Date: 2004-08-22
From: Near Eliza Brook Shelter, NH

To: Tenting at Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff ,NH
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: clear sky

7.5 miles todayTenting at Hikers Welcome HostelGlencliff, NHEven though I'm at Glencliff, I'm really only at Kinsman Notch in my hike, but I'll get to that later.I woke up at 6am and just layed there for a few minutes looking outside to see what the weather looked like. I figured it would be a drier day because my tent that was soaked when I got in it last night, was drying up some. It was in the low 40s and I looked at my wet clothes laying in a pile on the floor of the tent. I don't know how many of you have put soaking wet, smelly, dirty clothes on when it's in the low 40s, but it takes alot to get started. I put on my shirt first and said...oh sh__!!!Then I put my shorts on and said...oh sh__!!! Then I put on my rain coat to warm up a little while I was eyeing my muddy, wet socks and shoes and I thought...Oh sh__!!! Somehow, I survived and will live to see another day.I got the rest of my stuff packed up pretty quick and started hiking to warm up. I left at 6:55am and was walking through lots of mud, but at 7am, the sun came up over the mountain and it promised to dry me out and warm me up.I climbed up to the top of Wolf Mountain and on the way up, I saw some really good front and rear foot prints from a midsized bear. They were the most perfect bear prints I've seen.On my way down the mountain, I took my eye off a boulder I was on and fell shoulder first into a bunch of wet mud. I came real close to doing a face plant, but was able to keep my head out of the mud. I stopped and took my pack off and cleaned up with some of the water that was still running down off the mountain. I promised myself to be more careful from now on. You would think I would know how to walk by now. That was the third time I've fallen this year.I stopped at 9:45am when I found a nice sunny spot and made coffee and ate breakfast and dried a few things out. I hiked on at 10:15.I hiked on down to Kinsman Notch and I noticed a car down there with the trunk lid up. I was thinking to myself...hummm, I wonder if I could yogi a coke off that guy.When I got closer, I could see it was my good friend Moosie. Moosie and his son, Goldilocks were up in Maine doing a 5 day hike from Stratton to Grafton Notch. Although, after talking to them, I found out they hiked from Stratton to Rangely, then yellow blazed to Andover and finished at Grafton Notch. Leave it to Moosie to yellow blaze a five day hike.Moosie said that they had only been there about 5 minutes and were just planning on leaving some trail magic in the area.It was great seeing them because I thought I had missed them since I decided to go ahead and hike the Whites before I go out to hike the John Muir Trail.Moosie gave me a package that was from Mrs. Moosie. It had writing on it that said; "For Stumpknocker only."I opened it up and it was brownies with nuts in them!! Thanks Mrs. Moosie!!!!!!!!! {did you send them with the corners gone and the foil tampered with???} That was a great surprise you guys. Thanks and it was great seeing you both again.While I was talking to Moosie, a lady came over and offered us goodies and sodas over at the parking area. We were all set with all that because Moosie and Goldilocks brought plenty, but we went over and talked to her and her husband. Their trail names were Batch and MMMMB and they had both thru hiked in '92. They were a pleasure to talk to and while we were talking, Blueberry Burt and Good Times showed up and joined in. Then Party Girl showed up and needed a ride to N. Woodstock so she could surprise her sister for her birthday. MMMMB saw Party Girl writing a note to leave on the trail for a friend. Party Girl was writing with her left hand and she had her hand hooked over the top of what she was writing. MMMMB, who is a small lady in her early 80s, came over and said to moosie and I; "You know what they called a girl like that when I was a kid??.....A left handed hooker.You should have seen the look on Moosie's face when this little ol' 80 year lady said that to him.Party Girl is going to meet me tomorrow morning and we are going to get a shuttle over to Kinsman Notch and hike Mt. Moosilauke.At this time I would like to make a correction to an earlier statement in a journal entry I made about remembering who I hiked with over some of my favorite mountains with. I remembered when we were all talking that when I hiked last year, Goldilocks and I hiked Baldpate Mountain together and Moosie was trying to catch us again...his usual position when we all hike together.Moosie gave Party Girl a ride to her car in Franconia Notch after we went through Lincoln, NH looking for some fried chicken. We were driving down the road looking for chicken and Goldilocks and I spotted the sign at the same time..."check in." Well, it was close to chicken, but it was on a motel sign. I wonder if they have any chicken??We ended up at McDonalds and got chicken strips.Moosie, Goldilocks and I came over to the hostel in Glencliff. I walked in and Packrat was there. It was great seeing him again. Then I started walking around and I saw Bag-O-Tricks, Sunset, General, Ffej and Pegasus. It was like an old home coming. Sunset said that Sherlock should be here soon and the Circuit Rider would be here tomorrow. I found out that Circuit Rider didn't get that 4 pound rock stuck in his pack that Miss Janet, Jan Liteshoe and I sent with Queen Diva to make him work a little harder. Oh well, sometimes even the best plans don't work out. The three of us even signed that rock for him.Moosie and Goldilocks had to leave. It was real hard for Moosie to leave because they are having a party here tonight, but he has to be back to work in the morning in New York City. Hey Moosie, when you are reading this, I'll be on top of Moosilauke. Maybe I could see New York City from there.I set up my tent and let it finish drying out.I rode to town with Tricks and a few other nobos and got some goodies. We got back and Ffej was grilling hotdogs and hamburgers. I had a few and sat around the fire ring for a while. Moon Pie came in and looked all sad because she summited Katahdin a week ago and now her hike is over. She said she doesn't feel right about that, so she came here to hang out with some hikers.Lion King did a documentary on his thru hike last year, so I sat down and watched that. It made me want to go hiking.A hiker brought in some apple pie and cake and served it to us while we were watching that film. Boy, it would be hard to beat a day like this.About 10 of us sat around the fire for a while and then someone said it was 9:30...way past my bedtime.Thanks again Mrs. Moosie, that was great trail magic!!!Another great day on the A.T.