Date: 2004-08-19
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: fog

Today started with the hut workers, or "croo" as they are known as, coming into the bunkroom at 630 and singing a cute rendition of "You are my Sunshine". I loved it, having memories of when I sang the same song that rainy day in Vermont when the sun finally came out.Breakfast was plentiful: hot oatmeal with peaches raisins and brown sugar, scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes. I even had a dozen blueberries I'd just picked from outside to go with my pancakes.The moment I started down the steps from the Hut I noticed that my knees were showing the effects of the past several days. Although the pain eased a bit once I got going, I decided to stop at Crawford Notch rather than trying to push on to Mizpah Hut where everyone I knew seemed to be going. My knees would benefit from a short day and the morning forecast predicted bad weather coming after tomorrow so I'd be taking my time getting over Mount Washington in any case."Zealand" seems to be another word for blueberry. As soon as Zealand entered the place names, the trail became packed with blueberries. Or maybe blueberries just have an affinity for disaster; the area I hiked today was clearcut in the 1880s and then burned to the ground. The only place I have seen more blueberies at was the polluted zone at Lehigh Gap. With the short day, I took my time and nibbled constantly.When I reached the highway in Crawford Notch I leaned my pack on a signpost and sat against it to decide between a campground to the south or the AMC hostel to the north. I had just settled on the hostel when a couple arrived. Their names were Rick and Sue and they were the maintainers for this section. They were here to retrieve a Trail Magic cooler. After plying me with a coke and fudge brownie they gave me a ride to the hostel and were even nice enough to wait until they were sure there was a bunk for me. What nice people! Without so many nice folks along the Trail, thruhiking would be much more difficult, perhaps impossible. My thanks to all of them!After a shower and lunch I spent the afternoon journaling and relaxing. The day was overcast and from time to time dark clouds drifted overhead, the wind gusted and sprinkles fell, making me just as happy to be down here under a roof rather than up there on the Trail. Looking up I could see that the heights were shrouded with cloud and probably getting even more rain than down in the notch.Tomorrow I plan to head up to Mizpah Hut/Nauman Campsite and wait out the rainy day up there. Then as soon as it clears enough, Lakes of the Clouds Hut and then the dash over the summit of Mount Washington. If I took a zero day here tomorrow to wait for good weather, it might be two days before I could hike up to the high country. Going to Mizpah will give a bit of a head start.The trick will be to get a good day on which to summit Mount Washington. It is notorious for dangerous conditions and hikers are warned to turn back if the weather turns bad. It is a full ten miles from Lakes of the Clouds to the next regular campsite so a full day of reliably good weather would be best. There are nearer campsites where one could shelter if a storm comes up but they are a mile off the Trail and about 1500 feet down on steep side trails so I'd prefer not having to use them.