Date: 2004-09-05
From: Moose Mountain Shelter 

To: Fire WardenÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Cabin 
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Smarts MountainStart: Moose Mountain Shelter (old) @ 0733Finish: Fire Warden¢s Cabin @ 1632Miles: Insert Text Here Weather: Cloudy, Windy, Cold all dayBreakfast: Granola w/ StrawberriesLunch: TrailmixDinner: Chicken StewTrail Conditions: Steep climbs to Holt¢s Ledge and Smarts MountainAnimals: Frog, BirdsPeople: Reverend Yukon Jack, DOC Group (morning) section hikers, DOC Group (evening)I arose around 0600 to the mumblings and complaints of Rev. Yukon Jack, bitching about nearly everything imaginable. The sooner I¢m away from the guy the better.Both Achilles were quite tender and stiff this morning. I really took it slow at camp and stretched gently for a very long time before finally setting out for the day. I said by to the DOC kids and began plodding along at a turtleish 1.5mph. I have not deliberately walked so slowly or cautiously since my first week of the trip.At the north peak on Moose Mountain I got my first solid view of Mt. Moosilauke ¢ it towered over all the other mountains. It was definitely a fall day today and cold Canadian winds whipped up the mountains at a steady 20 to 30 miles per hour. The sky was completely blanketed in gray clouds, but they never brought rain. Basically it was a drab day, but the scenery and vistas were the best I have seen since Georgia. It was exciting.I got to the base of the mountain that led to Holts Ledge and felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles. I seriously thought at that moment my hike was over. I sat and rested for about 20 minutes and it felt better. I reluctantly decided to keep walking and made it up 1,000 feet and back down 1,000 feet without incident. I was seriously contemplating hitching into Glencliff from Lyme ¢ Dorchester Road, but I didn¢t want to just toss in the towel yet. I am not sure what the consequences of my stubbornness/stupidity will be.The climb up Smarts Mountain turned out to be a real chore. It took me two and a half hours to go 3.7 miles and 2,300 feet up. Again I was intentionally walking slowly and flat footed to avoid over flexing my Achilles. At some points the granite slabs were without groves to make my feet level when I stepped, so I walked up them backwards. Me at Firewarden's CabinToday is definitely a cold day and didn¢t get much above the mid-50¢s. After learning that Fire Wardens Cabin, atop Smarts Mountain, was in fact an enclosed structure I opted to stay there rather than push more miles to Hexcuba Shelter. The sudden change to cold has caught me ill prepared ¢ and a big reason I am in the cabin is because I will be warmer than if I were in a three-walled shelter. Tonight I am 3,240 feet, with 30 mile per hour winds, a damp cloud blowing over, and it will dip well below freezing tonight. If I were to sleep outside tonight only in my silk bag liner setup chances I would be near dead in the morning. Fortunately, I am comfortable in the cabin and should sleep fine tonight. Regardless of how my feet feel tomorrow I must be in Glencliff which is an even 20 miles away. I need to be out of this weather until I have my winter gear and I need to rest my feet. I will be starting very early tomorrow to ensure I make it before sundown.One Year Reflection