Rather, I forgot to close the door to the bunkroom when I went to bed, as did the others in the room, and at 10:30 pm I was awakened by some people walking and talking loudly in the hallway since my bunk was next to the door. Guess they didn't know about the quiet hours, and the Croo wasn't awake at that time to tell them to shut up. Then I was up at 2:30 for quite some time; my mind is thinking ahead - I'm anxious about how I'm going to get down from Mt. Washington and how I'm then going to get to my car from there. Finally I get my brain to chill so I can go back to sleep.
At 6 am, bleary-eyed from a week of non-interrupted sleep, I grab a cup of coffee and wait for the 6:30 wake-up so I can pack. The Croo sings a silly song about why milk comes in a can in the huts, and the hut bursts with activity. I pack quickly, as does the other thru hikers, and we wait outside until we can sit for breakfast.
Our small group of hikers sits with Trail Angel Kevin and the six of us enjoy breakfast together. The Croo does a little skit about the usual morning chores. After goodbyes to Kevin and the other guests we met, Fallout and I hit the trail at 7:40.
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The weather is amazing this morning as we head up the ridge toward Washington. It's currently 44°F, but the highs will be in the mid- to upper-50s, with southwest winds of five to ten miles per hour. There is a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, but that's usual for these mountains. At least there is no air quality alert today, so that's a bonus!
Fallout and I hike together for the first 1.5 miles to the top of Mount Pierce. Less than a mile from the hut we've gained an easy 500 feet and we have phone service so we can call home. We can't see Mount Washington at first, but then as we're standing there the clouds move away and we can see the top! We take a picture and Fallout goes ahead while I stop to shed a layer.
About a half mile later I reach the spur trail for Mount Eisenhower. When doing the Presidential Traverse, I took the spur trails up and over all of the peaks, but today I'm going to stay on the Appalachian Trail. I follow the trail around the east side of Eisenhower. I've already gained a thousand feet over the last couple of miles, and I am making better time than I thought I would so far! My last mile was in 30 minutes, with which I am ecstatic, although I know it's going to decrease as I gain altitude. Currently I'm About 4,700 feet elevation.
I get peeks of Washington as it moves out of the clouds for a brief moment. On the ridge it's starting to get much chillier and I stop and put a layer back on. The next mountain on the ridge is Mount Monroe. I go around it on a very narrow trail, trying not to snag my fleece on the sharp fir trees branches. The trail is either small, wobbly rocks or sticky mud, but the views are awe-inspiring and keep me walking on sunshine, even though there is no sunlight shining through the clouds.
I have been hiking for a little over two hours and I've covered four and a half miles. gaining almost 2,000 feet of elevation when I come to Lake of the Clouds Hut. It's a very popular spot, given the close proximity to Mount Washington. Many people staying in the hut walk up the Ammonoosuc Trail or ride the cog railway up and then hike the mile and a half to the hut, staying the night. The hut is the largest and busiest hut in the Whites, and one of the hardest to book. The last time I descended on this hut the wind was 40 to 50 miles an hour and I was getting pelted by icicles of freezing rain.
I pass by the hut, as I've been there several times before. I see Fallout's pack outside on a bench. She said she was going to stop in for a minute, and I'm sure she'll catch up with me shortly. Even though her legs are much shorter than mine, she can move them a whole lot faster!
The trail from Lake of the Clouds up to Mount Washington is more of a suggestion and a general direction marked by cairns then a trail. The path is a mere jumble of rocks, many of which shake when you step on them. The going is slow because I have to take small steps up the rocks, so even though I'm continuing to gain elevation, I don't really get an opportunity to work hard or get out of breath.
As the trail winds up the mountain, the clouds roll in thick, and the view of the radio towers on top of the mountain are obscured until I get a half mile away.
As I make my final press towards the summit I see Fallout waiting for me. She already had her picture taken at the Summit but she came back to meet me! She is so sweet!
We wait in line at the summit with the folks that took the road or railway up, and we get a picture together. I give her a big hug and we exchange phone numbers because I may not see her again. I will be heading home one way or another for a few days; I need to work a shift every four weeks to keep my job at a hospital I love and have worked at for the last 22 years. I will drive 20 hours round trip to work 8 hours. I'm ready to see my family, but leaving for even a few days means I will lose all of my new trail friends that I've gained over the last three weeks.
After our picture, I go into the Mount Washington Visitor Center, where I purchase a one-way ticket down the mountain on the train, which is set to depart in 15 minutes. The ticket clerk tells me there are only 10 seats left, so I really lucked out. Everything is falling into place! Now I just figured have to figure out how I'm going to get to my truck, parked 6 miles from the train station at the bottom of the mountain.
Everyone on the train going down the mountain from here has an assigned seat, so I have to wait at the side of the queue until everyone with a ticket from the station at the bottom gets on the train. I make small talk with a few people as we are getting on the train. I am trying to look pleasant and happy and worried that my smell will deter people from wanting me to sit next to them. I'm really hoping to beg a ride off of one of these families when we arrive at the bottom of the mountain.
A man in line says he has no sense of smell and is happy to sit next to me. I think I may have found my ride, as the train leaves Mt. Washington and descends to the station, three miles down the mountain. The cog railway is the oldest cog railway in the world, and the second steepest. It goes up and down a cog system, which is similar to a sprocket and chain on a bicycle.
When we get to the station at the bottom, I ask if anyone can give me a ride to Crawford Notch and the gentleman that offered to sit next to me says he's on vacation with his friend and has no plans so they have plenty of time. There is a saying on the trail that the trail provides and I am thankful that it seems to be true!
I'm dropped off at my truck 10 minutes later and shortly after noon, I am on my way home for a few days!
Today's Stats: 6.2 miles, 3,000 feet gain
Trail Stats: 1,865 miles, 376K feet gain
Miles to Katahdin: 329
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