Mile 1,863.7
Elevation 4,783.0 feet
Miles Hiked 7.8
I caught the 7:00 AM shuttle from the hostel to Pinkham Notch to start my hike. The mile number above is the mile location on the Appalachian Trail of the Madison Spring Hut. I point this out because I’m hiking southbound today and the miles hiked will not add up if you check. The reason for the southbound hike is the fact that I already hiked to Mount Washington, but I did not descend. Instead I caught a ride to the hostel from Mount Washington, so I’m covering the north side of the mountain today.
The initial 5 miles of the trail was up but not that difficult. The last three miles were mostly on rocks and the going was tough. About 5:15 PM I arrived at the Madison Spring Hut.
The huts in the White Mountains will let through hikers work for stay. In other words, the hiker does whatever work is assigned and in return the hiker gets dinner leftovers and is permitted to sleep on the dining room floor after lights out (9:30 PM). I was lucky to get work-for-stay. The alternative was I would have had no place to sleep. There are no shelters or campsites nearby.
While waiting for the hut guests to eat, I was in the kitchen and I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and there she was – Amanda Bess. Amanda is a through hiker who started at Springer Mountain in Georgia in February. She has a YouTube channel and posts her hiking escapades. I followed her while at home and thought I might come across her but was surprised it was at the hut. She, too, was applying for work-for-stay. We talked a few minutes and took a picture together.
When the hut guests finally finished eating, we through hikers got the left overs. It was chili, stuffed pasta shells and brownies for desert. I had three helpings of pasta, a big bowl of chili, and a half dozen brownies. The hiker appetite was in full bloom. After dinner, we had to work. I got the “clean the pans with steel wool” duty. It was worth it. Lights out at 9:30 PM and I slept like a baby.
