Date: 2017-07-02
From: Liberty Springs Campsite 

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: fog

Day 120:The rain last night was of biblical proportions. I found that my tent is no longer waterproof evidenced by my having to mop up my tent floor all night. I still got plenty of sleep and "Scooby" and I were on the trail at 6:15 and ready to get some miles. Our last couple of days have been pretty unproductive for the rain storms and to be honest, the "Whites" are kicking our butts. I'd read how you can pretty much count on reduced miles while hiking through the White Mountains and I'm here to tell you that it's no lie. It's also a psychological brain drain to go from hiking twenty plus miles in a day to half that. You actually start to question if you are physically capable for what lies ahead. If I were hiking alone I'd seriously question myself, but the fact that my hiking partner is dealing with the same demons makes it easier to accept. We have discussed this at length and we agree that we are going to take it easy, try not to get hurt and take those miles as they come.  Our major climb today was to the summit of Mt. Lafayette. It was a tough climb and unfortunately for us no payoff in the way of a view. The summit of 5,260 feet was in a fog this morning leaving nothing for us to see except the trail before us. That's OK though because the challenge of the climb is rewarding. It's tough, but it's supposed to be. You make that climb and hope for a view, but sometimes you just high five each other for your efforts and move on to the next mountain that's waiting for your arrival.  That next "one" was Mt. Garfield. At 4,500 feet, this mountain has a few tricks of its own. A tough climb with no switch backs which calls for a near vertical climb. The good news was that we received a 360 degree panoramic view above the tree line. Next on the hit parade was the South Twin Mountain. This mountain summits at 4,902 feet and too, was a near vertical climb that at times required hand over hand climbing.  A couple of highlights for the day included "Scooby" and I stopping in at the Galehead Hut for lunch. The AMC issued us both a camp card (we paid $10:00 for it) when we camped at one of their campsites. A benefit of the card is that you get a free bowl of soup and two baked goods which we redeemed today. The next very special highlight for me was that we arrived at Zealand Falls Hut at 7:30 to fill our water bottles before hiking on in hopes of finding a stealth site for our very tired bodies. When we walked in the "Croo" greeted us and asked if we wanted dinner. Well, of course we did. The general "rule" is that one or two thru-hikers are able to do a work for stay at a hut. Doing a work for stay means you do some work around the Hut and in return you get leftovers and can sleep in the Hut. This is one of those experiences I was hoping I could do for no other reason than to have the memory of the experience. The "Croo" of Kate, Amber and Jubilee allowed us to eat first. Dinner was stuffed shells, corn and a big fat slice of chocolate cake. My job assignment was to clean the stove burners and drip trays. In the end, those hard miles we did today paid off...Whistler