Date: 2014-07-14
From: Mt. Moosilauke

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Kinsman I got up early Sunday and my cousin Jennifer drove me to the trail. It was 18 miles from Kinsmans Notch to Franconian Notch and I decided that, after my previous day's performance over Moosilauke, there was no way I was going to make it in one day. I decided to do two short days and then come back to Jennifer and Darwin's house to wait out some weather that was on its way towards us. Jennifer dropped me at Kinsman Notch by 8 am and I hiked up the ridge for the morning. It was slow work and I was yet again embarrassed by my speed. When I wasn't climbing steep, rocky trail there were sections that were walls of rock that required scaling. It took almost 6 hours to go 7 miles! I wasn't even that slow when I began hiking in March. As I climbed the sky darkened and by 2 rain was pending. I headed to the first shelter of the day, disheartened that I hadn't made it farther, and was greeted with a "there she is!" by Ketchup. I like that greeting. It makes it sound that you were recently discussed and sorely missed. It's a common greeting out here, and it catches my heart every time. Also in the shelter was Fresh, a young guy I'd met once back in Waynesboro, VA, and two southbounders. Everyone had been deterred from pushing on to the next shelter, despite the early hour, because of the threat of rain. We settled in for a long afternoon, passing the time either sleeping or eating. It rained all afternoon and night making the forest look even greener contrasted against the slate gray sky. We were a quiet group; mutually lulled and comforted by the rush of water running over stones in the neighboring stream and the pat-pat of raindrops on the wooden roof. Right at dark Geared Up turned up wet and tired after a log day over Moosilauke and Wolf Mountain. We had a happy reunion hug in the rain and we chatted and gossiped until true dark set in 20 minutes later. I was up at 5 the next morning and out by 6. The rain had cleared but the wet and gray remained, leaving a sickly clamminess which clung to everything. Kinsman was not an easy mountain to slog over. It's a three thousand foot climb over 2.5 miles and then an abrupt and steep descent. Geared Up and Ketchup caught me close to the bottom of the descent and decided to accompany me into town. We caught a lift and got dropped off in front of the Price Chopper in Lincoln. We were sitting in front of the store trying to decide whether to shop first or eat first when someone shouted Geared Up's name from across the parking lot. Reroute bounded up grinning and kissing him swiftly (they're a trail item, by the way) and explained that she had rented a car for a couple of days and was bouncing around New Hampshire on "trail-cation." "Midnight Sparkle's with me too!"As soon as she said it he came moseying across the parking lot, cold soda in hand. He saw me and we did a Chariots of Fire slow motion run towards one another which ended in one of the most awkward middle-of-the-parking-lot-hugs you ever did see. We both tried to put an arm up to hug the other and ended up kind of high-fiving midair, bouncing off one another and then unspeaking decided to attempt the hug anyway with the other arm with a very similar result. We laughed and tried again, finally succeeding. Geared Up yelled over, "You guys really suck at hugs."The five of us were chatting and sitting hobo style with our packs outside Price Chopper when a couple came over and asked if we were through hikers. We responded in the affirmative and they asked if hey could buy us all lunch at the Mexican restaurant next door to the grocery store. They were most insistent and very soon we were all bustled inside and sitting at the bar with margaritas in front of us and hot food on its way. I was just finishing up my enchiladas when Jennifer walked into pick me up. I mugged everyone goodbye and the pair of us drove home to Pike. I slept like a rock. It had been a good two days.