Date: 2004-08-31
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 9.5

Incredible, invigorating, awesome, and full of blessed surprises, this journey just keeps getting better and better. My life has been so enriched by this experience and now my daughter's presence is bringing a new and deeper dimension.As usual, I need to regurgitate last evening's final hours after the light had faded and my journalizing session ended. The thunder rumbled and kept drawing closer, finally bringing with it the companion lightning and requisite rainfall. The rain fell all night. Cygnet and I overlapped the bottom half of our Thermarests and bags to assure all would be dry in the morning. Then we laid back and relished the drumming of the drops on the tent walls.In spite of the storm the air temperature stayed quite warm once again. I awoke at sunrise and we exited the tent by 7:00 in dripping rain. Our spirits weren't dampened, however, as we had a short slackpacking day planned up and down Mt. Moosilauke. At 4802 feet this mountain stands as the first peak above treeline for NOBO AT thru-hikers. With the wet terrain we were encouraged to start north and hike southward. It is tons safer to ascend a steep and wet rocky terrain than to descend. The caution sign read: "This trail is extremely tough. If you lack experience please use another trail. Take special care at the Cascades to avoid tragic results." The Cascades is a brook, breaking into waterfalls as it literally cascades down the mountain. Each time I thought we were at the top, the landscape simply opened to another 100 feet of glorious waterfall. Truly, I've seldom seen such inspiring beauty. I've been told this is only the beginning of the visual treats waiting for us. A slow 3.8 miles had us at the summit. We knew we'd not be blessed with a vista, weather as it was, but it was an immensely fun summit regardless. The wind was whipping, the cloud was swirling, and the temperature was dropping. In anticipation we had donned our raingear and gloves, and were properly prepared for the chilly 30-minute cross. The pictures were taken, the laughs and giddiness recorded, the three-minute pause ended, and we scurried back to treeline. Another view was fogged out. We exchanged adventurers' greetings with One Way, Jewel, and Rooney Tunes as we crossed paths, they going the "right" way. True to form, within 10 minutes of the start of our descent, the sun started burning off the fog, the gray skies became blue, and from the peak one could see all the way to Mt. Washington (50 miles) and beyond ... or so I'm told. I'll have to return some clear day to confirm that report. Going south always takes longer than walking those same miles north. The reason: we are meeting all our friends and spending a good amount of time chatting as we cross paths with each. Prying themselves away from the comforts and warm hospitality of this hostel were White Patch, Keytone, Pop-Up, Mousebait, T-Bot, Regular Brian, Puck Finn and Buckwild. Staying in camp tonight are Hans, Paparazzi, D-Bone, Munchkin, Cliff Dancer, Slimer, WipeOut and the four of us.Lion King and Pack Rat treated us to original tunes around a campfire and brought to a close a most memorable night. What a glorious entry into the White Mountains!