October 20, 2007

10-20-07 from Liberty Springs Campsite (3800'). SOBO mile:370.1. Total miles:1649.3. Total miles left:524.7.

Hiked 13.2 today. great views from franconia ridge. mountains all around. deep green, reds, yellows all the trees. good visibility and the sky was always changing. however, clouds were above 5000' so it was all good. i took some pictures. hopefully they won't look all the same.

lots of French Canadians are out and about here in the Whites. i can hear them coming because of their conversations. most switch right over to English so we can say hello or stop to talk about the weather. they all seem to be in good shape and seem comfortable in this cold, wet, steep sloshy mess.

the wind is howling and I hope it is drying all the rocks.

Glencliffe, Post Office and Hikers Welcome hostel in a couple days. Lincoln tomorrow for 1.5 more days of food.

No more zeros, 20s through Vermont.

CONGRATS White Crow AT 2007 NOBO!!!! You did it! Summit date 10-17-07. 24 other thru-hikers summitted that day.

trail wet, trail a stream in places. steep, ridiculous downhill planned slides and blocking drills with trees, hoping the tree would stop my momentum. hoping my feet land where they should. hoping I can catch myself when a fall can not be avoided. rock hoping to avoid wet, sloppy tanin rich mud and puddles of water when not a stream. roots and bog planks slick. so slick that the tiniest change in the pressure of my foot on surface catapults be to the side, or backwards and sometimes forward. catapults equals fast, greased lightning fast.

its all good though. there is plenty fragile alpine vegetation trailside to catch my falls, give way for a new trail because the real trail is to wet or rocky or rooty or steep and finally to provide a great campsite location. all the suckers who don't get off the trail and mosy abit, you know, kick your feet around, above 4000' in the fine fragile alpine terrain are missing out on a great thing.

it rained last night a good rain. started around 5pm and went on through the night. guess we needed it?

I was Only Joking about the fragile alpine vegetation thing.

Happy Trails,
Totally Different Subject