Date: 2017-08-17
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I had breakfast at Mizpah Hut with the usual skit and weather report. Low chance of rain and gusts 20-30 mph. As good as it gets in the Whites.  Visibility on Mt Washington was less than 0.1 miles due to fog but here at Mizpah hut it was reasonably clear. I was concerned that I may not be able to hike the 14 miles to Zealand Falls Hut before dinner . The trail climbed up Mt Jackson and Mt Webster with some views of US 302, 2700 ft below. At the top of Mt Webster, I waited while a man climbed the rocks to where I was. I hesitated. He said "You can go now." "I don't want to." I answered. It was a steep rock climb down. No harder than the many rock climbs up and down I had already done in this section. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I did not want my AT journey to end. In less than a minute I was moving down the rocks like a pro.     I was surprised when I got to US 302/Crawford Notch. The sign said I had done 5.7 miles in 3 hours! This was the first time in this entire section from the Wright Trail in Maine, south to here that I had done more than 1 mile an hour. I continued on to US 302 where some thru hikers were trying to hitch a ride. I was confused by a sign that said Ethan Pond Trail. The thru hikers set me straight. "The AT is a road walk up the hill."     Even though it was a Thursday, there were many cars parked along the road. There was a kiosk for Ripley Falls with families of all ages. I found a spot off to the side of the trail to sit and eat my lunch. It looked like it was previously used as a camp site. It was near a river.      After I passed the turn off for Ripley Falls, I had the trail to myself, except for a man sitting half way up the hill. We spoke. I told him I started this section by coming in on the Wright Trail. He said it was a new trail. He asked how it was. I said as difficult as the AT is in that section. He said I should have come in on another shorter trail. I explained that I ran out of food last year at Full Goose Shelter. I followed the Colby College students out the Wright Trail. Their cars were parked at the Trailhead. They had food. So I was going wherever they went. He said there was a group from Harvard ahead of me. First college group of the season. He said after I crested the hill it would be smooth sailing. He asked me if a white expedition van was in the parking lot. I said there were so many vehicles, I did not notice. After I left him, I was sorry I did not ask him if he was Warren Doyle, the teacher at the Appalachian Trail Institute I attended in May 2014. I guess I was embarrassed that I did not recognize him.   I met the Harvard group. They were chillin'; having a snack break. They were only going one more mile to Ethan Pond Campsite.  I met a thru hiker coming north.  "There are no more mountains other than Washington, right?"  I was taken back. Where did he think he was?  They call this area the Presidentials because there are many mountains named after Presidents. He obviously had not done his research. I told him there was a long decent to the road and then a long ascent. I finally crested the hill, a little before the turnoff for Ethan Pond Campsite.  This was the flat three miles with no roots or rocks. I later learned it had been a railroad bed used for logging in this area. Around 1900 this area had been clear cut with very few trees standing. Today there are trees as far as the eye can see. It was delightful hiking here. The trail went through a boulder field up and down the mountain, but the trail was devoid of all rocks and roots. I did the three miles in one hour. I was proud of myself.    I arrived at Zealand Falls Hut at 5 pm. Today was the first day of the Fall croo.  The croo master was teaching the other two, so there was no program. I was looking for a bunk. An older man suggested the bunk above him. He showed me where the bathrooms were and suggested I soak my feet near the Falls.  This was his favorite Hut because of the Falls.  That sounded lovely. I took my puffy jacket and headed for the Falls. The water was cold.   By the time I finished soaking my feet, I had on my puffy jacket, buff, fleece hat and gloves.  Dinner started with soup that warmed me up. My new friend warmed himself with a small bottle of vodka. His hiking partner had a small bottle of Couvousier. He explained it was not his first rodeo.  My new friend said he hiked for eight days and his wife told him that was too long. I had been gone 14 days so far.