Date: 2013-07-14
From: Lost River Campground

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hello from the White Mountains! As I write this I am waiting for the guests at the Zealand Hut to eat dinner. Fly and I got here just before dinner and are doing a work for stay. So far we have just set the table, and the hut croo says they will feed us and put a roof over our heads for the evening. Last night we spent the night at Garfield Ridge Camp Site after an interesting day... The day before Dragon and Mary dropped us off in Lincoln where we got breakfast. I had pi±a colada pancakes sausage bacon eggs and home fries from a place called Flapjacks. Then we found Chet's home, a hiker who houses thru hikers for barter or donation. Chet is an amazing guy. Around ten years ago he lost the use of his legs when a camp stove exploded while he was prepping for a thru hike. He continues to spread his passion for the outdoors by allowing hikers to crash in his garage and is one of the most positive and inspiring people I've met on the trail. I really enjoyed meeting him and his garage is a real piece of AT history as the signatures of thousands of thru hikers cover every inch of it. We met sobos : Magnet, Nightwalker, Stinky Jesus, Puck. And saw some Nobos as well: shakin, moonwatcher, Lost and Found. Lost and Found, Fly, and I went and ate at a place called Elvio's. the manager there used to work at the Loon Mtn Resort where they had shows by Bob Dylan, Ziggy Marley, and Crosby Stills and Nash. He told us he would employ thru hikers and in exchange they got to meet the bands, eat, and drink beer. Sounds pretty cool. Elvio's also has a great pizza!The three of us opted to tent outside Chet's and got breakfast together in the AM. There we saw Hoosier and Samson. After breakfast fly and I made a sign and hitched to the wrong trailhead. Rather than hitch again we opted to take the Snookumchuck trail and meet up with the AT. The trail started off easy but got incredibly steep and tough and boy was it hot. We finally got above tree line and met the AT. I hiked back to mt Lafayette without my pack and it was beautiful. Very different from mountains in the south. I met up with fly and we continued north on the AT to Garfield Ridge Shelter. The caretaker there, Bobby, is an awesome guy and the water was pristine. Bobby is about my age and has a nice tent at the camp. He works ten days on, 3 days off and must pack in all his own food. He said his pack weighs 80-100lbs each time he comes in!I ate a family size serving of Mac and cheese, fell and nearly broke my neck, then lay down on my pad under the stars ( no tent!). Just as I was falling asleep the father of the family on the next tent site got up and asked if we put our food in the bear box, I told him I wasn't worried about it but he made it clear he was really worried about my food so I stumbled through the dark to do his bidding. I guess he figured my food was going to attract a bear that was going to eat him and his children...The next morning we descended from the ridge and climbed up to Galehead Hut where the cook Becca gave us all the leftovers we could eat. There were a good number of us hikers pigging out on bread eggs onions broccoli peppers corn cake chicken and more. It was great. The hut croos pack in all food and have to carry out all the trash and uneaten food. So it is a benefit to them to allow us to eat as much as possible. From there we carried our full bellies up what we were told was the steepest mile on the AT. 1100 feet up in 0.8 miles to South Twin Summit. After that we followed the ridge to Guyot Mt and descend towards Zealand. Zealand hut is beautiful and located right alongside some great waterfalls. There is a fantastic view of cliffs from the front porch. And dinner smells fantastic .... The croo is off tonight so some volunteers that used to work together in the huts 49 years ago are running the show! It is amazing to find these lodges so isolated in the wilderness. The largest of these is the Lake of the Clouds hut on mt Washington which can host 90 something guests. They are a welcome sight to a weary and hungry thru hiker!!....Well it just started pouring and storming outside! So much for sleeping on the nice cool porch! I am laying under a table in the main dining room now. What an experience.