Date: 2010-08-17
From: NH 25

To: Kinsman Notch NH 112
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: broken clouds

We slayed the moose today. Mt. Moosilauke is this monster mountain that has been intimidating me for days.It was recommended to do this mountain from north to south as the north side of the mountain is a very steep 3,000 foot climb over 3.5 miles which is dangerous on a good day and treacherous on a bad one. So we decided to slack pack it.Fat Chapp took us to the north side. We carried only day packs which weighed 5 pounds or less with lunch, water and jackets, and we started hiking south back to the hostel.The danger was not exaggerated. There were numerous 20-40 foot sheer rock slabs at impossible 80 degree angles into which 4" wide wood blocks had been fastened. Some places had re-bar handholds. Going up was definitely the way to go as it would have been really scary actually seeing how far one could fall with a misstep. The "trail" ran right next to a waterfall coming down from halfway up the mountain with cascade after cascade of visual delight.Stopped at Beaver Brook Shelter for a snack and then continued climbing.As we climbed toward tree-line, everything started to become sub-alpine with amazing moss, ferns and lichen. The trees became more stunted and gnarled, all conifers. A kaleidoscope of mushrooms of impossible colors nestled in the vibrant greens of the moss. It's an Alice in Wonderland world where you feel like a giant as now you can see over the tops of the tallest trees. And then.... then you come out to this huge bald and the trail is marked with 4-6' rock cairns and you walk on the scree. At the summit is a huge pile of boulders. Standing at the top we could see the Green Mountains of Vermont and ahead to Kinsman, Lafeyette and even Mt. Washington. Ridgeline after ridgeline in varying shades of blue layered themselves into the distance.We found a spot on the lee side of the boulders out of the wind for lunch, N.P. (no Promises) and Teen Wolf joined us. Many day hikers that had come up by an easier route stopped to talk to us. One lady was so excited to meet and chat with some thru-hikers and was so excited to see so many women thru-hiking.As we were sitting there, we saw a hiker coming up one of the trails carrying what looked like a 4'x4' empty picture frame out in front of him perfectly "framing" his face and upper body. As we watched him from the distance, we joked that he was bringing a backpacker TV for us to watch. Turns out he's a student scientist from Dartmouth College and the "frame" actually had a string grid in it so he could measure lichen coverage.Down a bit from the summit but still on the bald was the foundation of a lodge that was built in the 1890's but burned in 1942.After a wonderful 2-hour lunch we made our way down the other side which was very rocky but not anywhere near as steep as the trip up.Cahoda was leading when hostel legs took over and we burned up the last two miles in about 45 minutes.Arriving back at the hostel us ladies were discussing dinner options when the owner informed us he was cooking for all the hikers tonight. Fresh salad, macaroni with buttered breadcrumbs and sausage and ribs in a zesty BBQ sauce with ice cream and fresh blueberries for dessert. Then more movies and packing up for tomorrow's assault of Kinsman.Great hostel, nice people.