Date: 2006-09-05
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Gorham, via US2, Hiker's Paradise Hostel
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Today we crossed the 300 mile-to-go point, and made it back into Gorham for a well-earned, much-needed zero.Veto sounded reveille at 5:30am, as the sky brightened in the east just outside our bunkroom door. I rolled over for 15 more minutes, then dressed in the clothes that had warmed in the foot of my sleeping bag overnight. I packed up and headed down to the lodge to fix breakfast, and add the food bags stored there in mouse-safe containers to my pack. We waited until 7am to hear the weather forecast transmitted over radio links to each hut from Mt. Washington. It called for clearing today, then possible rain tomorrow.As we headed out at 7:15am the fog was lifting, and by midmorning there was some sunshine. We climbed up 1500' to Carter Dome, from which there were great views back toward the hut. Then there were ups and downs over a succession of mountains: Mt. Hight, then South, Middle, and North Carter Mountains. These offered views back toward the Presidential Range we've just passed through. We stopped for lunch in the sunshine at the summit of North Carter.After lunch there was a long descent of 1200' to Imp Campsite, where we stopped at 1:30pm to use the privy. We were making good time, and it appeared Rattle River Shelter, our intended destination, would be easy. There was another 800' climb up to Mt. Moriah, the last of the Whites. We were all relieved to have gotten through unscathed. The scenery was beautiful, but the trails were really hard and dangerous - forte fortissimo, compared to the piano pianissimo of the previous part of the AT. We know of several hikers who were hurt on this section of the trail. To summarize our feelings for the Whites we emptied our bladders on its last mountain.Then began the 1900' descent into the Androscoggin River valley. On the way down we met Mahoosuc (Ga-Me, '00) who was walking southbound for exercise with his dog. We chatted and he indicated we were just 1-1/2 miles from the shelter, with only a half mile more steep down, then smooth sailing to the shelter, and beyond another 1-1/2 miles to the road. The downs today were long and steep, but had lengthy sections of rock steps. While these are still jarring on the knee, they are better than random rock hops. There were only a few steep rock slab sections requiring scrambling technique. Veto and I pulled into the shelter at about 5:30pm, and waited about 10 minutes for Grey Goose and BigFoot to catch up. We talked it over and decided to go the extra mile and a half to the road, hoping we could use my cell phone to call Bruno at the hostel for a shuttle, as there was no signal at the shelter. We made it to the road by 6:45pm, averaging 3 mph over this very good section of trail.Fortunately my cell had signal. While waiting for the shuttle, I stretched out. About 15 minutes after my call, Bruno arrived in the "silver helicopter" (a Silver Honda SUV).We again are in the "executive suite" hostel, a 2nd floor apartment set up as a hiker/skier hostel. There was much moaning and groaning as we ascended the staircase. After quick showers, there was more moaning and groaning on the way back down the stairs. We decided to go to the "nearest" place for dinner, just across the street at Kentucky Fried Chicken, followed by a stop off at the convenience store across from the hostel for a pint of ice cream for dessert. It was about 9pm when I finally got to bed.Onward to Maine in just 2 days.