Date: 2007-09-08
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 9.7

What a beautiful night it as last night: warm breezes, clear starry sky! Twoother French Canadian women joined me to sleep under the stars...cowgirlcamping.The weather report forcasted thunderstorms today and had us quite nervous. "Hardtelling, not knowing." A Maine saying we learned from Mr. Talker Man and itsure applies here on the trail. We got to Galehead hut around 10 am and enjoyedcoffee, lemonade, and pumpkin cake whilke wartching storm clouds roll in overthe ridgeline we were going to have to hike. What to do? Stay here at the hut? Hike on 7 miles to Zealand Hut which we know is booked and where we may not get"work for stay" because there are too many hikers? Camp at the pond before thehut? Hike past the hut, but what if we can't find a site for 4 tents...it's 5miles to the next shelter. The day was dry so I opted for hiking on andtrusting that the trail would take care of us...it always does! We hiked to thepond before Zealand Falls Hut and had decided to stay there rather than riskbeing told at the hut to keep moving, but when we tried to go down to the pondfor water it was so mucky all around the ! edges, that we couldn't get any...had to move on. I said there probably was areason we couldn't get good water there, and sure enough, the hut took us in(and 12 other hikers) and fed us good food and gave us a place to sleep out ofthe rain! See, it all worked out! But when we got here and I went to get my boots off and put on my Crocs to restmy poor tired feet, one of my Crocs was not on my pack...it must have fallenoff. Now I had nothing to put on my feet around camp...what a pain this wasgoing to be...I have to wear my boots all the time. But didn't the next hikerin to the hut find it on the trail and bring it to me? Thank you, Moon Pie!!! More magic of the trail...The terrain in them there hills is killing me. I'm either climbing up or downlarge rocks...so large my knee is up around my ear as I raise or lower myself! Sometimes I come up to a pile of rocks and have no clue how I'm going to getover them they look so ominous. My knees are taking a beating and I'm back towearing my bandanas wrapped around them. The views were few today and the tailsteep and strenuous.These huts in the White Mountains are like high-end hostels with a "croo" thatdoes the cooking and care of the place. The paying guests are usually peopledoing day hikes that get their breakfast and dinner at the hut included in the$90 per night per person price. Besides the meals, they get a bunk withmattress, pillow, and blanket...and there's a bathroom, but no showers. Thedining is family style at tables with benches...simple food, but good and allyou can eat. The "work for stay" hikers eat after the guests have eaten and getthe leftovers...thank goodness last night they made extra because there wereabout 15 hikers or more here. For our work effort last night, oir little groupof 4 did the dishes, and there's no dishwasher. I'm not sure how many gueststhis particular hut accomodates, but I'd guess about 20-25. Since we're donewith our work, we can leave right after breakfast which is served to the guestsat 7 am and, again, we get the leftovers.Step lightly