At 6:30 a.m. the Croo starts singing a song while strumming guitars to wake everyone up. When they are finished the hut much explodes with activity, and I swing into action, stuffing my belongings into my pack. I have my backpack sitting on the front porch ready to go by the time breakfast is served at 7 A.M.
The menu is oatmeal, scrambled eggs, bacon, and the most delicious blueberry muffins. While we are eating the Croo puts on a really cute skit where a woman introduces herself as Jane Goodall observing chimpanzees in the wild. The other Croo are dressed in a wierd combo of clothes and make hooting noises, and demonstrate that even wild animals can stay on the trail, pick up and pack out trash. Then they demonstrate how to fold our blankets, and how tip the Croo.
After depositing a tip in the box, I thank the Croo for a great stay and I am on my way at 7:45 for the climb to South Twin Mountain. This is going to be one of the last freakishly difficult rock scrambles for the next 12 or 13 miles, so I am very thankful for that knowledge as I go up for the next mile.
I reach the top of South Twin Mountain about 45 minutes later, happy with my time and thinking that time is not too bad for a White Mountain mile! Of course there is no view because of the cloud of smoke choking the area. I can even smell the scent of burning wood today. I take a couple pictures and continue on the trail.
For the next couple miles the trail is really nice. There are a couple little places where I have to ease my way down some big rocks, but otherwise It's relatively flat and actually dirt underfoot instead of the rocks
I climb a few hundred feet to the Guyot Spur Trail where the AT splits with the Bond Mountain Trail. Usually there are gorgeous views, but not today. There are a lot of people out here for dayhikes and some women stop and ask me some questions about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Many of the day hikers I meet are peak bagging the 4K mountains of the Whites.
From Guyot the trail gives me a nice little rock scramble up about 300 feet until I crest Zealand Mountain.
From Zealand Mountain, the trail descends down to Zealand Hut, where the small hut is next to a lovely stream with lots of cascades and a waterfall. This hut is usually booked, an easy place for families to visit with small children, as it can be reached by an easy forest road trail.
I take the A to Z Trail down to the Highland Center, but it's not really down. I gain 1,000 feet of elevation as the trail travels towards the 4,000 foot Tom Mountain. The first two miles of the trail are really overgrown, and there are lots of downed trees across the trail. The bog bridges are in disrepair, and in one spot I sink up to my ankles in mud.
After forever I get to the Highland Lodge. I goes that by taking the A to Z Trail I could make it in time for a shuttle to get my truck, parked at the Falling Waters Trailhead, but I ambtoo late.The shuttles have finished for the day. I'm disappointed I won't have my toiletries and clean clothes, but it's not the end of the world. I still have my sleeping clothes that don't smell too bad.
I take a shower and lay the terrible smelling hiking clothes out in the sunshine, hoping the sun will deodorize them a little bit. I have no bra, and I am wearing men's wool boxer shorts that are so old they are see-through. The t-shirt isn't much better. At least the shirt is long enough to cover the shorts!
There are only 3 other people in the bunk house; a father and his grown son are staying here for three nights while they day hike the surrounding trails. They are in a separate bunk room. In the bunk next to mine is an older gentleman named Morse Code. He is really sweet and loans me a charging block for my power banks since mine is in my truck.
I go over to the main lodge and hop onto the wifi. When I check my messages, I see a message from Buttercup that she and Nonstop summited Mount Katahdin yesterday! She sent me some pictures and I respond that I am so happy for her and they are an inspiration. I also send updates to Mama Turtle, Martian, and Ladybug.
At 5:00 p.m. the lodge hosts a cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres in the lounge. A group of five women who are about my age and a little older are chatting and ask me some questions so I grab a glass of wine and bruschetta and sit down next to them, where they ask me about trail life. They are amazed that I am hiking by myself and I assure them that there are many middle-aged women out here hiking alone, but we're also never truly alone because we meet so many people out here.
They flew here yesterday and they are hiking the Ammonoosuc Ravine up to Mount Washington tomorrow so they can stay in Lake of the clouds Hut tomorrow night and then continue on to Mitzpah Hut the next night.
Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. in the dining room, and is all-you-can-eat for all the lodge guests. I'm really pleased to see that there is meet on the menu and not just the vegetarian friendly offerings I had the last two nights in the huts. Don't get me wrong; the meals were delicious, but I would wake up hungry in the middle of the night afterwards.
I have a plate of coconut rice topped with tender beef tips in a succulent sauce with lots of vegetables with a side salad of kale and more veggies. I am craving fresh food in such a big way! If you're ever on a Day hike of the Appalachian Trail and encounter through hikers, fresh fruit and vegetables are the most desired Trail Magic! Although I have never declined a Snickers bar when offered, or any food, for that matter!
Morse Code asks if he can sit with me, and I tell I would love the company. We chat over dinner, where, as always, I clean my plate. We talk about the trails that we have hiked and the challenges of hiking in the Whites. He flew here from Florida to do day hikes.
After dinner I say good night to Morse Code and the ladies, and go back to the bunk room. I am the only one here as I go to bed at 8:30.
Today's Stats: 13.1 miles, 2,729 feet gain
Trail Stats: 1,852 miles, 370K feet gain
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