Date: 2007-08-23
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I had been told by a southbound hiker that he believed the section of trail I will hike today was the most like Maine of any section outside ME. I discovered that if tha's true, ME is going to be a tough state.I left my campsite about 8.00 AM after a good nights rest that was interrupted twice by bunnies running into my tent guylines. Once one of the bunnies was being chased by some preditor and was screaming loudly, then banged into my tent at which point I yelled at it moth animals ran off in different directions.The trail began a stiff ascent out of Kinsman Notch immediately after leaving the blacktop and continued for about 5 miles to the summit of Wolf Mt. At one point the trail passed right along the edge of a bog that looked like a great place for moose. There were plenty of tracks and pellets along the trail but no animals were out and about. I wanted to stop and take pictures of the pitcher plants that were in bloom on the bog but just didn't have time on what would be a long day of hiking. The bog also had good numbers of sundews as well. These two carnivorous plants are a sure sign of a healthy peat bog in New England.I was never sure which peak I climbed was the summit of Wolf Mt because of all the ups and downs and no views through the thick fog. Finally the trail went down to Eliza Brook Shelter where I stopped for lunch and a refill on my water.After lunch I began the steep and often rugged climb up and over the Kinsmans. On my way up I was often using my hands to pull myself up and stowing my hiking poles out of the way. The summit of South Kinsman was right at timberline with lots of pygmy trees hunkered down in the lee of boulders and surrounded by sedge meadows in the windy areas. The weather was brisk; temp of 46, 20 mph wind and thick fog that condensed on every available surface. I was most comfortable hiking in shorts and T-shirt so didn't stay long on the exposed summit. When I got to North Kinsman there was a patch of sun shining on the summit but thick fog completely surrounding it so no view to be had except of the clouds rushing by a short distance away.I got down to the AMC's Lonesome Lake Hut about 4.30 and stopped in to see if they had any soup leftover from lunch but they were all out so I decided to keep going on down to Franconia Notch. I hoped to see the cow moose and calf that the hut croo were seeing regularly around the lake but they were no around.I made the last 3 miles down to Franconia Notch in about an hour. This was differet from my pace for the rest of the day that had averaged about 1 mile per hour. I was not slacking around but the terrain was tough and my average speed was much slower than I was accustomed to.I got to the trailhead parking area about 6 PM and had been told it would be an easy hitch into the new hostel in Lincoln, some 7 miles away. But, I was still standing there at 7 PM when Peter, a southbounder, walkwd up and joined me. We stood there for another hour as it began to rain and get dark. Finally we gave up and called a local shuttle service who came and picked us up for $12. Chet's hostel was neat and clean and dry but the late hour, nearly 9 PM, was not what I had hoped. It had been challenging day on the trail and the roads of NH, but such are the adventures on the AT.