Date: 2013-08-21
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day One Hundred and Sixty Six - (13.6) Hikers Welcome HostelThere were several people sounds in the night and the road was way too close. I did not sleep well but it didn't stop me from having an awesome day! Miss Janet drove us to Kinsmen Notch and we started the steep, long climb up Mt. Moosalauke. It should have been painful but it wasn't! I liked it! It was fun! I think it helped that there was a beautiful waterfall right next to the trail. Even having to use the rebar made it different from just a regular hiking day. Maybe it was the sign at the bottom that said "This trail is extremely tough. If you lack experience please use another trail. Take special care at the cascades to avoid tragic injury." They should put a sign like that at the bottom of every mountain! We stopped at a shelter on the way up for a break and then continued up to the top. The top was amazing! It was a huge bald with cairns leading up to the summit with a   three hundred and sixty degree view of the surrounding mountains. Oh and there were blue skies and we could see for miles! A few days ago Smarts Mountain kicked my ass but today I hiked a way bigger, steeper, harder mountain and felt like I conquered it! Go figure! We all sat at the top in a little rock wall shelter with silly smiles on our faces just so happy to have hiked up the first of the Whites! After lunch we realized that we couldn't stay up top forever and started the hike down. It was the perfect day hike back to the road the hostel was on. Our day wasn't over yet though, yesterday we had got off the trail before the hostel so Miss Janet picked us up at the trailhead and dropped us back off where she had met us yesterday so that we could finish the day back at the hostel. We saw a white blaze that led to a path under the power lines, it didn't seem right but it was definitely a white blaze so we followed it. Ten minutes later when we still hadn't seen another blaze we turned around and walked back to the road to find the real AT. We found the real blazes and were on our way again hiking in the woods. It was a nice hike but we were tired and hungry. The ups seemed insignificant compared to the huge climb we had this morning maybe it was a good way to end the day. I found a rock shaped like a heart and stopped to take a picture. Up the trail I heard cheering, Canadian Bacon had found the four hundred miles left sign that Sparky had made out of twigs the day before. I remember when I hiked the first four hundred miles it felt like so much and now I feel like this last four hundred is so little and we will be finished soon. Then what? I think it will be a hard transition after living in the woods for six months! I snapped a picture when I reached the sign and the last of the hike back to the hostel was easy. I didn't have a chance to shower and change because Miss Janet was offering a ride to a store and who can turn that down. So we piled into the van and filled up on junk food and sodas. It was pretty late by the time we got back and I still needed a shower, still needed to do laundry and recharge my phone. When most of my chores were done I crawled into my hammock to start working on my journal. I can hear laughter coming from the direction of the firepit and a guitar and singing coming from the garage. I would prefer to be out in the woods somewhere but this is all part of hiking the trail too. There are hikers here who I haven't seen in weeks a couple I haven't seen in months and I will probably miss all of this a few months from now. Good night world!Trouble