Date: 2014-07-22
From: Nauman tentsite

To: Mt Washington
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: light rain

Nauman Campsite to Mt. Washington¢6.1 awesome milesThe birds began their morning chorus at 4:30 a.m. Excited about the day¢s journey, I climbed out of my sleeping bag, set my pot up on the tent platform, and made myself a cup of coffee. Thank you, Starbucks! I love those Via packets! I slowly and methodically began the ritual of packing up while watching the colors in the sky change from dawn to sunshine.Coming back from fetching my food from the bear box, I stopped by Rammy¢s tent to see that he was also up and preparing for the day. I was ready to leave, so I got a head start, knowing that he would soon catch up. I stopped by the hut to thank Julie for the wonderful night in the campsite and then began the climb up Mt. Pierce.As I climbed, the early morning humidity and black flies greeted me with a vengeance. At one point, I leaped up a rock step, only to fall back down as my pack hit a protruding rock above me. I could feel my spine crunch and feared that the day¢s hike would be painful. But, I was okay, and I continued on.It didn¢t seem long before I was at the summit with Rammy close behind me, feeling fine. And so, we were off on our next adventure. A southbound thru hiker soon greeted us with, ¢Good evening!¢ He had hiked through the night and watched the sunrise from the summit of Mt. Eisenhower. Forager was his name, and he looked trail weary already. That guy needs a good nap!The sun rose above the horizon just enough to blind me with its brightness. I regretted not bringing my Tilly hat or a cap for once. Usually, I bring one of them, and the hat ends up suspended from my pack, not worn. But today, I really needed something to help me see the rocks and crevices. I removed my glasses in an effort to reduce the glare, and that helped a bit. With that much sunshine, my vision was pretty clear.As I picked my way along the rocks, I was grateful for the beautiful day. I¢d walked Crawford Path in the rain and knew how difficult it could be in stormy conditions. But today, was literally a walk in the park. No big climbs, just walking above treeline, taking in the magnificent views.It¢s hard to describe what one feels when walking above treeline. Exhilaration¢¦deep happiness¢¦a feeling of God¢s presence¢¦on the verge of tears. The pictures just don¢t capture what we feel up there. And that is why I do what I do. I¢ve hiked this trail with the outdoor club kids from Whitefield, and so I was reminded of little events along our hike. This is where I had to take a time out because I was so frustrated with how slowly we were moving. This is where I took a picture of some of our girls laughing in the sunshine. And, best of all, this is where the kids, full of pride at their conquering of Mt. Washington and overcome with the beauty of the day, burst out spontaneously in song, singing the National Anthem with their hands over their hearts. Chills.As we neared Lakes of the Cloud hut, big dark clouds blew in, enshrouding the mountain peaks. I feared that we might face the chance of thunderstorms that always exists above treeline. Our moods shifted and so did our pace. We did not linger long at the hut before beginning the ascent up the big boy¢Mt. Washington.At the foot of the mountain stood a sign that warned hikers to turn back if the weather was poor. ¢People have died here,¢ it warned. My stomach churned. The wind picked up and shoved me so that I had difficulty remaining upright. As Rammy jumped from one rock to the other, the wind hit him, and he almost lost his footing. We looked above and saw that the fierce wind was blowing the darkness away which was a great consolation.On we walked up the mountain with the mist clearing, revealing sunshine and beautiful views. And then, just as suddenly, surrounding us in fog. But I was no longer fearful of storms. I knew we would get to the top before any rain or thunder and so I settled in to my pace of stepping up and letting my mind wander. Our legs are strong and so the climbs no longer take our breath away. It¢s just walking. Also, it seemed as though the rocks were placed so that we could almost walk as though on a sidewalk up the mountain. However, I remembered past climbs where that did not seem the case. I think we are finally getting our trail legs.As always happens, I was passed by many hikers. What is really demoralizing is when fat guys in colorful shirts with tiny backpacks pass me. That¢s what happened today. I really felt as though I had this mountain¢¦until the fat guy passed me. Rammy patiently waits for me at trail signs which is really helpful. One could easily miss a sign and go the wrong way, adding miles to the summit hike. I¢ve done that before. And, so, there was Rammy, waiting at the sign that announced we only had .6 mile left. And the fat guy was there too, panting. He commented that the last .6 mile was the hardest so we should get ready to struggle.As we climbed that last part, I waited for monstrous rocks to appear or something to make the climb more difficult. But the trail was kind, and the moderate climb never changed. Before long, I saw the familiar radio towers and reached the gravel. I was there!We walked up to the summit area where many people were milling around, taking pictures of themselves in flip flops with their purses and puppies. They had driven up or had ridden the Cog Railroad. It seemed odd to wait in line to take a summit picture. The rain never came. Clouds moved in and out, revealing magnificent views and monstrous mountains. I pointed out Mt. Madison, our next climb. I have only climbed Madison once, and it was a disaster. RJ and I set out on our first backpacking trek with heavy packs that did not fit us at all; we lost a water bottle; I had no hiking sticks; and we were not in shape to climb mountains. I hope that the climb will be a little easier this time. But Osgood Ridge is still steep and foreboding. I¢m a little nervous about tomorrow¢s climb.We are home today for a zero day. The weather prediction listed severe thunderstorms with hail and hurricane force winds at the summits today. Just what I need to add to my anxiety about climbing Madison. But tomorrow will be sunny, and so we will go out again. Not much more left to finish the Whites. What an adventure this has been. Life is good!