Date: 2014-08-26
From: Nauman Tentsite

To: Mt. Washington (Joe Dodge Lodge, Pinkham Notch)
Miles today: 6.1

I got up early, as did Evan and the boys. I enjoyed listening to them talk about their plans for the day and general pre-teen boy stuff. I have the sense that Evan is a great father. In spite of the early rising, I did not get going quickly. The Fairy Queen came by, leaving another tent platform, and said this is his last day. He is hiking up Washington, taking the cog railway down, spending two days in Gorham, and then heading to NYC to negotiate for his visa to China. I asked about the trail name, and he said he had been teasing another hiker, saying she should be Queen of the Fairies. She, in front of several others, said he should be the Fairy Queen. They all agreed, and he relented. Nice and funny guy.Todd and Audrey came down from hiking up Mt. Pierce to see the sunrise and used the now vacated end of the platform, which was in the sun, to make their breakfast. She is a guidance counselor in a school for special needs kids, and he works in IT. They are hiking out today.Audrey had warned that the hike up Pierce was steep and rocky for the first .2 miles. It became easier after that, and I made pretty good time. The day was gorgeous -- bright and clear with little wind.I chatted with two women on Pierce, who told me about a hiker shuttle down to Pinkham from the summit of Mt. Washington. I did not realize until later how valuable that bit of info would be. I also met a group of Canadian women on the way up to Eisenhower. They had heard Rod & Reel's talk at the hut, and he evidently spoke about me. They said, "You are famous on the trail." Wow!The trail skips the summits of Eisenhower and Monroe, and so did I. Already climbed them. I made a stop at Lakes of the Clouds Hut before continuing on to the summit of Mt. Washington. I realized that it had been 50 years ago this month that the whole camp (Sebago Wohelo in Maine) got on busses and went to Wildcat Mountain, where we could take the chairlift up or walk to the summit. I walked. It was a day like today, and it was my first look at Mount Washington. I was enthralled, and four of us counselors decided then and there that we would hike it on a day off, which we did. Ever since, I have loved hiking in the mountains and have had a special love for the Whites.The summit was a zoo, crawling with people, so I did not try to get someone to take my picture by the sign. It was 3:30, and I realized I would have no chance of making Madison Hut before dark. I decided to take the hiker shuttle to Pinkham and see about staying at the Joe Dodge Lodge, especially after I learned that thru-hikers get a free return, and I got a discount for being a senior.The Lodge had a room, which I had to myself. I got a shower, did some laundry, and went to dinner. I sat with four men, but it was hard to hear the conversation, because there was a high school class also having dinner in the dining room. The AMC does environmental education for local schools, and this group had clearly had a good day.I talked with Leigh, who said Dad is out of the hospital, but he has a bone marrow problem -- it is not making red cells. He will need regular transfusions. Also talked with Lee and pondered how to handle tomorrow. Do I go for work for stay at Madison Hut, or try to go further?