Date: 2014-07-26
From: Franconia,NH

To: Gorham,NH
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Sometime today somewhere on Mount Wolf I went over. 1,800 miles walked. The miles are not easy to come by now. I am earning each and every mile here in New Hampshire. Today I walked 16.3 miles. If you have ever walked in the White Mountains you will know 16.3 miles is a pretty full day, at least for me. Today I walked with Scuffy and Taz. This afternoon was spent making my way up and down Kinsman Mountain. Late in the afternoon I passed my first Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) "hut", The Lonesome Lake Hut. It didn't look like a hut to me. It looked more like a lodge. The AMC "huts" are located near the AT throughout The White Mountain National Forest. The huts are placed where guests can walk to them and spend the night. I am not sure of the sleeping arrangements at the huts but the hut I saw today had a large central building which appeared to serve as a place to eat and to sit around during the day. Space at the huts are reserved months in advance. I'm not sure of the price to stay at a hut but from what I have heard it is fairly expensive (at least in my world). Guests get meals with their stay at a hut. About the only way a thru hiker can stay at a hut is to be accepted by the "crew" that works at the Hut for a work for stay position which means the thru hiker performs some work at the hut for which in return the hiker gets to eat left overs from the meals and gets to sleep on the floor in the dining area. I briefly inquired today with a crew member at the Lonesome Lake Hut about a job. I couldn't tell if I passed the job interview or was accepted by the "crew" so me, Scuffy, and Taz moved on to Interstate 93 at Franconia Notch, which is just outside Lincoln, NH. We had not made lodging arrangements for the evening. We all needed to resupply because after we get back on the trail tomorrow morning we will probably not resupply again for five days when we reach Gorham,NH. We also had no ride into town from the notch. Just as we reached the trailhead at Interstate 93 I switched on my cell phone and the phone rang. It was a 67 year old hiker with the trail name of Rancid whom I met way back in May in southern Virginia near the Trent Grocery store (I forget the road name/number) who had been handing out drinks and snacks to hikers at the road crossing. Since we met, Rancid has been following my journal. When he called he was near Lincoln where he had again been giving snacks and drinks to hikers at a road crossing. In just a few minutes he was at the trailhead to pick us up. If you ever need proof that trail angels exist Rancid's contacting me and picking us up is all the proof you need. He appeared just when we needed help. We all went into town, ate at a Mexican restaurant, and resupplied at a grocery store. After that the magic continued. Scuffy called and made a reservation at a Best Western Motel in Franconia, NH for the three of us to share a room. Rancid kindly drove us over 10 miles to the motel. When we arrived at the motel the motel had made a mistake and there was no room for us. After some time the motel manager offered us a room where the carpet was slightly wet near the air conditioner. He let us have the room for a total of $30 including breakfast tomorrow morning. The magic continued. Rancid slept in his van out in the motel parking lot and will take us back to the trail tomorrow morning. What a day. Rancid you are an angel, a great person and most important a good friend. I am probably going to suffer the next two days. It is going to rain but I am going to push on as far as I can. Glad to be right here.