham Notch, the objective for tomorrow. Zak, Chisa, and Tim chatted with us before we all went to bed. Chisa thru hiked the AT in 2014 and the PCT in 2016. She also spent four months hiking the Te Araroa trail, a 1,800 mile trek through New Zealand. Once again, I feel so blessed by the people I meet on the trail. Thanks to all of the staff at Madison Springs Hut for your friendly welcome and kindness! Lights out was at 9:30, and I gladly turned in for the night. The weather does not look good for the next few days, and we plan on an early start tomorrow to try to at least get below tree line before any rain begins. The wind is blowing vigorously outside the hut as I write this, reminding me once again of the power, as well as the beauty, of these mountains.