Total Miles: 313.2
There were a lot of reports from the NOBOs about today's hike being a difficult one. I was a little nervous about putting in some good miles since I haven't done over 10 in too long. I started with the ascent of Mount Moriah, which wasn't terrible, just long. I felt a few drops of rain before I reached the top, but by the time I was up it had started to clear. There were some incredible views, and I could see where the rain clouds had moved past me. I thought I might be in luck for the rest of the day. I continued to Imp Campsite, where I stopped for a quick lunch break before continuing up the Carter Mountains. There was a tricky spot that required a lot of climbing and scrambling, and just then it started to rain again. But this rain was much more persistent. There were a few day hikers caught in the rain completely unprepared. As I descended down Middle Carter Mountain, I began to see the rain start bouncing. HAIL?! You have got to be kidding me! As if the rain wasn't bad enough. Icepack passed me shortly after, which I was surprised to see. He had planned on stealthing in Zeta Pass, but said it was too early to stop hiking. He wanted to go to Carter Notch Hut as well, where I was hoping to be able to do work for stay. I told him he better not steal my spot, kind of joking but there was probably a bit of seriousness to it as well. As I climbed over Mount Hight, I thought I was going to have to crawl on my hands and knees because of the wind. I started to get pelted by hail again as I reached the open summit. It was a good thing Icepack was waiting at the trail leading back down because there was a good possibility I would have been lost. There were cairns everywhere so I was looking every which way trying to figure out where I needed to go. After that, it was a tough descent down to the notch. It was only a mile but took almost an hour to get to the bottom. When I got into the hut and asked if they had any work for stay spots still open, they said they only had one. Icepack let me take the last spot (thank you SO much). The AMC owns a series of huts in this part of the White Mountains. Most guests pay over $100 a night for the accommodations, but they usually allow a few hikers the opportunity to put in a few hours of chores and are then allowed to have leftovers at dinner and breakfast and sleep on the dining room floor. After arriving, I quickly washed up and changed into dry clothes. Everything was drenched from the hike today, and since we are just shy of 4000 feet elevation, it was cold! There were 4 NOBOs staying here and one other SOBO. Our chores consisted of organizing the outdoor food storage, which has now become our shelter when we are waiting for everyone to finish their meals. We aren't allowed to wait inside while the guests eat, and this is the warmest place we could find. We were invited in after a few hours and had some wonderful stuffed shells, soup, and carrot cake. I think it may have been worth the wait. We are now waiting for the rest of the guests to head to bed. There are a few kids here playing a game that aren't really getting the hints the croo (the group of workers at the hut) are giving. I can hear the wind howling outside, and I'm so glad to be inside tonight. I hope this is not an indication of what the rest of the Whites will be like.
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