Date: 2005-09-01
From: Lyme NH

To: Firewardens Cabin
Miles today: 5.8

It rained heavily during the night with lots of thunder and lightening. It was so bad that when it stopped the silence awoke me in the small hours of the morning. This is apparently the end of hurricane Katrina that has brought so much havoc and loss of life to the south. The TV here has 300+ channels, but none are local ¢ but it seems that the weather is predicted to improve from now on.      Got a ride back to the trail from the handyman at the B+B, who says that his job is the best that he has ever had, even working for three women in a very old ¢ 1780 ¢ building that requires a lot of maintenance. I was back at the trailhead by 8AM, but had trouble finding the way north. The DOC sign on the north side of the road was for parking, and I had to ask a passing jogger for directions ¢ it¢s to the left at the fork in the road.   The trail started out nice and easy, as the morning sun began to burn off the mist and to dry the overnight rain on the trail. It is pretty flat between the two road crossings of the Dorchester Road. Along this section there is a mile marker ¢ Mile #412 ¢ made of stone. I wonder what made that particular mile so special that it merited it¢s very own milepost? All day long there were empheral streams along the trail, and some even converted erratic rocks into waterfalls. At the second crossing of Dorchester Road, Grant Brook was in full spate and the trailhead notice board said that the spring at Firewardens Cabin might be unreliable. The recent rains made such an event unlikely, so I didn¢t worry!      The trail then begins to climb up to Lamberts Ridge, well maintained and easy to get into its rhythm. The ridge walk along Lamberts Ridge was spectacular in what was now a perfect day ¢ sunny, not humid, blue skies, small white clouds and even a little breeze. I had managed to dry off all of my gear, including my boots ¢ newspaper does the trick [Boston Globe] ¢ and so I was walking in perfect harmony.   Lamberts Ridge has some spectacular vistas, with exposed rock ledges, rather like Tinker Cliffs, along short sections of the ridge. At one of these outlooks I met two ladies SOBO who were from Quebec, section hiking. One of them was having a lot of problems with ¢my toes ¢ during the descent.   I took a midmorning break on one of the rocky ledges on Lamberts Ridge. Resting there on the sunny ledge, I suddenly remembered the distinctive smell of the warm rocks that reminded me of my summer holidays as a small boy and I was momentarily transported back to the cliffs around the Ardmore of my boyhood.   After Lamberts Ridge the remaining climb up to Smarts Mountain is very steep, with small sections of exposed rock. Here I met with Kleifspringer NOBO. He is from South Africa and has completed the AT twice, and is now sectioning to Gorham. We met again at the summit and chatted before he headed on to Hexacuba Shelter.   There is a fire tower on the top of the mountain, and he and I climbed up to the third platform. A great view, but surprisingly misty over the far peaks. The shelter here is truly a cabin, and the water source was not a problem. In fact, as I took the blue blazed trail to the water, there were so many run-offs from the recent rain, that the trail itself became a little stream, and I was able to use it as my water source! So I never did get to visit the Mike Murphy Spring, which is the official water source ¢ a terrible omission for an Irishman.   When I returned to the cabin, two trail maintainers, young women from Dartmouth College, dropped by on a trail check heading south. They cautioned me that the freshman class from Dartmouth goes on section hikes, and that I should expect large groups of students on the trail over the next week or two.   After they left I was joined by Andrew and Denna SOBO thru-hikers, along with their dog, Davy. They think that they are the last thru-hikers of the season. We all had lunch together, sitting in the sun outside the cabin. It was so pleasant that, when they were ready to leave, Davy showed little inclination to leave her spot in the sun. It took much encouragement from them to get the dog to trek south with them.   So at the moment I am here alone. Blue sky, sun, light wind, post lunch, have water and shelter, so all is well with the world. I even got a cell signal and left KT a message on her cell.   When I checked the register I found that Trashman had left me a message. It is so good of him to keep encouraging me with his messages as I progress north.   I feel realy good, even though the ascent was hard and I am going realy slowly. I intend to keep it that way with short mileage days, all the way through NH. All of my gear is dry and my hiking gear, wet with my sweat, is strung on my line overhead, drying in the light breeze, as my boots do likewise on the porch.   I am beginning to wonder what I will do when this journey is over. I know that the true internal journey is never finished, but all of the talk at Moose Mountain Shelter of when they were going to summit, has started a chain of thought in me about what to do at the terminus of the AT and with my life afterwards.   I would like to continue to give back to people, some kind of public service. The onslaught of hurricane Katrina, made me think that I should volunteer for the Red Cross. There must be something a retired Trauma Surgeon can do for that organization. I would like also to work with young people- maybe as a naturalist to help explain the complex interactions in the natural world. I also intend to finish my training as a Certified Naturalist at the Morton Arboretum.   Charity does not require that the giver suffer because of their gift. The act of giving is good, even if the giver can easily afford the charity. It is greater if the giver still gives even when it hurts them to do so.   Thought for today ¢   ¢An apparent good is the spring of all human actions¢