Date: 2018-08-19
From: Lake of the Clouds Dungeon

To: Lowes Bald Spot
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up at 5:30, luckily it wasn¢t that cold last night even though could hear the wind outside. Took some time with hot chocolate in the dining room and got out around 7.While cold and windy, it wasn¢t as bad as yesterday so I¢m glad I waited. I was wearing all my layers and wasn¢t too cold. Plus there were some breaks of sun, I could look back to the lodge and the valley below.It was only a mile and a half to the summit of Mount Washington. But it can have the most dangerous weather, changing at an instant, so I was a bit worried. Plus I assumed it was going to be a steep hike. It was about 1,200 foot gain over a mile, but on nice rock steps so not bad.At the top of Washington is a whole visitors complex since you can drive up or take a train. We were excited because it had bathrooms, outlets, trash cans, and a cafeteria. Plus an ATM which was nice since the huts only take cash. The summit was all fogged in, but I didn¢t feel like waiting around for it to clear. Still stayed there a while.The descent down Washington wasn¢t too bad either. At one point the trail paralleled the cog railroad tracks and I think people were looking at us like at a zoo.Once the trail leveled off around Mount Clay, the sun came out and it was amazing. Could see back to Washington, ahead to the northern Whites, the valley below, and countless other peaks. And we would be above treeline for most of the day! I didn¢t realize how down I was feeling, especially about the Whites, until I felt so great. All that negative complaining in the dungeon yesterday just evaporated, and it made up for Franconia Ridge and around Mizpah.The trail went up and down a little bit around Mounts Jefferson and Adams. It was all barren peaks that involved some boulder hopping and following cairns. Kind of a mix of the rocks of PA with the views of New Hampshire. Edward Shitterhands and her crew were slackpacking and caught up to us as well, and I introduced them to the Ping/Ballflap and Wilts/Pro/Milk Eyes group. Uh oh, I better be careful or we¢ll become a tramily.I got to the Madison Hut around 1 and ordered a bowl of soup to go with the sandwich I picked up at the summit. Unfortunately it was super watered down, disappointing since the hut food has all been so good.It was a steep climb from the hut up Mount Madison, but luckily not too long. Once past the summit, I didn¢t see very many hikers. But it got pretty tough, descending 3,000 feet to below treeline. There weren¢t clear paths/trail, just cairns generally directing and a bunch of boulders. I think it was some of the slowest miles I¢ve done on the trail, at least there were views!Once below treeline the trail got more defined and dirt, but still steep downhill. I took a nasty fall that somehow bruised a muscle in my back, which throbbed the rest of the day.After the Osgood Campsite the trail finally leveled off and became walkable at a normal speed. I was thinking about stealthing by one of the river crossings, but didn¢t see anything good. I finally took the side trail to Lowes Bald Spot, which was supposed to have some decent views and stealth spots. The views were good looking back up to the Whites, but unfortunately there weren¢t great sites for my 2-person tent. I finally settled on a spot on the trail that still ended up not being big enough, but my back hurt I didn¢t feel like going back on the AT. I could stake the rainfly doors out all the way, so we¢ll see how that goes. Might be a damp, foggy morning. Plus I didn¢t hang my line, just put my food bag on a branch so may be an interesting night!