Zero Day #5

More rain in New Hampshire, a Zero Day for Dave.

As of 8/15/11:
Miles today - 0
Miles to date - 653

Rich, Stitch and Yak decided to get more miles under their belts and left under threatening skies, but Dave thought he'd wait it out another day.  About an hour after the guys left, the rain started and Dave was glad to not be walking over the rocks in the rain.  If he has good weather in the next few days he hopes he can catch up with them again.  The section they are hiking is from Pinkham Notch to Gorham, backtracking in a sense.  They had taken the shuttle from Pinkham Notch to get to the hostel, and are now shuttling back to PN to walk the 18 miles. Under great conditions, it's a 2 day walk.  Dave is planning on 3 days.  The youngsters, Boulder and Frosty, did it in one day (before the rain started).  It's not the miles, it's the rocky road.

Dave picked up his packages from the PO which included a couple from here and one he had mailed himself from Hanover to lighten his pack. He wants to keep a light pack on this particular 18-mile section so will be leaving much of his food and some of his clothes at the hostel until he gets back.

Here's a picture of a typical box he packed, ready for me to send him.  In the first picture you can see the dried tortellini, a package of tortillas, a package of instant dry milk, and the guide book he needs for Maine.  The second picture shows, from the right, oatmeal and raisins, orzo, stuffed and dried tortellini, and I don't know what the other things are. The brown thing in the middle is probably one of his dinners.  The big white package on the left may be instant mashed potatoes? Dave made and dehydrated many dinners, then vacuum-packed as much as he could.  There are some Cliff Bars in the bottom left of the picture.  One time I made the mistake of taking things out of the box to see what was there, and also to discard some of the trail bars he didn't like.  I couldn't get everything back in one box, even though there was less to pack!  This time I took off only the top layer to take a picture, and even then had a problems getting the box to close.

Dave was having zipper problems with his gaiters.  Gorham has a good outfitters store so Dave bought a new pair.  The old ones lasted about 20 years.  He has one month to go before he may retire these new ones.  He said as the hikers get closer to the end of the trail, some are getting excited about hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.  He said it does not sound remotely interesting to him at this point.  He's looking forward to doing much shorter hikes in the future.  Sounds good to me!

Dave also shopped at a grocery store to round out his food supply.  He was happy to find Little Debbie Brownies.  570 calories in each pack.  Keep those things far away from me not that they even sound good but I can pack on the pounds just by looking at them.  Dave weighed himself and thinks he may have lost up to 25 pounds by now.  And here's what he had for dinner - cheese filled tortellini, white chicken chili, almonds, dried fruit, and a can of Pringles.  3,000 calories since noon, he estimates.  That's the kind of energy he expends on the trail!

Here was Dave with Pyro on June 13th, just starting out.  Sure wish I could see a picture of him now!

Day 59 on the Trail

Dave is in Gorham, NH.

As of 08/14/11:
Miles today - 7.8
Miles to date - 653

Dave and Rich had to do their work before leaving the Madison Springs Hut, and since they wanted to get an early start they were fortunate the overnight guests had gotten out of their beds for breakfast.  Their job was to shake out the blankets and sweep the floors of three bunkrooms.  There were 4 sets of bunks stacked 4 high in each room.  They quickly shook 48 blankets, cleaned the floors and were on their way by 8:30 AM.

Mt. Madison

7 hours later they had hiked a total of 7.8 miles.

They had to go up and over Mt. Madison, which Dave said was straight up for half a mile, climbing 800' in elevation.  He said it was like climbing over a rock dunce cap with boulders strewn around.  There was no 'path', you just picked you way up and over a jumble of rocks, then down the other side.

The rocky road

The next section was a descending ridge that reminded him of a dragon tail with smaller spikes to climb over.  This was all above the tree line.

Once they got to the trees the trail was not quite as steep but Dave had the sensation of descending a staircase of rocks.  And yes, his knees were hurting by the time he got to the bottom - Pinkham Notch.

The rock staircase in the trees

He said the only interesting thing he saw, since he was concentrating on finding footholds in the rocks, was a big pile of bear poop.

Dave and Rich caught a shuttle that took them from Pinkham Notch to the White Mountain Hostel in Gorham.  When Dave called, he was sitting in loaner clothes - black cotton shorts and a grey long sleeved shirt, while the hostel crew was doing the laundry of all the hikers that came in that day.  He ate dinner out of his backpack.  He had carried enough food to get him through the Whites but since he was able to work-for-stay four nights, which included dinners, he had plenty of food left over.  There is another box waiting for him at the Post Office.

My dinner was delicious chicken parmesan at Molly and Chad's.  They had just gotten home from a ten-day vacation.  It was fun to have dinner with them and the boys, hearing about their adventures and seeing pictures on Chad's iPhone. They had spent a few days at Wild Dunes, then flew to NYC and stayed at the Ritz. (This was a combination anniversary trip for Molly and Chad and early birthday trip for the boys.)  They went to FAO Schwartz, Dylan's Candy Bar, Central Park, a Yankees game, the Empire State Building (the Vampire state building, as Coleman calls it) and saw Mary Poppins on Broadway.  Whew!  Then it was back to Wild Dunes and the beach for a few more days.  Now they are home. Coleman starts back to school on Monday (3-4 year old class) and Chase on Tuesday (1st grade).  We've all had great vacations this summer, some with more comfortable beds than others.

Day 58 on the Trail

Dave is at the Madison Spring Hut Saturday evening. He summited
Mount Washington!

As of 08/13/11:
Miles today - 7.4
Miles to date - 638.9 or, 645.2

Another mileage issue -- Here's what happens -- Dave left me his schedule with planned overnights, their mile markers, and the date he expects to be there. When he stops at places not on his schedule (a hut instead of a campground, stops sooner or goes farther than planned) I go to various sources online to figure out what the mileage is.  Different sources have different mile markers, usually caused by changes in the trail over time.  Yesterday, for example, the Lakes of the Clouds Hut was not on Dave's schedule, so I found a guide that gave me its marker.  Today I found a guide that said there were 7.4 miles between Lakes of the Clouds and the Madison Spring Hut.  However, that doesn't add up to the mileage Dave has on his schedule for Madison Spring.  Finally, thebackpacker.com which has trail mile markers, is a whopping 14.5 miles different than what Dave has on his schedule!  Argh.  I end up using what Dave has on his schedule, just to be consistent.  Total mileage, at the end of the hike, will be the same, it's a matter of where these stopping points happen to be noted on the various guides.

Now on to more important news, Dave summited the highest peak north of the Smokies and east of the Rockies at 6288 feet, the fearsome Mount Washington. He and Rich left Lakes of the Clouds Hut before breakfast, to get an early start, and made it to the top by 8 AM.  They knew what to expect, and here I have to quote Bill Bryson from A Walk in the Woods:
     "There may be more demanding and exciting summits to reach along the Appalachian Trail than Mt. Washington but none can be more startling.  You labor up the last steep stretch of rock slope to what is after all a considerable eminence and pop your head over the edge, and there you are greeted by, of all things, a vast, terraced parking lot, full of automobiles ...  Beyond stands a scattered complex of buildings among which move crowds of people in shorts and baseball caps.  It has the air of a world's fair bizarrely transferred to a mountaintop."

My intention was to read chapters of A Walk in the Woods as Dave was walking the same areas, but I had slipped the book back into Dave's bookcase and as the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.  I thought of it again this morning, and thoroughly enjoyed Chapter 18 which was about Mount Washington.  If you have the book, read it!  You'll understand why I called it the fearsome Mount Washington.

Dave and Rich must have beat the crowds, as the Summit Information Center and Snack Bar weren't yet open.  At 8:30 AM they were able to go in and get coffee and breakfast.  Dave's biggest disappointment was the fact that it was so foggy he couldn't see his hands stretched out in front of his face.  But, the fog eventually dissipated and by 9:30 or 10 it was clear.  He took several pictures and is hoping they turn out well.  He made calls to Dale, Molly and me, though being in my cardio-dance class, I missed it.


Having lived in New England, I well remember all the cars that wore the bumper sticker This Car Climbed Mt. Washington.  I could never imagine walking up a mountain that is a challenge to cars! Just look what it did to this car.

Dave and Rich left the summit and got to the Madison Spring Hut fairly early in the day.  Once again they were accepted for the work-for-stay program.  When we spoke about 8:30 PM he thought his work was going to be cleaning and rearranging the dining room, then he would sleep on the floor.

Madison Spring Hut

Dave was excited to see his first moose today -- though he soon realized this was a rather unusual moose.  She had been hanging around the lodge, having learned she could find food and water left by careless visitors and tourists.  Dave saw two young women trying to approach the moose.  He cautioned them to be careful and stay away as the moose could charge them (they were all only about 30' away).  The two were from France and one did not speak English.  The other told Dave, "She wants to pet the moose."  Dave told them it was too dangerous and to stay away. I am amazed that many people think the outdoors is more like DisneyWorld than a wilderness.

Rich will be getting off the trail soon, in Gorham I believe, and Dave is thinking about his next hiking group.  He's met up with two guys from Tennessee, Stitch and Yak, who seem to be on the same schedule, so he may walk with them in Maine. When hikers walk "with" someone, they don't necessarily even see each other during the day, but they discuss where they'll stop in the evening, and keep an eye out for each other.  If someone doesn't show up where they said they would be, and there are no messages about the change in the shelter log, a search is started.  I like to know Dave keeps in touch with other people on the trail.

Day 57 On the Trail

I have corrections to make.  First, I'm going to post them to today's blog entry. I'm going to edit Dave's 8/11/11 info, so if you reread it, it will be different.

I was correct in saying he was at the Mizpah Springs Hut on 8/11, but he was at Crawford Notch the previous night.  He is at Lakes of the Clouds tonight, 8/12.  I also will be correcting the miles to date on yesterday's post.  The following should be correct.

As of 08/12/11:
Miles today - 4.8
Miles to date - 631.5

I asked about Boulder and Bahama Dave.  Boulder, who is in his late twenties or early thirties (a little older than Dave thought), decided to speed up his hiking again and catch up with another young twenty-ish hiker, Frosty.  Frosty wants to get to Katahdin before he goes back to college and spend time with his family before that, so he is high-tailing it through the White Mountains.  Frosty and Boulder plan to hike 20-25 miles a day, and they've left the older (and wiser?) group behind.

Bahama Dave left the trail to go home to Decatur, GA.  He wasn't injured, it was his plan to leave at this time.  Dave will be sure to be in contact with him in the future.

Lakes of the Clouds AMC Hut

Dave and Rich approached the Lakes of the Clouds Hut manager about work-for-stay, and after some hesitation, she said okay, but they would have to wash dishes!  They were at the hut early since they hiked less than 5 miles, and they washed leftover breakfast dishes, for hours.  The hut holds 90 visitors and 8 residents which makes for a lot of dishes.  I find it kind of funny that a guy like Dave is willing to wash dishes in return for being able to sleep on the floor.

Fortunately, the manager also accepted 4-5 other hikers who also were willing to work-for-stay and they will be doing the dinner dishes.  Dave thinks his work is done for the day.  He thinks he'll be sleeping on the dining room floor tonight.

The hut was full and that's the only way Dave and Rich could find a 'room.'  The Lakes of the Clouds Hut is the most popular hut in the AMC system and is so booked up the hikers call it the Lakes of the Crowds.  It is often full in summer, especially on weekends.  I guess Dave and Rich are lucky to have claimed a spot.

For you Georgia hikers, Dave said the hut is similar in concept to the Len Foote Hike Inn, but nicer and bigger.

Dave said they were socked in on their hike from Mizpah Springs, being able to see 100 yards at the very most at one point, but more often it was about 25 feet. It was cold and raining, on the verge of turning to sleet.  So much for the sunny weather report, but this is Mt. Washington with very unpredictable weather.  He said it was good they had a short hike as he had pulled a muscle in his leg a few days ago, and didn't want to hike much longer.  He said he wore his winter hiking pants and kept his leg warm, so it was feeling better.

He is 5,050 ft up on the shoulder of Mt. Washington and says he has about a mile and a half to the summit.  He's hoping the weather will be better tomorrow so he can hike easily and get some great pictures when he's on top of the world!

Day 56 on the Trail

Kathy Johnson and me

I had to do some catching up after my two blog vacations.  By the way, I had a great time, thank you very much.

As of 8/11/11:
Miles today - 8.1
Miles to date - 626.7

Dave's miles/day is dropping because each step tends to be up a steep hill, or down a steep hill.  It does tend to slow one down.  Also, campsites and shelters are not as available in the White Mountains so he has to stop where he can find an overnight spot even if he is willing to hike farther.  The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) owns and operates a series of huts that, according to previous hikers, are the best places to stay at night.  However, there is a big catch.  These huts are generally close to a road and parking lot, and have become extremely popular with day hikers who drive up the mountain then hike to the hut/lodge for the evening.  The AMC started charging $30/person/night and now the rate is $100/person/night, and you can rarely stay without a reservation.  This system makes a lot of money for the AMC but it also makes it hard for a through-hiker to stop when he's tired.

Wednesday evening, 8/10/11, Dave and Rich came to the Crawford Notch Hut and felt they were too tired to go another 5 miles to the next available shelter. There was a room available with two bunks.  The cost?  $100 each for the tiny room they shared.  In their tired state, they decided to stay.




Rich happened to be out in the hallway when a woman first opened the door to her room and screamed out, "You've got to be kidding me!"  Dave wrote a note to the AMC saying they are providing extremely little value for the high cost of the rooms, and catering to the day hikers instead of supporting the through-hikers who need places to stay night after night.  Hikers find it difficult to make reservations, as their schedules depend upon weather and trail conditions.  NH has very strict rules about where you can and cannot camp.  Dave knows it's a case of supply and demand, but the AMC is not supporting the through-hikers.  He said the AMC is known among the hikers as the All your Money Club.  To be fair, the price does include a supper and breakfast.  Gourmet dinners? Not.

Dave is in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, and so far has climbed Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Garfield, Mt. Webster and Mt. Jefferson.  (According to Wikipedia, the Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American Presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.  Mt. Washington, home of the highest winds recorded on the surface of the Earth at 231 mph, is the tallest at 6,288 ft.)

Mizpah Springs Hut

Dave called after 9 pm Thursday night 8/11/11, very late for his evening call.  He's usually in his sleeping bag by then.  He is in the Mizpah Springs Hut, and as it turns out, he had just finished giving a lecture on long distance hiking to the guests!  A few hikers are given the opportunity to work-for-stay.  Usually that means washing dishes, cleaning rooms, etc. but Dave and Rich proposed they entertain the guests.  Rich knew the possibilities, and had brought along his trumpet!  What a sight that must be, a hiker with a trumpet on his backpack.  Fortunately, the manager accepted their proposal, so Dave 'lectured' while Rich played music. Dave said he had so many questions from the guests the talk went on and on, and finally he said it's time for Rich to play taps.  Their reward was not a bunk room; they got to sleep on the floor of the library, but they did get dinner and breakfast.

They had made the same proposal at the Crawford Notch Hut, but were turned down.  The hut may have already 'booked' their entertainment for the evening.

The Crawford Notch Hut is between Zealand Falls and Mizpah Spring

The Mizpah Hut is approx. 3800' up one side of Mt. Washington.  Dave said they've had beautiful weather.  The next two days are supposed to be sunny and dry, and he's looking forward to getting over Mt. Washington.  He was sitting on the outside porch when he called, in his clothes and long johns, enjoying the cool air.  I told him I saw 99º on our thermometer this afternoon and 102º on the car screen.  He said he could use a shot of heat, but just a shot.  He prefers hiking in the cooler weather.  He plans to be at Lakes of the Clouds Hut tomorrow, Friday 8/12/11.

As I'm writing this I realize Dave didn't mention anything about Boulder and Bahama Dave.  I'll have to remember to ask what's become of them.  Bahama Dave is a retired Georgia Tech professor, lives in Decatur, GA, and planned to get off the trail at some point to help a friend navigate a boat from FL to SC (I think).  Boulder is a young kid, in his 20s.  Rich lives in CT and plays in a band (hence the trumpet) that travels up and down the East Coast.  His girlfriend is an opera singer who lives in Richmond Hill, just outside Savannah.  Dave is excited about the possibility of being able to see and do more hiking with Bahama Dave and Rich since they both live in or get to Georgia often.

Last night when Dave told me he gave a lecture to the guests, I jokingly asked him if he took a shower first.  He said he took one yesterday at the hut where he paid $100.  Hmm, I hope he doesn't start thinking one shower a week is okay!

Blog Vacation Part 2

As it turns out, I have a chance to go to the PGA Championship practice round Tuesday in Atlanta, and Geoff will be at Libbie's in Athens starting Tuesday night, so I have another several days of travel.  I'll leave here tomorrow AM - Monday - do some errands in Atlanta, then go to Kathy Johnson's for the evening.  She has a beautiful guest suite I'd like to claim as my home away from home (at her suggestion!).  We'll go to the Atlanta Athletic Club Tuesday, then I'll go to Libbie's either Tues. PM or Wed. AM.

Oh - is this blog supposed to be about Dave???  Sorry.  He's in Franconia Notch, NH, for the second night tonight.  He planned to leave today but there was a lot of rain and he and his new hiking buds decided to lay low one more day.

As of 8/07/11:
Miles to date - 603.8

Dave is in the Presidential Mountain range, and expects to tackle Mt. Washington later in the week.  He's feeling very well, and strong, and happy to have had the day off to EAT.  He says his foot is fine.  I can tell he is looking forward to this next stretch of hiking, not so much the rock climbing, but he feels up to the challenge.


For those of you who remember The Old Man and perhaps his collapse in 2003, he was in Franconia Notch State Park.

Country Gold left the trail today.  The new group Dave and CG have been hiking with, Boulder, Bahama Dave and Rich, took him out to dinner and said their farewells.  He clearly would rather have stayed on the trail, but life was calling.

I'm still not packed, so I've got to quit now.  I don't have a lot of stories, as Dave and I had difficulties with him being in the mountains and me not having good cell service at the beach.  I'll get back with this blog in earnest in a few days.

Blog Vacation

(Savannah is on the GA-SC border)

I'm taking a few days off -- going to the beach with my 3-year old grandson Coleman.  I'm not taking my computer. Going cold turkey.  Yikes!

The Pavilion at Wild Dunes

The Sr. Huggins (the other set of grandparents known as Grandma and Poppa) have generously offered their beach house, so we'll get to see them, and my mother, Coleman's great-grandmother aka Gigi who lives 45 minutes away.

Although I live in a community I consider Paradise, it's always a real vacation to go a few hours up the road to Wild Dunes.  I'll be back in a few days, hopefully with lots of news about our favorite hiker - let me amend that to lots of GOOD news!