Date: 2017-07-11
From: North Woodstock

To: North Woodstock
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Based on the forecast, I was supposed to be hiking in bucketing rain. Instead, I basked in the sun. After yesterday's crossing of Franconia Ridge in unusually benign conditions, I was prepared for -- and resigned to -- a far less enjoyable but still feasible crossing of the Kinsman range.When the forecast proved to be just plain wrong, that was obviously fine by me, but later I heard of others who believed the forecasts and opted to stay in town. One of them said the forecast had prompted her to remain in the valley, where she watched as the clouds mostly lifted and blue skies reigned in the place of the predicted rain showers.The decision to try the range was made easier by the slackpacking option offered by The Notch, which not only meant I could carry a light pack but also hike in the nominally easier northbound direction.Bookie, a former AT thru-hiker who now helps run The Notch, dropped me off at Kinsman Notch parking area around 7.40am and helpfully pointed me in the correct direction. It helped that the excellent trail tread we'd encountered throughout the Whites continued, making the steady climb towards Mt Wolf a matter of steadily plugging away upwards rather than the rhythm-destroying scrambling up cliffs that had characterised so much of the AT north of here.The first people I met on the trail were a North Carolina couple who assured me that the trail in their state was far nicer again, the result of "100 retired people" from the relevant section outdoing each other to ensure it was properly maintained.I didn't meet anyone else until I reached Eliza Brook lean to, where I found Spiffy and Littlefoot in situ.There was also an odd Lebanese-Canadian guy there who'd twisted his foot while hiking the day before and had opted to hike on to the shelter. His ankle was grossly swollen, which made his decision to continue to pretty much the exact middle of the section and the furthest place from the road seem more than a little odd.But that was nothing compared to his rich seam of conspiracy theories, headed by the one in which the Saudis and Israel had conspired to do 9/11. "The proof," he said, "is incontrovertible!"I didn't have the energy to point out the gaping holes in his logic and instead decided a 2000ft climb to South Kinsman was a much more appealing option.The appeal of this was definitely comparative because the trail took a direct line up beside a series of waterfalls and swimming holes.Near the top of this, I ran into Poppa, who was heading southbound after doing work-for-stay at Lonesome Lake AMC hut. He was saying his sore knees were hindering his progress today."It's nothing worse than this further down," I said, gesturing to the path I'd just climbed."It gets worse ahead for you," he replied. "There are four or five areas where you need to scramble."And he was right. There was nothing insuperable, and it lacked either the outright sketchiness of the Mahoosucs or the enjoyment factor of Mahoosuc Notch, but it certainly slowed progress until I finally emerged at the edge of the treeline on the summit of South Kinsman.The scrambles were part of the reason why nobo is an easier way to tackle this section, and after that the trail was straightforward over North Kinsman and then down the steep but easy slopes towards Lonesome Lake hut.The hut was in a great lakeside location and as I dropped in to refill my water bottles, I found they still had coconut and blueberry porridge left over from the morning which was being offered for free.That fuelled me down the fast and easy trail back down to Franconia Notch, where even with another encounter with the "bonus mile" to the Flume visitor centre, I was out at the entirely civilised hour of 6pm.It only took a few minutes to get a lift down to Lincoln with a local ski bum who was heading out on a mountain run with his dog and gave me the gen on the best places to eat.I then rang Bookie, who arranged an ice cream run in the hostel van as an excuse to pick me up. Six of us ended up eating Udderly Delicious ice cream -- which was true to the name -- before returning to The Notch.There's now just one more mountain section to do before the end of the Whites and on to what we're told is easier terrain. It's about time.Life is good.AT fact of the day: I'd contemplated not doing the bonus mile and hitching from where the trail hit the highway, which would have left a gap in my continuous footprints. I opted to take the longer way and in the process of doing so met Gringo, a sobo who'd just come off Franconia Ridge, hitched into town, bought a 24-pack of PBR and a bottle of wine and was walking back up to surprise his buddies. "Would you like a beer?" What a great way to end the day, with a well-earned brew.