8/09/01
Last night was one of the quietest nights I've ever spent in the woods anywhere. There were no animal noises, no breeze, no human noises. Just quiet. We all started stirring between 7 and 8 this morning and left the Gordon Pond campsite around 8:30 in the heat. There was no relief overnight with the sleeping temperature barely comfortable. The trail remained very rugged with lots of big steps required to get up and over large rocks and boulders. The climb to the top of Mt. Wolf was challenging despite only having a 700' total elevation gain. By late morning I had struggled to make it to the Eliza Brook shelter where Redneck, Phantom, Green Light and Finn were already filtering water and snacking. I didn't feel like eating lunch as it was so hot, but I forced some food down and re-supplied my water before continuing on while they relaxed for a few more minutes. From the shelter to the top of South Kinsman Mtn. was a 2,000' climb. Initially the climb was moderate and followed a cascading stream with many inviting pools of water to take a dip in. Once the trail left the stream it became steep. Then it became steeper. And then steeper yet until finally I was using both hands as well as feet to climb. Finally the angle of ascent leveled off near the top which was above treeline and offered no shade but did offer spectacular views of the Franconia Ridge to the northeast and Mt. Moosilauke to the southwest as well as many other layers of ridges and valleys below. Redneck, Phantom, Green Light and Finn had all passed me on the steep climb and were stretched out at the summit when I arrived. We ate again there and soaked in the view before the hot sun forced us to keep moving.
We had a rocky small descent before a rocky ascent to the top of North Kinsman peak. Near the top was the best view yet of Franconia Ridge and we paused briefly to take a photo before descending steeply for 1500'. Around mid-afternoon we reached the lonesome Lake hut, the first of many AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) lodges along the AT in the Whites. The huts offer lodging and meals consisting of dinner and breakfast and a bunk with blankets and pillows for $64 a night. There are no showers but well water is pumped for kitchen use for the staff and bathrooms are high tech indoor privies. The consensus among thru-hikers that I've talked to, including Sobos and Nobos is that the AMC huts cater to the vacationing families who day hike from hut to hut. Most thru-hikers simply can't afford the price nor do they see any reason to spend the money when we camp for free in every other shelter or camping area along the AT. When I saw the inside of the hut and how the operation was structured I had to agree that the AMC's market niche certainly isn't the thru-hiker contingent. For now I will reserve commentary on the relationship or lack thereof between thru-hikers and the AMC until I experience all of the Whites firsthand.
From the hut to Franconia Notch was three miles of trail, all down, but still rugged and fairly slow going. Green Light was scheduled to meet his mother in the notch along the highway at 5 p.m. and had promised us that she was bringing trail magic. Priceless and Finn, as well as Green Light, were waiting by the side of the highway when Phantom and Redneck and I arrived at 5:15. Ten minutes later Green Light's mom pulled up in her Crown Victoria loaded with food for hungry thru-hikers. There, in the grass next to the guard rail beside a busy highway, a feeding frenzy began in earnest. We enjoyed pizza, fresh cantaloupe, grapes, watermelon, oranges, apricots, string cheese, nice crispy treats, crème puffs, crackers and cold sodas for thirty minutes before most of the food was gone. The leftovers went to the trail crossing at the bridge underpass for other lucky thru-hikers who would pass by at a later time. The six of us loaded our backpacks into the trunk and piled into the car for the six mile ride into North Woodstock, NH. We said goodbye to Green Light and his mom (he was going home to PA for a wedding and will return to the trail in a week) and we walked to the Cascade Lodge B&B to check on accommodations.
There, Deadwood was on the covered wraparound porch enjoying a Corona and Lion King showed up. He offered to let us stay at his apartment 1.5 miles away in the town of Lincoln for free, but his air conditioning wasn't working, so we knew we would be equally as hot there as in the unairconditioned little town with PO, tavern, laundromat, and grocery store close by. We opted to stay there for the night and checked in. Outside the temperature had reached 100 degrees earlier in the day. Inside the rundown B (no longer serving breakfast though the sign said specifically B&B) the temperature was just as hot. The fifth straight day of the NH heat wave broke many records decades old and we were lucky enough to be backpacking in it! Phantom and I were put in room 8 on the second floor. The room was 8x10 with a fan for the window and two single beds. A bathroom with shower was located down the hall (this is an OLD lodge). After putting our gear in the room and taking a cold shower to cool off, we returned to the outside porch and enjoyed some trail talk before walking across the street to the Woodstock Station for dinner and drinks. After dinner we returned to the Lodge front porch where we watched the light show from thunderstorms passing by before braving the heat inside. I soaked a washcloth to wet my body for some evaporative cooling, then went to sleep on top of the sheets for the night. It was a rough hiking day, but finished nicely with some trail magic, good food, a shower, laundry, and a reasonable bed for the night. Today's stats: low 68, high 100. Sunny and miserably hot, late evening thunderstorms nearby. Today's mileage; 13.0' cumulative mileage 1795.4.
