Date: 2014-08-07
From: Dancing Bones Intentional Community

To: North Woodstock (NH)
Miles today: 16.3

16.3 miles hiked, Mile Marker 1795.5John, from Dancing Bones, had me on the trail by 7:20am. I had planned to summit Mount Moosilauke today. I had heard it was tough. I first had to climb Mount Mist, which wasn't bad. There were, however, a lot of mud holes on this part of the trail. I was grateful that it hadn't rained hard lately, so that the black mud had dried to the firmness of play-doh. I will walk on this type of mud, but color me bad, I won't walk through the quagmires. I know I'm enlarging the mud holes, but I'm not alone in doing so. The true purists stay true and march right through. You can see their deep footprints. I met a 64 year old local fellow day hiking. He was a big lumberjack of a guy, but had a very kind face. He said that he'd had three hip replacements and couldn't hike the big ones anymore. The trail he was on was no walk in the park, so I was impressed. After I stopped for lunch, I started for Mt. Moosilauke. I started climbing at 12:30pm to the sound of thunder. I saw a few SoBos today and one that passed me said that the last 1.5 miles was the worst. I was hoping the rain would hold off. As I climbed the trail became steeper and rock filled. It seemed to go on forever. About halfway up, two older guys day hiking were coming down the mountain. The one fellow said in his New England accent "All I have to offer you is my condolences." I thought, oh boy. On I went, thunder rumbling, thinking I would never find the summit. Finally I saw the top - but no - it was 8 tenths of a mile across the mountain to the summit at 4,802 ft. As I ascended, I got above tree line. The wind became very strong, blowing a cold fog through and pushing me sideways at times. As I reached the peak in this gale, I saw a rabbit of all things. There was no view of course, so I started heading down from that windswept summit. Thunder still rumbled, but I only had fog and sprinkles; nonetheless, everything was wet. The climb down started easy enough, but soon became a vertical, rock filled obstacle course. With my age, sore knees and skinny legs, I found this very challenging. Plus, all the rocks and roots were wet. Thunder rumbled on, so I was trying to hurry, slipping several times. It went on and on. Further down, the mountain was a bare steep slope. A stream ran very swiftly next to the trail down this face. At times, the trail had to go down this bald, sloping face. Six by sixes were chiseled into the rock and held in by rebar. Down these, and more rock, more steps and so on. My poor knees were hurting. I had planned to stay at a shelter near the top and finish the mountain descent tomorrow but in haste I missed the shelter. Finally at the bottom, I thumbed into North Woodstock near where my mail drops would be tomorrow and checked into the Woodstock Inn. I was beat up and needed some R&R. Just past the Inn there is a Citgo gas station. They have a deli and meat counter. While washing my clothes next door, I got an ice cream, sandwich, iced tea, a pint of Ben & Jerry's and a Texas burger. That's a burger with pepper chees, an onion ring, bacon and BBQ sauce. It was mighty tasty!I know there are several hikers who have set speed records for thru-hiking. I know they are younger, taller and stronger than myself. But I don't care if wings would sprout from their butts on demand, I just don't know how they did it. I will have set my own record upon completion, the first guy to hike the A.T. on two short toothpicks "Tales From Woodstock NH". -Hoyt