Date: 2014-07-27
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

So this morning I waited around for breakfast leftovers. But that was fine. Food. What can I say? I'm always hungry. Always. And it was raining this morning. The rain had stopped when I hit the trail. The morning forecast wasn't good. But at the moment it was good hiking weather. I caught some views of Washington and the top was inside a quickly moving cloud. It is what it is. I hiked steady, over Mt Pierce and skirting Mt Eisenhower and Mt Monroe. The cloud continued to swirl around the top of Washington. However, I had to stop at Lake of the Clouds Hut. Yup. Food. Breakfast leftovers. And I wanted to see AMC's largest hut in the Whites. Room for 90 guests I hear. The cloud over Washington was right above the hut. I was soon inside the opaque whiteness. About half a mile from the top it began to rain and sleet. And so windy. Speedy G and Impact passed me around then. It is good that the cairns are so close together. I could just make out from one to the next. It would be so easy to wander off the trail otherwise. Were we concerned? Not in the least. We're grinning from ear to ear and enjoying the adventure. Not that it won't be good to get to the top. And what a shock the top is. Suddenly we're in a cafeteria, post office, museum, and gift shop. There's people everywhere. They drove up or rode the cog railroad. It is so strange. And fun people watching as I down more food, this time from the cafeteria. In the basement there's a hiker room. Very nice. We're all soaked. Clothes go on the heater registers. Cell phone get plugged in to charge. Upstairs we can get a very accurate weather report for the mountain. It's definitely too nasty out to start hiking down. But it looks like there will be a break in the rain. We probably spent two hours in the building, waiting for the front to pass. When the rain stopped we all set off in the windy cloud, myself, Impact, and Speedy G. We're heading for Madison Hut. The trail is skirting the Great Gulf Wilderness, a huge bowl of rugged forest down to the valley below. As the trail drops back below the cloud spectacular views open up. The thing about hiking on the "rock pile" is that's what it is...a rock pile. Miles of stepping from lichen covered rock to rock. Wet. Slippery. You get real good at finding rough edges to place your feet so they don't slip. My knee really wants to complain. But the setting is so incredible. I feel like I'm on top of the world. What a privilege to be here! The trail skirts Mt Adams and makes its way to Madison Hut. The croo at Madison Hut immediately accept us for work for stay. This becomes our favorite hut so far. The croo is wonderful. They accept five NOBOs and a single SOBO as part of the family, not an interruption to the paying guests. After feeding us tons of leftovers they gather the guests and open up a Q and A session between guests and thru hikers. It was so much fun. We were asked question after question. And great questions too. Guests talked with us for the rest of our stay. The interest in the thru hike experience was huge. We love this hut. As we bedded down in the dining room we all felt welcomed and appreciated. Thank you so much croo of Madison Hut. You guys rock!So I've made it over Mt Washington, second highest point on the AT and the location of dramatic weather. I had hoped for clear views and calm winds at the top. But I'm not disappointed in the least. Below the cloud there have been horizon spanning open views. Hiking over the top will remain one of my best chapters in this adventure. In many ways I'm glad it was windy, wet, and hard to see ahead. Just makes the adventure all the more exciting.