Date: 2002-09-04
From: Maine

To: GA
Miles today: 16.0

Wednesday September 4, 2002Up this morning at 5 and the wind was gale force, whistling and things were a bumping and a banging. The wind really whips up here. I didn¢t have to pack my pack, because I slept in a bunk so I slept in and got up at 6 and had hot coffee and hot chocolate and OF COURSE MY POP TART. I don¢t know but I think I am getting a little tired of Pop Tarts. I might have to try something different. I am out on the trail its 7am and I can see only about 50 feet in front of me, it¢s clouded over. Somewhat wet and will have to take it easy so I don¢t fall again. Frogcaller the older gal I met yesterday is 63 and her son, Zulu, so will probably see them again because they are headed in the same direction as me. Going to try to make it to Crawford Notch by this evening. It really isn¢t that bad of trail but maybe I will go on further but it was nice to meet and talk to people. Probably 50 degrees so far.Well I almost got off on the wrong trail here, but got back on again. Met another hiker, named, !poptart, I don¢t like him, ha, ha, ha. Just kidding. I am getting to a place where pop tarts are getting old. I am thinking today is my 29th day of actually being on the trail. Of course I went home and came back, so this makes 29 days on the trail. Just descended below the clouds and the sun came out. Happy days, going to dry out the trail for the downhill to Crawford Notch and everyone says how difficult that is when it¢s wet out so by the time I get there it should be dried out. The good lord was good to be today. Stopped into a (could not decipher name of this) Springs Hut and had 4 pancakes and 2 cups of Hot cocoa. Talked to the crew for a while. They hold about 40 people there. Nice people and nice place. They are young people and they have a good time. They were getting ready to have soup and they have all the soup you can eat for 2.00. Met some more South Bounders, !scribble and !puck, they are from Florida. Nice to see more south bounders. A young man and young lady. I didn¢t ask if they were married, I am assuming they are. They had an opportunity to go on this hike and so they took it. They started July 9th. They had 8 days off because she turned an ankle and they are hoping to make it before Xmas and if they can make it so can I. Met a guy on top of Mt. Pierce from Massachusetts. He wanted to know if I had run across !couscous and I said yes. And it was fun for him because it was a friend of his and for him to know she was not far from finishing the trail. (Could not decipher name but it might be) Too Toons Niece and he had blue hair and a black beard. Ha ha. 2:00 time for a break. Real tough downhill. Going to have snickers candy bar. Met a wife and man from Australia, they are section hiking and going through the whites at least he wanted to. He is having new problems, and he sprained his ankle and his just trying to get down to the highway. They should send somebody after him; he is having a tough time. Met Sunrise, Sunset and Weather Carrot, he has red hair and sunrise and sunset are from North Carolina and Weather Carrot has no Idea where he is from. Ha, Ha, Ha. He is just going to back and forth up and down the trail. Ha, Ha. Met some more hikers, Sister Bear and Piper from Rochester, New York. Just met them and they are going to hike a couple of days going south. Maybe I will meet up with them. I set up my tent right across from the RR tracks. Right by a RR bridge. Mountain stream running down some falls right below me will woo me to sleep tonight. Took a sponge bath and guess I better shave. Made about 12 miles today. Not too bad.