Date: 2015-07-19
From: Nauman Campsite

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: light rain

It stormed during the night. The hard rain drops hit the taut rain fly, producing a dull and rapid clinging sound. We stayed relatively dry though. This morning, the sky was pale and streaked with pink clouds, quite a welcome sight. The weather forecast predicted a cool, partly sunny day with a chance of thundershowers later in the evening. We figured that the outlook was positive enough so we headed out. Today, Mount Washington, the tallest peak in the Whites, standing at 6,288' tall.The segment leading up to Mt Washington follows an exposed ridgeline. We arrived above treeline and low-laying gray clouds were still hanging in the sky, though they were slowly thinning out. Rays of sun were piercing through and momentarily illuminating small patches of sky; the mountains appeared dark against the harsh glow. Gusts of wind however broke up the lighting effects and shifted the clouds. Sometimes, a thin fog seemed to be resettling on top the mountain line, but other times it seemed as if the clouds were all dissipating.The interplay between the shifting, morphing clouds and the changing luminosity levels created one of the most dynamic and visually stunning sceneries I have yet experienced. Every glance seemed to offer a new, ephemeral view. With the exception of a few southbounders, we were hiking alone up that ridgeline. The Trail's atmosphere altered between eerie and mystical; we felt in another world.We arrived at Lakes of the Clouds Hut which is less than 1.5 miles from Mt Washington's summit. We had noticed a slowly advancing mass of dark, menacing clouds but we decided to hike on as the summit would be only an hour away. We passed by a warning sign stating that the weather conditions could be extreme and change suddenly and that many deaths have resulted from exposure to the elements, even in the middle of summer.We began hiking up a steep and rocky Trail when a few rain drops wetted the ground. We ignored this and continued a few more minutes when the rain started pouring. In an instant, sheets of hard, icy rain and hail plummeted from the sky. Small freezing daggers lashed at our faces and arms and stung our red skin. The wind whipped violently and made all movements extremely difficult. Each step required so much more force as I was constanly being pushed by a barrage of rain and hail from all directions.We had absolutely no choice but to rush as fast as we could to the top where we knew we could find shelter. We called out to each other as I was blinded by the storm and could not see where Shrugs was. We continued this way screaming to each other for reassurance while trying to keep our eyes open enough to find the cairns which were partially obscured by the fog. The freezing rain hurt my ears and made me dizzy. I was out of breath from the physical effort (the last portion prior to the summit is a boulder field) and I felt as if I were drowning.Finally, after an hour or so, we saw in the fog the outline of the meteorological station which appeared like a small alien structure. We yelled, we were so relieved. We ran towards the visitor center for warmth and coverage.The whole summit was suprisingly quite crowded. I was dumbfounded. I had just experienced my most terrifying AT moment yet and there were all these tourists who had ridden up by car or cograil, all mildly inconvenienced by the bad weather and all seemingly ignorant of the power and danger this mountain represents. It was decidedly surreal.We headed to the snack bar to change and get a bite to eat to warm up. We heard many Qu©b©cois and a few of them high-fived us when they realized we had just hiked up in the storm, so that was nice. We found a group of hikers (Caboose, Obsolete, who both have Trailjournals, Hey Jude, Mystyr Lynyrd, J.W., Ox and a couple others) while we ate a warm meal and drank hot chocolate. Together, we decided to take the shuttle service which runs up and down Mt Washington to Pinkham Notch and, from there, get a shuttle to a nearby hostel in Gorham. It was the best decision as Shrugs was still slightly shivering, even after a good half-hour of being indoors. I always complain that all the men here on the AT seem to be melting away and losing weight like crazy while I am here exactly the same kinda chubby, but I guess that the extra adipose tissue is good in these circumstances.We are at a great hostel called the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel. We got a shower, laundry done and a trip to resupply. A very severe and intense thunderstorm began this afternoon. It is now late in the evening and it is still raining. I am so glad to be indoors. I am so sick of the rain.How much rain can there be on this planet?- Axon P.S: I bought this really dope hat at the gift shop to replace the one I gave to Shrugs when he lost his. At least I got something today!  Sun piercing the clouds  Along the Presidential Range  Lakes of the Clouds Hut