Date: 2017-07-17
From: The Notch Hostel, North Woodstock, NH

To: Notch Hostel
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: few clouds

7/17/17, The Notch Hostel, North Woodstock, NHMiles hiked: 1498.6, Miles to Katahdin: 373.3, Miles to go: 691.2We awoke to another pretty day. Our plan was to slack pack 16.1 miles from Kinsman Notch, up and over Wolf Mountain and Kinsman Mountain, and down to Franconian Notch, where the shuttle would pick us up and return us to the Notch Hostel for another night. We were on the trail by 8:15 AM and immediately started climbing. The initial climb up Wolf Mt was very steep, requiring use of hands and feet at some places. I managed to have the most unusual fall on my whole trip so far. I was climbing up a slick, tilted rock about eight feet high. Just as I reached the top of the rock, my feet slipped and as I slid down the rock, my left hiking pole got wedged horizontally between a rock and a tree. I had my hand through the wrist strap on the pole. So, I ended up suspended in a prone position on the rock with my wrist trapped in the strap and my feet about a foot off the ground. I was stuck! I couldn't release my wrist and I couldn't get my feet on the ground. Hoops had to push my hiking pole loose and allow me to slide back down the rock face to the ground. She, of course, got a big kick out of my strange fall. The remainder of the climb up Wolf Mt was steep but uneventful. The mud on Wolf Mt was plentiful and deep. Sitting Bull stepped in it once and sunk almost up to his knee. After taking in the incredible views from the summit of Wolf Mt and descending past the Eliza Brook shelter to the base of Kinsman Mt, the real climbing started. I'm so glad I decided to slack pack this section. I couldn't imagine carrying my full pack over this mountain. I thoroughly enjoyed hiking with my young companions. To pass the time, we tried to name the capitals of all the states. Between the three of us, we could come up with the majority of them. After much rock scrambling, we reached the summit. It felt like we were on the top of the world. We could see mountains in every direction. Especially prominent was the Franconia Ridge that we will walk tomorrow. By the time we finished lunch, it was already 2:30 PM. We had three hours to make the descent and catch the shuttle. Also, dark clouds were beginning to collect on the horizon. The descent wasn't as bad as yesterday's descent of Mt Moosilauke; however, it wasn't long until my knees were grumbling again. On the way down, we passed the first of the Appalachian Mountain Club's huts, Lonesome Lake Hut. The huts are more like rustic lodges that people hike to (and pay big bucks) to spend the night. They are scattered throughout the White Mts. You will hear more about them later. By now, it was going on 4:00 PM, we still had 2.8 miles to hike, and we were hearing distant rumbles of thunder. So, we picked up the pace. The next hour and a half was virtually a run down the mountain, trying to reach the pickup point by 5:30 PM with a storm on our tails. We reached the pickup point at 5:20 PM, just as the first big drops of rain were splattering around us. Luckily, having seen the weather forecast, the shuttle driver had arrived early. Just as we dove into the van, the skies opened up! It was a huge storm, complete with pounding rain, thunder, lightning, and dime sized hail. When we got back to the hostel, it looked like it had snowed, there was so much hail in the ground. It quickly began to sublimate, creating a thick, eerie fog. To top it off, the hostel had lost power. Luckily, Wizard and Pluck were still in town, having slacked over Moosilauke and returned to their friend's house. They all came and picked us up and we went out to dinner. By the time we returned, power had been restored and life was back to normal. Tomorrow, I head up Franconian Ridge. The weather forecast isn't the greatest; but, we'll hope for the best. Sitting Bull and Hoops have to pick up packages in town and will be a bit behind; however, they hike faster than my and should catch up quickly. As I head deeper into the Whites, I don't know about phone reception, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for a day or two; but, I'll update as soon as I can.