Total Miles: 398.7
I was in no rush to head out of Lincoln this morning. I knew it would be a short day ending at a hostel in Glencliff, so I slept in until 7:00 and finally started getting ready. I packed everything up, ate some ice cream for breakfast, and waited for the Hikers Welcome Hostel to drop off some bags so Lentil and I could get a shuttle from them to the trailhead. They usually support slackpackers and will drop off gear from their place to Chet's. They were taking far too long, so we went ahead and called the Shuttle Connection instead. Of course, then the other one showed up, but it was Miss Janet who's in town right now. She is kind of a trail legend and is up here for the hiker bubble, providing shuttle services and what not. She is normally in Erwin, TN. She said it's something she started doing a few years ago, and it just kind of stuck after that.
I finally made it to the trailhead around 9:30, and started the dreaded climb up Mount Moosilauke. The first 1.5 miles were very steep, but I was glad I was climbing up instead of going down it. It followed along waterfalls for this portion, so it was really beautiful. I was told by the NOBOs that after the shelter it would get much easier, so when I reached Beaver Brook Shelter I stopped for a snack break. The climb would have been much easier without a full pack and almost a week's worth of food. When I stopped, I talked to a father and son who were out for a few days and a Canadian family out for the day. They were both very interested in the hike and had a lot of questions about the AT. When I continued on, the trail smoothed out a great deal and the rest of the climb was enjoyable. The top of Moosilauke opened up to a mountaintop meadow, and it quickly became very cool. I sat behind a built-up rock wall so I could eat lunch shielded from the wind. This is it. The last mountain of the Whites at 4800 feet. I am happy to have another monumental section behind me and hope to be in Vermont by the end of the week. I took my time at the top, spending about an hour and enjoying the view, looking at where I've been this past week. There was a dark cloud overhead, and although it wasn't supposed to rain, I didn't want to take my chances. Funny moment of the day - I stopped to take a picture of a couple who were at the top with their German Shephard. The dog was standing on a rock in front of them when her back legs slid off the rock and she was left hugging the rocks. She just laid there, still perfectly content. We all just laughed at the perfect timing of it. I continued down and towards Glencliff after. My feet were taking a beating on the descent since it was over 5 miles of all downhill. There were some very well maintained sections of trails, however. The trail today was maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club, and it looks like they do a great job.
When I reached the road crossing for Glencliff, I turned to continue the half mile to the hostel. When I arrived, everyone was out back eating. Miss Janet had cooked up quite a feast, and I arrived at just the right time. All the bunks were taken, so I set up my tent out back for the night. I am perfectly ok with spending my time in there again tonight. Shortly after dinner, the ice cream was broken out. Nothing like a banana split at the end of the day! I'm sure I'll be sitting tight tomorrow. It's not the most ideal zero, but it is what it is I guess!
Goodbye, Whites!
Mount Moosilauke Summit
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