Date: 2005-08-14
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Franconia Notch, then Sweet Fish's house
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Red Wing:   Today was another fun and amazing day on the Trail. Our objective for today was to meet up with Hopeful's cousin, Nate, and his friend, Al, who are joining us to hike for a few days from Northern Michigan. Our meeting poing was only nine miles away, so we opted to take the day easy. I slept in, Hopeful took her morning slowly, and enjoyed some reading time. By the time we were moving, the shelter was totally vacated, and we were the last hikers around.    The climb out from the shelter and up to the Kinsman summits was nearly 2000 feet in our first 1.5 miles. This was definately the most challenging section of our entire hike yet. The vertical angle was straight up, and we had to use our arms to get ourselves up and over the rocks. Hopeful tries not to look down too much, she has discovered a mild fear of heights while we've been out here! Unfortunately, at the top, the clouds were too thick to have any views. At times the moist air became rain showers altogether.       Around 1 PM, we arrived at Lonesome Lake Hut. In the White Mountains, there is a hut system that is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). These huts are run as moutnain motels, remote enough to be miles from any road crossing, but accommodating enough to serve meals (food is hiked in by staff) and real beds (but no linens, just a blanket). Each hut has a "croo" working there, usually college age people with lots of energy and a love for the outdoors. While at Lonesome Lake, we were able to avoid the wet and cold and eat some Lasagna while at it. Often the huts will have leftover meals or baked goods available during the day for a dollar or two. From the hut is was only 3 very easy miles to the Franconia Notch road crossing where we were meeting Nate and Al. Most of the way there we discussed the details of how we would work the next couple days, including getting their car to the other end, getting groceries, and where we'd be staying this evening. We realized that we bascially had no idea how we were going to work it all out. Literally, just then, we met two southbounders who (once they heard our names) told us that there was a note for us ahead on the trail, left by Sweet Fish.       Sweet Fish is a friend of ours who hiked south last year and who we ran into both on the AT last fall, when we went to Virginia for a weekend, as well as at Trail Days this spring. His creative note-leaving scheme made us smile, and when we called, he and his family invited us over for the night. By the time Nate and Al arrived, we had plans for where to stay, and how to get cars where they needed to be. Best of all, we got to hang out with Sweet Fish, meet his parents, Bob and Cathy. Thanks for sharing your house and your time with us!!       While we waited for our ride (since not all four of us, plus gear, could fit in the S10 pickup) we had dinner in North Woodstock with Princess and Pogo.   At the house, we stayed up late to see trail pictures from Sweet Fish's 2004 hike. It's always so neat to see pictures of the AT and think about what has happened while out here. Overall, it's been quite a day. We would have never guessed that is would work out in the way that it did. Our time with Sweet Fish wasn't long, but we hope we might even see him again before we're done.       We're tired, but so thankful to be in a real bed, and excited about tomorrow. Franconis Ridge is a highlight of the AT, and Nate and Al will get their first taste of the Trail.