Date: 2005-08-26
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Wildcat Mountain
Miles today: 10.5

Up and finally gone by 9 AM. The sleep last night was interrupted by the wind, there was a series of wind mills on top of the roof that made quite a racket. This saddle on top (4820 feet) where the Madison Hut is, sure does get hit hard by the wind.    I walked outside while the guests were fed their breakfast. The Crew let us get some coffee so I took a cup with me and walked to a small lake just uphill from the hut (I sat on a large flat rock there). The sunrise was awesome, no one else was around so I had the place all to myself. I spent about a half of an hour there doing my memorized yoga routine, a good warm up stretch. I planned on being out of the presidential's today and if possible, ending up on top of Wildcat somewhere.   Around 8:15 I went back to the hut to do the rest of my chores (table clean up after the meal and before, table set up). The Crew fed us well and treated us good. This was their first day on duty as the crews changed from time to time. Mount Madison (5363 feet) was only a half of a mile away with a 500 foot increase in elevation. The views were outstanding and you could still see the top of Mount Washington. I could also see all the way down to the Pinkham Notch (2035 feet) where I planned on being within a few hours, It was a little over 7 miles away and the terrain looked quite formidable. The Whites here had proven to be challenging and with so many grand views, I found my self stopping from time to time just to stare in awe. I was so glad I had the good weather to do this part of the trail. As I came down and into the tree line I looked back one more time, I was sad to see it end.   After a short stop at the Lodge in the Pinkham Notch I headed out to get up and on top of Wildcat (not before having a late lunch in the lodge's restaurant). Before I left I ran into Anchor who said she was there resting with her family (I do not know if they stayed or not). Doc Narley, Sky Walker and Leviathan were at the lodge also and were going to spend the night as they planned. I moved across the road (NH-16) and took a nice break near a pond with a view of Mount Washington and Tukerman's Ravine (awesome). The trail went darn near strait up again for a 2000 foot elevation change in about a mile and a half. I ended up staying on top of Wildcat Peak E (4041 feet) with Apple Pie and Plumb Pirate. We all "Cowboy' d up" right underneath the Chair Lift. I remember being there once before skiing with my second team (ODA 054) back in 1985, almost 20 years earlier. What a great team that was, they just don't make SF guys like that anymore. Guys you could "run the river with" as the old time mountain men would say.   Though there was still a few more miles left to go in the Whites, I felt satisfied with what I accomplished so far. I wasn't talking about the collective miles and all the months gone by, I was talking about going up and over Mount Washington. I would like to come back here someday, just to do this part again. There was still some challenging things ahead, like the infamous Mahoosuc Notch, for some reason (right then and there) I felt like I just come full circle.    There were no clouds that evening at all so, the sunset was kind of a let down. The stars were out in the millions that night though, it seemed you could see forever. The mountain house on top of Mount Washington was clearly identifiable. Hard to believe I was up there just a short time ago. That night I slept like a rock.