Date: 2002-09-06
From: MAINE

To: GA
Miles today: 13.0

Friday September 6, 2002Worked for stay last night at Galehead Hut and all I had to so was clean up after supper. Didn¢t get to eat till about 8 but we had mash potatoes, corn, turkey, split pea and ham soup, cranberry sauce, homemade bread, chocolate chip brownies, and had about 6 of those. Boy were they good.   There were about 20 guest up here and this morning we set the tables and we wait till they are through and then we can eat. They had pancakes and cream of wheat.   WE are gonna have breakfast and then head out. Had a nice warm bunk and it was nice not to have to put all my gear back in the pack.   Wind is blowing but it¢s clear and looks like a good day. I was just thinking if these young people know how lucky they are to be working up here in the mountains. It would have been a great thing to have been able to do this when I was young. Be up here in the mountains working and the place I had been they were putting an addition onto the hut and I thought to myself, wouldn¢t that be great to be doing that up here in the mountains. I am finally off and it¢s 9:10 and it¢s too late for me. It took them a long time to get the dishes done.   And we have to wait until all the dishes are done before we can eat. They had no pancakes left just a few duds left. That is what I was waiting for and so had several dud pancakes and cream of wheat.   Were not the best. Had 4 slices of bread, with peanut butter and jelly, 2 sausages, and one of those leftover chocolate chip cakes. I am headed down the trail. Won¢t make it too far today, but that is okay because I need to get my maildrop in Glenciff and so might as well take my time because of Sunday coming. Might as well cool it and take it easy so I can get to Glencliff by Sunday. The 3 crew members were having a great time this morning. Putting on a show and the Erin and !handstand went out and did handstands on the rock. Run into !piper and Sweet Bear and I had seen them at Crawford Notch the day before. Was thinking last night that my knees were pretty stiff and sore and it seems that it recovers during the night. At the huts the crews put on little skits in the evenings and in the morning also. They are kind of funny. They dress up and they have different comedy routines. And then also one of them in the evening gives a talk on a subject about hiking or ecology, nature etc. They also up on the board they have a question of the day or quote and I suggested a quote: Never complain about water because it¢s wet or a rock because it¢s hard. Met !whistler and !onemorebite and they are from Tennessee they are north bound and started in Springer Mountain. 4 jets just flew over and buzzed us above this mountain. What a thrill. They are coming back, talk about whistle¢¦One did a flip and went down in valley, was coming down Garfield Mountain when I was he jets. I will be glad when I get out of this downhill descending. It is killing my knees. I just twisted my ankle and bent my ski pole so I had better stop and take some advil. I might have sprained my ankle. But I am okay; it¢s all right now. It¢s interesting see those jets so close like that.   Gives you and understanding what it must feel like to those Afghans when those jets come flying in. Not going to make too many miles today. Legs feel dead today, tripping a lot on rocks etc. It¢s only 2:30 and I pushed pretty hard yesterday to get the work for stay. Was good experience and won¢t do it again.   But if I did I wouldn¢t stay for breakfast. I like to get up and get going in the morning just after daylight. Just a north bounder, a lady named !greasespot. I said how did you get that name and she said every time I use my camp stove I leave a big great spot behind.   The last hut there was a young lady named Katie that was cook there She was talking about writing a guidebook. She is an environmentalist and I said I would sure like to know what some of those plants are along the trail. Would be nice if they were marked. She said that is good idea, I think I will write a guidebook for the entire flora and fauna and I didn¢t get her last name. So if she does I don¢t know if I will recognize it. I bet she will get it done. I am almost to the top of a mountain and clear up at the top is a vulture just hanging there waiting for me. He thinks I am about done for. Saw a small plane pulling a small white glider near Mt. Lafayette.   I thought of Darwin right away. He said he would love to drive one of those gliders. I am trying to get pictures of this for Darwin. I am at the summit of Mt. Lafayette and the summit is just big pile of rocks. You can see 360 degrees. You can see forever. There is a 4 lane highway below, don¢t know where that goes, I can see Mt. Washington from here. It¢s just beautiful.   Cool up here and very windy. Going to try to make Liberty Springs Campsite. It¢s 3.8 miles and it¢s 2:30 and there is no place to camp up here, no trees and it¢s above the tree line. Climbed 2 mountains today. Mount Garfield and Lafayette and now I am coming up on Mount Lincoln. I don¢t know that is almost too many mountains in one day. It¢s really busy today on the trail. Maybe because it¢s a ridge. Franconia Ridge they call it. You can go from mountain to mountain without going into the notch. It¢s good day hike for people that just want to come out and get the views. There are a lot people just sitting around taking in the views. Really enjoyable as long as you are out of the wind. Just finished Mount Lincoln. Now I have to go to Little Haystack Mountain and then Liberty then down to my campsite, Liberty Springs. I am doing pretty good today I think. This is not a bad trail, a lot of rocks.   I was walking along and all sudden there was this shadow and I thought gosh there is a bird above me and I look up and then everything was so quiet and there was that glider. I thought Oh Man look at that thing and all you could here was whoosh as it went by, just beautiful. He goes down and then comes up and almost comes to a standstill, like bird does.   Met north bounder !grasshopper and Princess of Darkness and ask her how she got that name, she said it was because she was evil (I told her I didn¢t believe that) they laughed and then also trainwreckaughttwo and she said she got that name from a lot of running. Asked Grasshopper how he got his name and he said, long story, he carried a 6 foot cane pole..Kung foo. Met north bounder Gold Bond, he got his name from his long johns chafing his legs. Met !bluegrass and !mountainfairy headed North; they are from Northern CA. Met !chickenman, !moonshine and The Dogs Elk, from Pittsburgh, PA, Long Island, NY and North Carolina. They are laughing. Met !baltimorejack finally that everybody talks about. He has hiked the trail several times. Here is was with another character, coming down the trail smoking cigarettes¢¦[laughing] oh, oh, oh, they are characters. Met walkinglory from New York and got her name in the blueberry patch and her name is Gloria and they said well you certainly will be walking in Glory.   That¢s good.5:30 Liberty Springs Campground. Setting up on a wooden platform. Lots of little bugs flying around, not biting just a nuisance. Made maybe not quite 11 miles today. Have some more mountains to climb yet and then will be in Vermont. Next peak is Kinsman Mountain and Moosilauke before I get to Glencliff.   7:30 Got supper done, had some sardines and boy do they stink and it¢s hard to pack them out and its hard to clean up and it will probably attract bears but I will know better next time. Really cold tonight so I am gonna get in my sleeping bag and listen to the radio, just like they used to do on Waltons Mountain. See what old NPR has on tonight. Cost 8 dollars to stay here tonight but all they have is wood platforms but they do have a privy and that helps. Only 2 other tents set up here, a guy from Vermont only hiking a few days, has his old dog with him, nice old dog. A couple from Virginia and she is cold and they are cooking up a storm. Met him, his name is Derek.