Date: 2003-08-31
From: Campsite on the trail.

To: Mt. Lafayette
Miles today: 4.2

start campsitedestination Mt.LafayetteSometime during the night the wind had quit blowing and it was not quite as cold as last night. Chilly just the same though. No one wanted to get out of their nice warm sleeping bags. Finally thoughts of hot tea and coffee won, and out we came. A hot breakfast followed and soon we were huffing and puffing up the trail. The climb was steep and in several places very treacherous. Welcome to the real mountains!! Once we got above the tree line the views were incredible. It was so clear, we could see 120 miles away. Vermont, Maine, rows and rows of mountain ranges. Mt.Washington was as clear as it could be. You could even see the towers on top of it. It just seemed so far away. The water sources are few and far between today. An eight mile dry stretch, luckily for us it was not very hot, but we still were very careful with our drinking. We have been told that 5 to 8 miles a day was about all a hiker could do in these mountains. They were telling the truth! We climbed three mountains, with just a small desent in between. Little Haystack, Mt.Lincoln, Mt.Lafayette. Names I have read about in hiking books and dreamed of climbing some day. It took us all day long continulaly going up. The trail seemed like Grand Central Station today. There were hikers every where. In every size and shape. Every nationality you could think of. Thru hikers south and north bound, section hikers, day hikers, weekend hikers. When I met one of the north bounders, he said he had heard my name at least a hundred times. That means someone behind me now is at least talking about me, bad or good I do not know. One of them had even heard about Mudbutt breaking her foot early in the hike. From the top of each mountain peak, you could look behind you and see the trail where you had come from. Each mountain range climbing higher and higher reaching for the heavens. At one point, a glider, red and blue with yellow wings buzzed by the trail close enough for me to see the face of the passenger. It glided by effortlessly, on wings of magic. The wind taking it higher and higher with each gust. We ran out of daylight before we ran out of trail. We took refuge in the remains of an old building. Only the rock foundation walls are left. The floor is hardpacked, making setting up the tent a nighmare. We finally used different rocks to anchor it down. The sunset was spectacular though, making the freezing wind worth putting up with. The western sky changing from light pink to orange, then crimson and finally a deep scarlet. It was by far the most spetacular sunset I have ever seen. We are hoping for another glimpse of Mars tonight, but right now clouds are moving in pretty fast. Hopefully the wind will die down once the sun is set completely. I have struggled all day to day with strong feelings and emotions. It would have been my Mother's 82 birthday today. Even though she has been gone 10 years, I seem to miss her more and more as the years go by. I try not to let my sad mood affect anyone. I just climb and think pleasant thoughts. I also think of how livid my mother would be if she was alive and I was out here. No, she would not approve, or understand. I am not sure I understand why I am out here. But I am loving it. Today the climbs were hard, and rough, but I enjoyed every bit of the day. The strong winds finally blow the clouds away. We are left with a stunning view of Mars, the Milky Way and all the other millions of stars. Lights from the valley below shine out through the night. The road below seems to be a continuous line of twinkling lights. The wind makes it far too cold to stay out very long. I dive back into my bag, thankful for it's warmth. The flapping of the tent makes sleeping hard. Twice I had to get out and fasten the front flap back to the ground. It was impossible to get a stake in the ground, so I used rocks to secure the flap. This reminds me of Buzzard Knob, except the air is not filled with humidity here, and at least the tent remains upright.total miles 4.2