Day: 097
Date: Thursday, 7 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 18.8
Daily Other Miles: 1.3 (1.0 to Gorham, 0.3 to Shelter).
Total AT Miles: 1866.8
Total All Miles: 1922.0
Weather: Warm, humid, overcast, some rain.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Cornflakes, eggs, burger, brownies.
Lunch: Gorp.
Dinner: Biscuits and peanut butter, instant pudding.
Aches: None bad.
Animals Seen: Squirrels.
People Seen: 1 AT Thru-hiker, 20 overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 5:30am and packed and left by 6:15am without having breakfast. After ½ and hour walking, I reached US 2 and began walking and hitching towards Gorham. I soon got a lift which dropped me off at the town Laundromat at 7am. I put my laundry on and rang Bo and arranged to send suggested rendezvous details to her mother’s in Salem. I also tried to call Bruce, but he wasn’t going to be there for another 1½ hours. I went to an adjacent restaurant for a big breakfast before going to the supermarket to do my shopping. After that, I rang Bruce again, sent a card to Ray and Marilyn, ate some brownies and drank a quart of chocolate milk before walking out of town and beginning to hitch. I soon got a lift and began walking on the AT again at 10:40am. I was now in the Mahoosucs and still had 17½ miles to go. The Mahoosucs are supposed to be the toughest range on the Trail. The first few miles were pretty easy as the Trail climbed to the ridge. There were some views, but it was foggy/hazy. It began to rain steadily for a while and I decided to keep walking to the Gentian Pond Shelter for a late snack and give lunch a miss. En route, I passed Dan, Chuck and Arletta, and caught “Lumberjack”, another AT Thru-hiker. The Shelter was full of people and I sat in the entrance talking to some of them. The scenery from the Shelter was dramatic. They thought I was silly to go on the six miles to Carlo Col Shelter when it was already 4:30pm, but I had to meet John C in a couple of days and was confident I could get there in daylight, despite the Trail being slow because of the mud, rocks, and steep ascents and descents. I reached the Shelter and was pleased to find only three people there – Bob and Patty, and Wes. I repacked my Gorham-purchased food by torch and candle before eating a cold dinner and going to bed at 9pm. I was now in Maine.
Appalachian Trail - Day 096
Day: 096
Date: Wednesday, 6 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 18.4
Daily Other Miles: 0.2 (to Carter Notch Hut)
Total AT Miles: 1848.0
Total All Miles: 1901.9
Weather: Very warm, humid, mainly overcast.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Fruit, oats, French toast, sausages.
Lunch: Stew.
Dinner: Biscuits and peanut butter, brownies.
Aches: Chafing in crutch.
Animals Seen: 2 small snakes, squirrels.
People Seen: 3 AT Hikers (by sections), 4 overnight hikers, 8 day hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 6am so I could try calling Barb and Bo Cocks before breakfast then make a quick getaway on what promised to be a tough 20 miles over the Carter Range to US 2 and a hitch into Gorham for the night. Bo was out, and Barb didn’t answer. I packed, woke Pete, and we went across to the 6:45am breakfast. I ate a lot and it was good. Pete then went out to the highway to catch his bus back to Boston. We said a short goodbye and I then tried to call Barb one more time and this time got her. We chatted for over 20 minutes. I think she’s ready for me to come home. She also said Bruce B (one of my colleagues at Syntec) was trying to get hold of me to do something for them in the US prior to my return. I left Pinkham Notch just before 8am and began the very tough climb up to the 4000’ level on Carter Ridge. Fortunately, this section of the AMC trails has less people on it, although I did meet a number of people heading to Pinkham Notch from the AMC Carter Notch Hut, six miles along the Trail. I got very tired hiking on the rugged Trail, but enjoyed the views and walked non-stop to Carter Notch Hut. It was a very pretty spot next to a couple of lakes. The Hut boys were very chatty and gave me two full bowls of stew for nothing. I decided to call it lunch – it had taken me three hours to hike the six miles from Pinkham Notch, making US 2 look doubtful by dusk. I left at 11:45am and began yet another very steep and tiring ascent to Carter Dome (4800’). The Trail continued to be very tough and slow but, despite feeling very tired, I just kept plugging away. The views were good and I was in good spirits. I stopped on a rock ledge with terrific views near Imp Shelter for afternoon tea before pushing on for the last six miles to Rattle River Shelter. The Trail was becoming slightly faster walking. I arrived at the Shelter at 7:30pm after descending from Carter Ridge and met three elderly AT Hikers – Dan and Chuck and Arletta. They had done Georgia to Harpers Ferry last year and were doing Harpers Ferry to Maine this year. They were very friendly and Dan gave me some brownies (his wife had visited them at the Shelter earlier) to accompany my biscuits and peanut butter dinner. I’d decided it wasn’t worth walking the extra 1½ miles to US 2 and hitching into Gorham since it would be too late to do anything and just cost me money. An early start tomorrow, since I’ve got to cover sufficient miles to meet John C on Saturday morning.
Date: Wednesday, 6 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 18.4
Daily Other Miles: 0.2 (to Carter Notch Hut)
Total AT Miles: 1848.0
Total All Miles: 1901.9
Weather: Very warm, humid, mainly overcast.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Fruit, oats, French toast, sausages.
Lunch: Stew.
Dinner: Biscuits and peanut butter, brownies.
Aches: Chafing in crutch.
Animals Seen: 2 small snakes, squirrels.
People Seen: 3 AT Hikers (by sections), 4 overnight hikers, 8 day hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 6am so I could try calling Barb and Bo Cocks before breakfast then make a quick getaway on what promised to be a tough 20 miles over the Carter Range to US 2 and a hitch into Gorham for the night. Bo was out, and Barb didn’t answer. I packed, woke Pete, and we went across to the 6:45am breakfast. I ate a lot and it was good. Pete then went out to the highway to catch his bus back to Boston. We said a short goodbye and I then tried to call Barb one more time and this time got her. We chatted for over 20 minutes. I think she’s ready for me to come home. She also said Bruce B (one of my colleagues at Syntec) was trying to get hold of me to do something for them in the US prior to my return. I left Pinkham Notch just before 8am and began the very tough climb up to the 4000’ level on Carter Ridge. Fortunately, this section of the AMC trails has less people on it, although I did meet a number of people heading to Pinkham Notch from the AMC Carter Notch Hut, six miles along the Trail. I got very tired hiking on the rugged Trail, but enjoyed the views and walked non-stop to Carter Notch Hut. It was a very pretty spot next to a couple of lakes. The Hut boys were very chatty and gave me two full bowls of stew for nothing. I decided to call it lunch – it had taken me three hours to hike the six miles from Pinkham Notch, making US 2 look doubtful by dusk. I left at 11:45am and began yet another very steep and tiring ascent to Carter Dome (4800’). The Trail continued to be very tough and slow but, despite feeling very tired, I just kept plugging away. The views were good and I was in good spirits. I stopped on a rock ledge with terrific views near Imp Shelter for afternoon tea before pushing on for the last six miles to Rattle River Shelter. The Trail was becoming slightly faster walking. I arrived at the Shelter at 7:30pm after descending from Carter Ridge and met three elderly AT Hikers – Dan and Chuck and Arletta. They had done Georgia to Harpers Ferry last year and were doing Harpers Ferry to Maine this year. They were very friendly and Dan gave me some brownies (his wife had visited them at the Shelter earlier) to accompany my biscuits and peanut butter dinner. I’d decided it wasn’t worth walking the extra 1½ miles to US 2 and hitching into Gorham since it would be too late to do anything and just cost me money. An early start tomorrow, since I’ve got to cover sufficient miles to meet John C on Saturday morning.
Appalachian Trail - Day 095
Day: 095
Date: Tuesday, 5 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 14.4
Daily Other Miles: 0
Total AT Miles: 1829.6
Total All Miles: 1883.3
Weather: Cool up high, windy, partly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Porridge, pancakes.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, Hershey Bars.
Dinner: Soup, chicken and vegetables, custard.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: None.
People Seen: Many.
Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and packed up before going up to the dining room for breakfast at 7am. It was a big breakfast (people kept giving me extra) and we talked with Ruth, Bob and others. As always, everybody was impressed with the Thru-hikers. We left soon after 8am for the 1½ mile climb to the Mount Washington summit which is very developed (Barb and I had been there before). I planned to ring Barb from there but, despite trying for an hour, had no luck. She must be away for the night. A ranger let me into the Post Office and I picked up a couple of letters. Because of hanging around for the phone calls to Melbourne we didn’t leave the summit until after 10am, which was later than planned. By this time, fog had closed in but we’d had excellent views on the way up. The Trail followed the cog railway and we saw three trains. As we went down, the fog cleared and we again had excellent views. The trail followed the northern spur of the Presidential Range which was above the tree-line and although rocky and slow gave great views. It was an ideal day for travelling this route. It took us about three hours to walk the six miles to the AMC Madison Hut where we stopped for lunch. Ruth and Bob were there again. We had lunch and left at 2:15pm, giving us 3¾ hours to cover the six miles to the AMC Pinkham Notch Camp, where we were booked for the night, in time for dinner at 6pm. It took us a slow scenic hour to cover the first mile and the next two miles of mainly steep descent weren’t much faster. We re-entered the forest and found that we had further to go than we had thought. The last three miles were covered in a mad rush through pretty forest and we arrived at Pinkham Notch at 6:15pm and were hurried in late for dinner, which was good. After dinner, we checked in, showered and spent some time in the lounge drinking Cokes and me trying to ring the Cocks’ and Cederholm’s to arrange meetings further up the Trail. Peter was sore and tired, but seemed to have enjoyed himself.
Date: Tuesday, 5 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 14.4
Daily Other Miles: 0
Total AT Miles: 1829.6
Total All Miles: 1883.3
Weather: Cool up high, windy, partly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Porridge, pancakes.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, Hershey Bars.
Dinner: Soup, chicken and vegetables, custard.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: None.
People Seen: Many.
Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and packed up before going up to the dining room for breakfast at 7am. It was a big breakfast (people kept giving me extra) and we talked with Ruth, Bob and others. As always, everybody was impressed with the Thru-hikers. We left soon after 8am for the 1½ mile climb to the Mount Washington summit which is very developed (Barb and I had been there before). I planned to ring Barb from there but, despite trying for an hour, had no luck. She must be away for the night. A ranger let me into the Post Office and I picked up a couple of letters. Because of hanging around for the phone calls to Melbourne we didn’t leave the summit until after 10am, which was later than planned. By this time, fog had closed in but we’d had excellent views on the way up. The Trail followed the cog railway and we saw three trains. As we went down, the fog cleared and we again had excellent views. The trail followed the northern spur of the Presidential Range which was above the tree-line and although rocky and slow gave great views. It was an ideal day for travelling this route. It took us about three hours to walk the six miles to the AMC Madison Hut where we stopped for lunch. Ruth and Bob were there again. We had lunch and left at 2:15pm, giving us 3¾ hours to cover the six miles to the AMC Pinkham Notch Camp, where we were booked for the night, in time for dinner at 6pm. It took us a slow scenic hour to cover the first mile and the next two miles of mainly steep descent weren’t much faster. We re-entered the forest and found that we had further to go than we had thought. The last three miles were covered in a mad rush through pretty forest and we arrived at Pinkham Notch at 6:15pm and were hurried in late for dinner, which was good. After dinner, we checked in, showered and spent some time in the lounge drinking Cokes and me trying to ring the Cocks’ and Cederholm’s to arrange meetings further up the Trail. Peter was sore and tired, but seemed to have enjoyed himself.
Appalachian Trail - Day 094
Day: 094
Date: Monday, 4 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 14.0
Daily Other Miles: 0.2 (from Shelter)
Total AT Miles: 1815.2
Total All Miles: 1868.9
Weather: Mild, windy, mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli.
Lunch: Soup, Hershey chocolate.
Dinner: ?
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: Squirrels, chipmunks.
People Seen: Many overnight and day hikers.
Journal:
We got up at 6am on what promised to be a good day for climbing and views. We left at 7:15am for the first 3½ miles which were to be downhill to Crawford Notch before the big ascent up on to the Mount Washington massif (Presidential Range). Peter was pretty worried about the climb. We had to make reasonable progress to be at the AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut by 6pm for dinner. My fears about our rate of progress were realised when Pete’s speed slowed dramatically on the steep climb from the Notch. At our first break, I decided to take the food he was carrying plus the stove. It seemed to do the trick and both his speed and spirits improved thereafter. The rate of ascent wasn’t as great, either. There were some superb views from the cliff-tops the Trail followed. It was an excellent day for views. From here, the Trail essentially followed a long spur towards the peak of Mount Washington (~6300’). We reached the AMC Mizpah Hut more or less on schedule at 12:45pm and had lunch inside. They had All-You-Can-Eat soup for $2 so I had that for lunch plus some chocolate. We left there at 1:45pm for the remaining five miles. We soon climbed above the tree-line and had more excellent views in all directions. Pete was enjoying himself and we made good time, taking only one break before arriving at the Hut at 4:20pm. It was very cold in the wind. After a scare about not being able to get dinner, we checked in and went down to “the dungeon” (for backpackers) which wasn’t as bad as we’d been led to believe by Tom. We then went up to the Hut dining area where 92 people were going to be served dinner. There were only six in the Hut “croo”! It was lights out at 9:30pm, so we retired before then. We were sharing “the dungeon” with Ruth, Bob, Ruth’s daughter and two others.
Date: Monday, 4 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 14.0
Daily Other Miles: 0.2 (from Shelter)
Total AT Miles: 1815.2
Total All Miles: 1868.9
Weather: Mild, windy, mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli.
Lunch: Soup, Hershey chocolate.
Dinner: ?
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: Squirrels, chipmunks.
People Seen: Many overnight and day hikers.
Journal:
We got up at 6am on what promised to be a good day for climbing and views. We left at 7:15am for the first 3½ miles which were to be downhill to Crawford Notch before the big ascent up on to the Mount Washington massif (Presidential Range). Peter was pretty worried about the climb. We had to make reasonable progress to be at the AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut by 6pm for dinner. My fears about our rate of progress were realised when Pete’s speed slowed dramatically on the steep climb from the Notch. At our first break, I decided to take the food he was carrying plus the stove. It seemed to do the trick and both his speed and spirits improved thereafter. The rate of ascent wasn’t as great, either. There were some superb views from the cliff-tops the Trail followed. It was an excellent day for views. From here, the Trail essentially followed a long spur towards the peak of Mount Washington (~6300’). We reached the AMC Mizpah Hut more or less on schedule at 12:45pm and had lunch inside. They had All-You-Can-Eat soup for $2 so I had that for lunch plus some chocolate. We left there at 1:45pm for the remaining five miles. We soon climbed above the tree-line and had more excellent views in all directions. Pete was enjoying himself and we made good time, taking only one break before arriving at the Hut at 4:20pm. It was very cold in the wind. After a scare about not being able to get dinner, we checked in and went down to “the dungeon” (for backpackers) which wasn’t as bad as we’d been led to believe by Tom. We then went up to the Hut dining area where 92 people were going to be served dinner. There were only six in the Hut “croo”! It was lights out at 9:30pm, so we retired before then. We were sharing “the dungeon” with Ruth, Bob, Ruth’s daughter and two others.
Appalachian Trail - Day 093
Day: 093
Date: Sunday, 3 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 13.7
Daily Other Miles: 0.3 (to shelter)
Total AT Miles: 1801.2
Total All Miles: 1854.7
Weather: Warm, humid, partly sunny, fog in the morning.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
Dinner: Noodles, instant pudding.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: Squirrels, chipminks.
People Seen: 1 AT Hiker (by sections), many other overnight and day hikers.
Journal:
Got up at 6am after a restless night. Fortunately, it didn’t rain (though it was quite windy) but lots of people climbed over me during the night to get to the loo. I packed up and woke Pete at 6:30am. We had breakfast and left at 7:45am after asking the campsite caretaker to book us into the AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut for tomorrow night. The fog was clearing and we could see some of the closer mountains. The Trail was slow going and we made our first stop at AMC Galehead Hut where we had peanut brittle (good!...all we could eat for 50¢!). We then carried on along the Trail which was mostly through scrubby conifer. We had lunch at an overlook near Zeacliff in improving weather before walking down to the AMC Zeacliff Hut (all the pancakes you could eat for 20¢!...good!). It was then another five miles to our target of Ethan Ponds Shelter. Peter had been moving better today (less uphill) and the last part of the Trail was easy walking with good views and we arrived at 6pm. In residence already was southbound AT Hiker, Tom, and seven young people (kids, really) from some camp. It was pretty noisy, but they all went to bed at 9pm, which was good. Ten of us in the Shelter built for a maximum of eight was a bit of a squeeze, but we managed. It rained a little, but not much, at dusk.
Date: Sunday, 3 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 13.7
Daily Other Miles: 0.3 (to shelter)
Total AT Miles: 1801.2
Total All Miles: 1854.7
Weather: Warm, humid, partly sunny, fog in the morning.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
Dinner: Noodles, instant pudding.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: Squirrels, chipminks.
People Seen: 1 AT Hiker (by sections), many other overnight and day hikers.
Journal:
Got up at 6am after a restless night. Fortunately, it didn’t rain (though it was quite windy) but lots of people climbed over me during the night to get to the loo. I packed up and woke Pete at 6:30am. We had breakfast and left at 7:45am after asking the campsite caretaker to book us into the AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut for tomorrow night. The fog was clearing and we could see some of the closer mountains. The Trail was slow going and we made our first stop at AMC Galehead Hut where we had peanut brittle (good!...all we could eat for 50¢!). We then carried on along the Trail which was mostly through scrubby conifer. We had lunch at an overlook near Zeacliff in improving weather before walking down to the AMC Zeacliff Hut (all the pancakes you could eat for 20¢!...good!). It was then another five miles to our target of Ethan Ponds Shelter. Peter had been moving better today (less uphill) and the last part of the Trail was easy walking with good views and we arrived at 6pm. In residence already was southbound AT Hiker, Tom, and seven young people (kids, really) from some camp. It was pretty noisy, but they all went to bed at 9pm, which was good. Ten of us in the Shelter built for a maximum of eight was a bit of a squeeze, but we managed. It rained a little, but not much, at dusk.
Appalachian Trail - Day 092
Day: 092
Date: Saturday, 2 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 10.1
Daily Other Miles: 0.8 (to Trail)
Total AT Miles: 1787.5
Total All Miles: 1840.7
Weather: Warm, humid, partly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Eggs, sausages, muffins, pancakes.
Lunch: Chicken rolls.
Dinner: Fettucine, instant pudding.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: None.
People Seen: Many overnight hikers, day hikers and others.
Journal:
We got up at 8:15am and had breakfast in the dining room before messing around for a while buying odds and ends around town and leaving at 10:30am. Marj had decided to walk the first few miles with us, so she bought some sandwiches and carried them. Because of construction work, we had to park nearly a mile away from where the AT crossed US 3, so had to walk that distance along new trail before reaching the AT and beginning the ascent of Lafayette Mountain. The climb was tough and relentless and Marj was falling behind, so we stopped earlier than our planned Liberty Spring and, after lunch, bade farewell to Marj who returned down the mountain. She had decided to stay another night in North Woodstock. We continued our ascent. Seventeen year old Peter also began to find the climbing hard and we had more frequent rests and travelled more slowly than I had anticipated. We eventually reached Little Haystack Mountain and were greeted with excellent views. The Trail was now above the tree-line and we had a magnificent walk along the exposed ridge as the Trail passed over a number of peaks including the 5249’ Mount Lafayette. We were there at 5pm and still had four miles to our target of Garfield Ridge Campsite. We pushed on with Peter becoming very tired and eventually reached there at 7:30pm just as a shower of rain passed through. The Shelter was pretty full, but we squeezed in and I cooked dinner outside after the rain stopped. We had the stove so didn’t have to worry about wet wood. We retired at 9pm with me having to sleep right across the entrance of the Shelter hoping it didn’t rain and that I wasn’t stood on as some-one made a night-time excursion.
Date: Saturday, 2 August 1986
Daily AT Miles: 10.1
Daily Other Miles: 0.8 (to Trail)
Total AT Miles: 1787.5
Total All Miles: 1840.7
Weather: Warm, humid, partly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Eggs, sausages, muffins, pancakes.
Lunch: Chicken rolls.
Dinner: Fettucine, instant pudding.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: None.
People Seen: Many overnight hikers, day hikers and others.
Journal:
We got up at 8:15am and had breakfast in the dining room before messing around for a while buying odds and ends around town and leaving at 10:30am. Marj had decided to walk the first few miles with us, so she bought some sandwiches and carried them. Because of construction work, we had to park nearly a mile away from where the AT crossed US 3, so had to walk that distance along new trail before reaching the AT and beginning the ascent of Lafayette Mountain. The climb was tough and relentless and Marj was falling behind, so we stopped earlier than our planned Liberty Spring and, after lunch, bade farewell to Marj who returned down the mountain. She had decided to stay another night in North Woodstock. We continued our ascent. Seventeen year old Peter also began to find the climbing hard and we had more frequent rests and travelled more slowly than I had anticipated. We eventually reached Little Haystack Mountain and were greeted with excellent views. The Trail was now above the tree-line and we had a magnificent walk along the exposed ridge as the Trail passed over a number of peaks including the 5249’ Mount Lafayette. We were there at 5pm and still had four miles to our target of Garfield Ridge Campsite. We pushed on with Peter becoming very tired and eventually reached there at 7:30pm just as a shower of rain passed through. The Shelter was pretty full, but we squeezed in and I cooked dinner outside after the rain stopped. We had the stove so didn’t have to worry about wet wood. We retired at 9pm with me having to sleep right across the entrance of the Shelter hoping it didn’t rain and that I wasn’t stood on as some-one made a night-time excursion.
Appalachian Trail - Day 091
Day: 091
Date: Friday, 1 August
Daily AT Miles: 8.6
Daily Other Miles: 1.0 (0.7 on road, 0.3 in town)
Total AT Miles: 1777.4
Total All Miles: 1829.8
Weather: Warm, humid, mostly overcast, some rain.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Fish and chips, ice-cream.
Dinner: Chilli, veal, ice-cream.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: Grouse.
People Seen: 6 day hikers, many others.
Journal:
I got up at 5:30am after a wet night, during which I woke up a number of times when rain came in through the mesh screen. It was still drizzling when I woke up, so I moved things into the Shelter as quickly as possible and didn’t get much wet. After putting on wet clothes and socks, I left at about 7am with 8½ miles to go to US 3 and Franconia Notch. The going was very slow as the Trail ascended Mount Kinsman through sopping wet vegetation and up its hairy slippery rock faces. It was very foggy and there were no views, but the scenery was attractive desolate alpine at the summit as I walked to North Kinsman before beginning the risky descent. It took me 3¼ hours to reach the AMC’s Lonesome Lake Hut. The AMC manages a number of huts on trails in the White Mountains which it operates for hikers who do not wish to carry camping gear and food. They offer dormitory-type accommodation and meals, at a price. I went in and rested for ½ an hour during which time I ate a couple of Hershey Bars, some chocolate cake, and some of the remaining pancakes (free) from the Hut breakfast. The Hut looked like a good place to stay. From there it took me just over an hour to walk the three miles down to US 3 and, after mistakenly walking ½ a mile north along the road looking for where the AT left on the other side, I hitched into North Woodstock. I got a lift relatively quickly from a lady who lived in Lincoln and arrived at Cascade House, the guest house where I had arranged to meet Marj and Peter, at 12:30pm. Marj had booked me in, and I had a shower before putting my laundry on and having lunch at a restaurant. I spent the afternoon doing the washing, shopping, food repacking, drying out wet equipment, reading the paper, and eating. During the afternoon, Ruth and Bob turned up (having cut out the Kinsmans Ridge section) as well as the four guys from last night’s Shelter – all very friendly. I started a letter to Barb sitting on the verandah of the guest house at 5:30pm. When half-way through, Marj and Peter turned up and we spent some time sorting out gear before going out to a meal. After dinner, we returned to the verandah to talk and eat our ice-creams for a while before retiring around 10:30pm. It was raining steadily. I had tried, unsuccessfully, to ring Barb a few times. I finished the letter to her and went to sleep at midnight.
Date: Friday, 1 August
Daily AT Miles: 8.6
Daily Other Miles: 1.0 (0.7 on road, 0.3 in town)
Total AT Miles: 1777.4
Total All Miles: 1829.8
Weather: Warm, humid, mostly overcast, some rain.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Fish and chips, ice-cream.
Dinner: Chilli, veal, ice-cream.
Aches: None.
Animals Seen: Grouse.
People Seen: 6 day hikers, many others.
Journal:
I got up at 5:30am after a wet night, during which I woke up a number of times when rain came in through the mesh screen. It was still drizzling when I woke up, so I moved things into the Shelter as quickly as possible and didn’t get much wet. After putting on wet clothes and socks, I left at about 7am with 8½ miles to go to US 3 and Franconia Notch. The going was very slow as the Trail ascended Mount Kinsman through sopping wet vegetation and up its hairy slippery rock faces. It was very foggy and there were no views, but the scenery was attractive desolate alpine at the summit as I walked to North Kinsman before beginning the risky descent. It took me 3¼ hours to reach the AMC’s Lonesome Lake Hut. The AMC manages a number of huts on trails in the White Mountains which it operates for hikers who do not wish to carry camping gear and food. They offer dormitory-type accommodation and meals, at a price. I went in and rested for ½ an hour during which time I ate a couple of Hershey Bars, some chocolate cake, and some of the remaining pancakes (free) from the Hut breakfast. The Hut looked like a good place to stay. From there it took me just over an hour to walk the three miles down to US 3 and, after mistakenly walking ½ a mile north along the road looking for where the AT left on the other side, I hitched into North Woodstock. I got a lift relatively quickly from a lady who lived in Lincoln and arrived at Cascade House, the guest house where I had arranged to meet Marj and Peter, at 12:30pm. Marj had booked me in, and I had a shower before putting my laundry on and having lunch at a restaurant. I spent the afternoon doing the washing, shopping, food repacking, drying out wet equipment, reading the paper, and eating. During the afternoon, Ruth and Bob turned up (having cut out the Kinsmans Ridge section) as well as the four guys from last night’s Shelter – all very friendly. I started a letter to Barb sitting on the verandah of the guest house at 5:30pm. When half-way through, Marj and Peter turned up and we spent some time sorting out gear before going out to a meal. After dinner, we returned to the verandah to talk and eat our ice-creams for a while before retiring around 10:30pm. It was raining steadily. I had tried, unsuccessfully, to ring Barb a few times. I finished the letter to her and went to sleep at midnight.
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