Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch

Thursday, 8/13 - Monday, 8/17

Thursday, 8/13
AT Miles = 12.9 / 1818.6
Other Miles = 0.8 / 58.9
Total Miles = 13.7 / 1877.5

Friday, 8/14
AT Miles = 11.8 / 1830.4
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 11.8 / 1889.3

Saturday, 8/15
AT Miles = 14.0 / 1844.4
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 14.0 / 1903.3

Sunday, 8/16
AT Miles = 7.1 / 1851.5
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 7.1 / 1910.4

Monday, 8/17
AT Miles = 7.8 / 1859.3
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 7.8 / 1918.2

Miles to Katahdin = 319.0

My apologies to everyone for dropping off the face of the earth. It
has been impossible for me to post to my blog because my phone died
when it got soaking wet in a thunder and lightning storm last Tuesday
while I was climbing South Kinsman. That was the last day I blogged
about, using my laptop while staying at the home of my new friends,
Dave and Pam. Dave picked me up in Franconia Notch and I spent two
nights at their home, enjoying their hospitality, doing all of my town
chores, drying my boots, and resting up for the next legof my hike.

Pam dropped me off back at Franconia Notch bright and early on
Thursday morning, and I climbed up the very steep Liberty Springs
Trail until I reached the Franconia Ridge Trail. The forecast promised
clearing weather, and the morning was a mixture of cloud and clearing
bits which gave me hope for a fair weather day. As I walked along the
Franconia and then the Garfield Ridges I passed over a few of the 4000
footers: Little Haystack at 4760', Mt Lincoln at 5089', Mt Lafayette
at 5249', and Mt Garfield at 4488'.

Just past the summit of Mt Garfield I reached the Garfield Ridge
Campsite where I stopped to eat lunch. About 10 minutes into my break
it started to rain, so I packed up my things, put the rain cover on my
pack, and started hiking again. From here the trail descended down
until it looked like it crossed a brook just before it goes over a
waterfall, but looking across the brook I could see no trail. Slowly
the realization dawned that the waterfall actually is the trail! From
the campsite to Galehead Hut is only 2.7 trail miles, and it took me
over 2 1/2 hours to walk it. Mostly, that's because you can't actually
walk the trail. You climb the trail. You clamber down wet rocks and
boulders, holding onto small trees, cracks in the rock, and whatever
else you can find. After I got down the waterfall the trail turned up
again as it climbed to Galehead Hut. The rain was coming down harder
and harder, and the trail up to the hut was running a small white
water stream. The water was ankle deep and certainly didn't improve
traction on the rocks. I arrived at Galehead Hut about 4:30 and was
grudgingly granted work-for-stay by the unfriendly croo* there.

The next day the weather was much better, and after a very meager
breakfast -- 5 pancakes and a bowl of cold leftover oatmeal, split
between three hungry thru-hikers -- I set off for Ethan Pond Campsite.
A bit after noon I reached Zealand Falls Hut and spent a couple of
hours sitting on the porch eating lunch and relaxing while my boots
dried out a little bit in the sun. About 2:00 I left the Hut and hiked
the remarkably flat and smooth 5 miles to Ethan Pond. What a joy it
was to be able to stride along at full speed! I had a relaxing evening
at Ethan Pond chatting with a group from Harvard Medical School that
was out for three days. I also did my laundry and took a sponge bath,
which I hadn't been able to do at the hut.

From Ethan Pond, on Saturday, I made the 3 mile descent into Crawford
Notch, crossed the Saco River, and made the ridiculously steep ascent
to the Webster Cliffs. Whew! It was tough, slow going to Mizpah Spring
Hut, where I took a 30 minute break for lunch. Then I pushed on up to
Lakes of the Clouds Hut, which sits just below the summit of Mt
Washington. I got work-for-stay again at the hut, and they sure did
make us work for the privilege of sleeping in the dining room and
eating left-overs. I swept floors, cleared and washed tables, set
tables, cleared and washed them again, swept and scrubbed more floors,
and folded 300 blankets in the morning. In return for this we got a
pretty good dinner, eating leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, green
beans, and three bean salad. The breakfast was quite meager, though.
All we got was a few pancakes and some farina.

On Sunday I had a short day planned as a bit of a reward. I left Lakes
of the Clouds Hut and made the short climb to the summit of Mt
Washington. I spent a couple of hours hanging around here and eating
in the visitor center, then I left for the 6 mile hike to Madison
Spring Hut. The hike was remarkably difficult, andd I was more tired
than I expected when I arrived. I asked if they had any bunks left as
I was intending to pay for a bunk and thus get a full dinner and a
full breakfast, and not have to wait until all the paying guests had
eaten and then eat left overs, but they were full and the best I could
do was to get sork-for-stay again.

I had a big day planned for Monday; the 8 miles down to Pinkham Notch,
then the 6 miles up and over the four peaks of Wildcat Mountain and
finally to Carter Notch Hut. Alas, it was not to be. The trail down to
Pinkham Notch was steep and rocky, and my knees rebelled from the
pounding they had been taking through the Whites. It took me 5 1/2
ours to hobble down into Pinkham Notch, and it was clear I would be
going no further for a while. I called Jodi and asked her to drive up
to Pinkham Notch and pick me up. We got home last night and I have
spent today sleeping late, eating, napping, eating some more, and
napping even more.

All in all I was remarkably lucky with the weather through the White
Mountains. Over the weekend, while I was above tree line and climbed
the summit of Washington and on over the peaks and down into Pinkham
Notch, the weather was better than anyone has a right to expect up
there. For something like 270 days a year the summit of Washington is
fogged in, but when I was there it was sunny and warm and calm. I am
sure there are people that climb the mountain year after year and
never have such good weather. Yet, I resented every moment of my
hiking in the Whites. To me it is all just a huge obstacle between
wheree I am and where I want to be, which is at the end of this hike.
Burnout and fatigue, I guess. And there is plenty of tough going ahead
of me. Sigh.

No, I am not giving up. I have 319 miles to go, and I intend to finish
them all. But I am home for a few days, and rethinking my strategy. I
am trying to figure a way to slack-pack as much of the rest of the
trail as possible. I am worn down physically, and I don't see myself
hauling my full backpack for another 4 weeks through this very tough
terrain. I am not sure exactly when I will be back out on the trail,
but it won't be long; a few days at the most.

Oh, while I was staying at Dave and Pam's house I did get photos
uploaded for the section between Hanover and Franconia Notch. They can
be found here: http://www.allenf.com/gallery2/main.php/v/AT2009/HanoverToFranconiaNotch/

* Croo - the traditional spelling for the crew that works at any of
the AMC huts in the White Mountains.
--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com