Mile 1,858.0
Elevation 6,289.0 feet
Miles Hiked 6.1
I left the Nauman Campsite just before 7:00 AM. My plans for the day were very unsettled. It would be about 14 miles to the Osgood Campsite over extremely treacherous descending rocks. Another option is to go just under five miles to the Lake in the Clouds Hut and stay the night in a bunk room called the dungeon (because it looks like one). The next option is to go to Mount Washington, which is a very dangerous place to be in bad weather, and then to the next hut and hope to get work-for-stay, so I could stop there. The last option is to summit Mount Washington, and then try to catch a ride to the hostel. I chose the last option. Bad weather is a threat for Saturday and I did not want to be on that mountain.
First, I hiked up to Lakes of the Clouds Hut and hit the jackpot. They had piles of pancakes, scrambled eggs and oatmeal left over and free to through hikers. I filled up a plate to overflowing and ate it all.
After that big breakfast, I was ready for Mount Washington, which is the second highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains. The climb was over a field of boulders, but I still made the 1.6 mile climb in an hour and half.
After taking some pictures and looking around, I went out to the parking lot and asked the driver of the first car I saw if I could ride down to Pinkham Notch with him, his wife and son. He readily agreed, and we were off
The road down from Mount Washington is very steep. Signs tell drivers to use low gear, but that doesn’t help. The car I was in used the brakes so much, they were smoking, and the driver had to pull over and let the brakes cool. We finally did make it down to the notch. These people were so nice. They went miles out of their way and drove me all the way to the hostel.
At the hostel, they made me take a shower before I could even enter the house (everyone does). The hostel is very clean and comfortable. I’ll take a zero day here on Saturday, July 14, before going back on the trail to pickup where I left off.
