August 10th, 2018, New Hampshire
We had camped about 4 miles from the first Appalachian Mountain Club facility called Carter Notch Hut. We all ate a bit before we left camp and headed out before 7am.
Flower Power and I arrived at the hut at 9:15. It was located in a beautiful spot on a lake.
We dropped our packs, went in, and inquired about leftovers from breakfast.
They had pancakes and oatmeal. The others arrived a few minutes later and joined us. The guy working the kitchen said the hut had a staff of 5 and it was his day to cook. He had served breakfast for 40 guests and was already preparing for dinner. Everything at the hut is carried in and all the trash is carried out on the trail by the staff. We were thankful for the breakfast and short rest. The “hut” was a quaint and rustic building and was an amazing sight nestled alongside a mountain lake.
After our “second breakfast” we headed on toward Wildcat Ridge. We continued along the ridge for several hours and stopped for lunch at an observation platform at the top of Wildcat Ski Area. Being a Saturday, the gondola was operating and bringing visitors and day hikers up from the valley below.
After the break I headed out—ahead of the others. I wanted to make sure I made it down to Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. My plan to only carry 4 days of food for an 8 day hike depended on hitting certain food stops in time—and the visitors’ center cafeteria closed at 4pm.
On the way down I met a couple, Scottish lady and English man, thru hiking NOBO. We discussed what to expect in each direction. They had climbed Mt Washington the day prior with rain and high winds on the trail. I said I planned to hit that point tomorrow and, last I saw, the weather looked okay.
The lady said the hike on Mt Washington was harrowing with gusting winds yesterday. And I assume Scots know something about wind, rocks, and rain and was inclined to believe them. Mt Washington is known for dangerous conditions in bad weather. We are all hoping for a good weather day.
I made it down to Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center by 3pm. On the advice of a NOBO hiker sitting outside I ordered The Washington (sandwich with beef, horseradish, cheddar cheese, and onion) and a salad. I think it was excellent—but most fresh foods taste really good after a hike, so I can’t be objectively sure. And, as I write this in my hammock at night, it is making me hungry again just describing it…which I think is a bout of what they call “hiker hunger.”
After the second lunch I continued about four miles further to Osgood Camp Site. This is the closest campsite to Mt Madison and Mt Washington, my objectives for tomorrow.
The camp was quite full, I’m guessing because of the weekend. I’ve read that the trails in the Whites are some of the most popular and crowded trails in the New England during the summer. We have seen quite a lot of day hikers up and down the trails over the past two days. And I think the AMC hut system makes it easier for them to access the more remote areas of the National Forest.
Also, tonight is supposed to be an excellent chance to view the Perseid meteor showers. The skies look clear and I hope to see something if it. However, the Appalachian Trail is informally known as the “green tunnel” because of the dense tree cover. I only have a limited view of the night sky but will be looking anyway…