Date: 2021-06-22
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Cascade Brook
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: broken clouds

I fretted a bit in my sleep (or not sleep) last night about my plan to hike Mt Moosilauke as it rained through the early morning hours and I¢ve read that¢s a tough climb in the wet. So I called an audible and had Sister Sherpa take me to the same starting point, but I hiked north instead of south. In the interest of full disclosure, my throat began to get sore and painful Saturday evening and had become progressively more painful each day since. I didn¢t sleep well due to that, so I started the day dragging a bit. Still, I was back out at the trailhead at 6:15 and ready to get at it. Today¢s hike would take me up and over Mt Wolf and then South Kinsman mountain and North Kinsman mountain. Other hikers have rated the Kinsman¢s as some of the toughest climbing on the trail - I was intrigued!The hike today was through pine forests where the trees and rocks were all covered in moss and dripping from the misty clouds. The heavy overcast kept everything very dark and still, and slightly creepy. It was like walking through the story ¢The Legend of Sleepy Hollow¢.  I don¢t think the sun peaked out even once today.I stopped to take a break 8 miles in at the Eliza Brook Shelter and found Iceberg and Quiksilver there just finishing a break of their own. They got dropped off the same place I did and I just missed them as I toured the privy at the parking area. I forced myself to eat two peanut butter wraps and drink a liter of water (throat be damned) because the hike up South Kinsman began immediately after the shelter. Both South and North lived up to their billing and proved to be very challenging climbs, requiring me at times to puzzle my way up the rocks and using my hands instead of my trekking poles. The rain set in about the time I went over the south peak and both summits were socked in with clouds. The descent of North Kinsman was the big challenge for me as my interest in falling has not grown over the last few weeks. The rain made every rock and tree root slick, making me think carefully about nearly every step.  Having a nine pound slack pack rig versus my normal 26 pound kit really helped ease the way. But going down took almost as much time as climbing up  I finally complete the 16.5 miles plus a .7 mile walk to the parking lot in just under 10 hours.  Another day in New Hampshire where you earn every mile.  As my sister was coming to collect me she saw Quiksilver and Iceberg by the I-93 overpass eating for their shuttle back to the hotel. So she was able to hand out some trail magic to my hiking companions of the last few weeks.  She had also bought cokes and Gatorade and left them in a cooler back closer to Hanover at a road crossing so she was a Trail Angel extraordinaire today!  Additionally, she convinced me to go to an urgent care clinic on our way back to Patricia and Michael¢s. I got right in and was diagnosed with an infection (not strep, thankfully!) and picked up some antibiotics they called in to the grocery store/pharmacy across the parking lot. It looks like I¢ll be taking a zero tomorrow and then tackle the last stretch of miles I have to complete between Hanover and the start of the climb to Mt Washington on Friday.  My niece Rachel is arriving late tonight, it'll be nice to see her for a couple of days before she and my Sis vacation in the area.I may even drive a car tomorrow  for the first time in almost two and a half months!