Mother Nature

Day 43 (Galehead Hut to stealth site on Mt. Webster)

It was pouring rain when we woke up at Galehead Hut so Twisted and I decided to stay for breakfast in hopes the rain would stop. Normally, work-for-stay hikers have to wait until after the guests eat before they can eat. However, the crew at Galehead was great. They served us breakfast as if we were guests along with the two paying customers.

We started hiking around 8:15. We had originally talked about trying a 21 mile day but knew the late start would make that almost impossible.

I started the day with a rocky ascent and descent of South Twin Mountain. I was in the clouds so no views from the top. Mother Nature, Between, Twisted and I all had lunch at the Zealand Falls Hut. I’m really getting spoiled by the food at these huts.

Twisted wasn’t having a great day so he decided to use the AMC shuttle to go in to town. Mother Nature and Between decided to stop at a campsite a couple miles after lunch. I was feeling good so I kept hiking until Mt. Webster. Luckily, the weather has cleared up so I enjoyed some beautiful views. The weather is also supposed to be good for my climb up Mt. Washington tomorrow.

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Day 42 (Lonesome Lake Hut to Galehead Hut)

Twisted and I started hiking about 6:30. We didn’t wait on the croo to serve breakfast because we would have to wait too long. We hiked together for a bit and then I stopped to takes some pictures and find a tree. We didn’t see each other again until dinner.

I hiked with Mother Nature and Between some before lunch. We hiked Franconia Ridge which includes Mt. Liberty, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Lafayette (5260 ft). We were above treeline for 2 miles. The weather was perfect!

I stopped to cook my lunch on Mt. Lafayette. I enjoyed talking to two men while I finished eating my lunch. One gave me a pear to enjoy later. It was a yummy afternoon snack. (Trail Magic!)

Next I hiked Mt. Garfield. The Germans were camping there but I decided to push on to the next hut. When I got there I was happy to find out that Twisted and I would be doing “work for stay” (wfs) together again. Only 2 thru hikers get to do wfs. In exchange for doing a 20-30 minute chore, we get to eat leftovers from the guest’s dinner and sleep in the dining room. It is raining tonight so it is great to be inside with a very full stomach.

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Day 41 (Mt. Wolf to Lonesome Lake Hut)

I woke up early and started hiking by 5:45. No rain but it was very chilly. I decided to stop by the first shelter, the Eliza Brook Shelter, and make a cup of coffee.

Twisted had stayed at the shelter last night and was getting ready to leave. We sat and talked about yesterday’s hike. We were both surprised at the difficulty and how tired we felt today. Neither one of us made our goal miles yesterday. We decided to meet for lunch at Lonesome Lake Hut and he headed on out while I finished my coffee.

I knew my daily miles would decrease in the Whites but I plan to make up for it when I head south. The climb up Kinsman Mountain (elevation 4358 ft) was strenuous but the views were awesome and the sun felt great. I stayed on top of Kinsman for a while enjoying the view. Then I descended to the hut.

On the way, I started feeling very sleepy. When I got to the hut, Twisted said he was going to do “work for stay” and I should get the other spot quickly. We hung out at the hut eating leftovers and visiting with other thru hikers (Mother Nature, Between, Cookie Monster, and Happy Feet). We had a fun dinner with the hut croo. Our after dinner chore was to move some firewood.

We are sleeping on the dining room floor tonight. We will need to get up early tomorrow before the guests have breakfast. Short mileage day but feeling rested and well feed.

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View from south peak of Mt. Kinsman

View from south peak of Mt. Kinsman

Day 39 (Ore Hill tent site to Jeffers Brook Shelter)

I was the only tent at Ore Hill tent site last night. It started raining around midnight and continued until around noon.

The trail was very muddy. I hiked 7.5 miles to the Hikers Welcome Hostelto pick up my resupply. Imagine my surprise when the man gave me 3 packages. Thank you Martha as always and thank you to Debra and Kim! I’m going to be eating and drinking well while I’m in the Whites! 🙂

The hostel was an odd setting. I stayed for a few hours watching movies, drinking coffee, and charging my electronics. I had planned to spend the night but decided to hike on to the next shelter that was about a mile away. I’m sleeping at the base of Mt Moosilauke and the start of the White Mountains. I couldn’t hike any further today or I would have ended up above treeline with no where to sleep in an area you don’t want to night hike.

Tomorrow should be a fun and challenging hike. I hope the weather clears so I can enjoy the views. I didn’t want to set my tent up on the wet ground so I’m spending my second night in a shelter. I’m sharing the shelter with a mom and son from Germany, Mother Nature and Between. They are very nice. There is no cell coverage here so I how to post tomorrow.

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