Date: 2018-07-23
From: U.S.Route 302 - Crawford Notch

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: fog

Today was a mixed bag of so many things the trail had offered to this point, on steroids. There were steep climbs, slippery descents, rock scrambles, high bogs, huge boulders, streams running down the trail and rad weather. The rain came early and continued throughout the day. There was drizzle, fog, large rain drops, and horizontal pelting rain. The wind was gale force at times. It was a brutally fun day. Yes, brutal and fun. It was as if every challenge and trail conditioning over the past five months were all leading to this day. It was without a doubt one of the most challenging hikes I have ever had, from the terrain, to the elevation gain, to the weather conditions. But I was ready for what the trail dished out and the experience will be remembered for a lifetime. The only thing missing were jaw dropping vistas. They were there, but were hidden behind a curtain of clouds, fog and rain. So, while I don¢t have a lot of pics for you, I have the memory of when I rode the beast and walked away unscathed. Grumpy, Kylo and I got a ride back to Crawford Notch from the Housekeeping Manager at the lodge. About a mile from the Notch rain and fog set in. Our driver said that this area makes its own weather. When she dropped us off at 0830 it was raining steady. It would not let up for more than 15 minutes the rest of the day. The trail was a gravel path and started off nice and easy as we crossed the Saco River on a foot bridge. The gravel gave way to a leaf-covered trail. Within a half mile we were stepping up rocks on a steep incline. It eventually became an extreme climb as we ascended 3,000¢ to Mount Webster over the first three miles. Many sections turned into a downright rock scramble. Other parts involved traversing steep rocky inclines. As usual, this involved finding grooves and cracks in the slick rocks. From the Webster Cliffs (which undoubtedly offered awesome views on a clear day) it was a series of inclines and declines over 4K footers.First was Mount Jackson, a challenge by itself. It was 1PM when we stopped for a break at the Mizpah Spring Hut. The first 6.5 miles took 4.5 hours to complete. It was nice to get out of the rain. We each had a couple of bowls of soup with the lunch from our food bags. Not to mention cookies and a peanut butter jelly wrap compliments of a day hiker. By 2PM we were all set to go. Grumpy took off about 10 minutes before me and Kylo about 10 minutes after me.We had about 5.5 miles of hiking before reaching the Lake of the Clouds Hut. I ended up hiking the entire distance without seeing anyone. The first climb was over Mt. Pierce. Then came Mt. Eisenhower which was above tree-line. The big story here was the gale force winds and the horizontal rain. It was crazy and I was loving it. There is something extremely exhilarating about hiking in those conditions. However, things can go really bad, really fast. iTherefore, I had to keep my jubilation in check and keep my wits about me. White blazes are few and far between up here, and there are several side trails that can literally lead unweary hikers to their death. Periodically I would duck behind a boulder or among a cluster of dwarf spruce trees to check my GPS to ensure I was still on the right trail. Just before 5PM the Lake of the Clouds Hut came into view. As fun as the hiking was, it was good to be safely inside the busy lodge well before dark. Grumpy arrived just before me and Kylo arrived a few minutes later. Our timing was perfect. We were able to get work- for-stay. This allowed us to stay in the main lodge common area and eat leftovers after all of the paying guests were finished with dinner. Hikers who showed up before us had to pay $10 to stay in the basement (infamously referred to as the dungeon). The caretaker in charge wanted to accommodate some of the earlier arriving hikers so she had a sweet proposition for the three of us and one other hiker that showed up after us. She asked us to do a thorough cleaning of one of the bunk rooms. Our work for stay would then be over and we were permitted to occupy the bunk room. Four other hikers were then promoted from the dungeon. They would have kitchen duty after dinner and be allowed to sleep in the spacious dining area. The downside for them is that they can not occupy the space until after quiet time and had to be out by 0630.It is less than a mile and over a 1,000¢ in elevation gain to the top of Mount Washington. The plan is to tackle the summit early in the morning when there is less of a chance of bad weather than the rest of the day. Hopefully we will be rewarded with a view or two.Another great experience on the grand adventure!Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 5,070Descent - 1,300Grade - 10.9Weather:Day - 64 / Heavy Rain and WindNight - 59 / ShowersOver The Horizon: White Mountain National Forest