Date: 2007-06-05
From: Glencliff, NH/Hilers Welcome Hostel

To: Gorham/The Barn
Miles today: 101.0
Weather: few clouds

WOW....what can i say except that i just got the crap beat out of me......that's right, 10 days and 101 miles and i had to earn every single one of them through the whites. When i left glencliff i was fortunate to have the company of my pal craig wilson from kittery point with me for a couple of days he went with me as far as the notch before franconia and called it quits cause he had to get back to the house. it was great having him there even for such a brief time. i went on up the franconia ridge on the afternoon of the 29th, tuesday, in really nice clear but windy weather. it was awesome up there and hiked strong to mt. layfayette and decided to cut down to greenleaf hut for the night. the next morning i got up early and summited layfayette again at aout 7:30 in breathless wind and chrystal clear skies. it was absolutely georgeous. it all changed quickly after that. hiked on down the ridge stopping at galehead hut for lunch and on to zealand for the night. as i entered the door, it started raining. it just stopped this morning. so my trek through the presidentials pretty much cosisted of 20-100 foot visibility, rain, high winds, and very slick footing. i left zealand in a downpour and lost heart as i got to mizpah and they were nice to let me work for stay and get warmed up. the next morning i left in 20-50 ft visibility and gingerly and cautiosly made my way to lakes of the clouds where i just didn't have the stomach to go any further. it was so slick on the wet rocks and i was having a hard time staying on the trail with the poor visibility. the winds were up as i got above treeline and quite frankly, i was a bit nervous for my safety. hung out all day at lakes and proud to say i was their first thru hiker of the season. by the end of the day, they had 10 guests and me and gray eagle working for stay. i had a good time there. great crew. the next morning i left at 7 and summited washington in a cloud. probably 25 feet visibility and swirling winds. when i got to the top, i really couldn't see 10 feet. luckily gray egle had left earlier from lakes and we stayed together and found the summitt house. we waited around till about 8:30 but it never opened so we made the choice to push on. we hike down together to the great gulf junction and split up as i really wanted to make it to pinkham by the end of the day. the traverse across the ridge was hairy. i had to be careful not to lose the trail in he fog and it was very poorly marked. just really hiking from cairin to cairin as i had been for a couple of days. it was good to finally come out of the cloud and see madison hut. stopped there for a quick lunch and headed up mt. madison and down the ridge in clearer conditions to joe dodge lodge for the night. had a nice stay there and had a good time visiting with two folks from quebec, father and daughter who spend time there evey year. great people and nice to have someone to have dinner with. the next morning i got up to decent conditions but the climb over wildcat and the tricky and slick decents did me in and i ended up staying at cater notch as a peid guest. i was the only one there as it was raining hard and cooling and everyone else cancelled. theat brings me to yesterday. left in a driving rain that held over the cater range. i took a bad fall decending north carter, landed in a deep running stream, which was also the trail, and had to stop at imp shelter as i was pretty shaken and drenched and cold. thank god for that shelter. it was a lifesaver. it rained all day hard yesterday and just as i was settling in, gray eagle wonders in form pincham wet, cold and noticably disturbed about the conditions of the weather as well as the descent off north carter. it really as bad. anyway, it rained all night but we were warm and dry. got up this morning and high tailed it in clearing weather to gorham, thankful to be in one piece. it was really hard going thru the whites by myself in that junky wweather. i'm pretty competent but i can definately see how people get in trouble up there. i have gained complete and utter respect for the whites, they won this time. i wish i could say it was pleasant but in reality, it wasn't. it was scairy. about all i can say is that i didn't through in the towell thank god.this has played havoc on an already tight schedule. i have a committement to my son on the 21st of june and there is no way i am going to let him down. a father/son camping trip at the end of his summer camp. i'm just going to take it one day at a time and see what happens. i may run out of time and if so have to return later this summer to finish. it would bite for sure, but, it is what it is. still positive and still moving...peace to all....woodstock