Start: Nauman Tentsite (AT mi 1854.1). Stop: Mount Madison Stealth Site (AT mi 1867.5) Today’s miles: 13.4 miles. Total AT mileage: 842.8 miles
Man oh man oh man. What a day. I got up at 6:25am, packed, ate my breakfast by the bear box and headed out to the hut. I got some fresh water and used their bathroom. Before I knew it, it was 7:20. My morning routine has gotten rusty.
I hit the trail and it immediately went straight up a root and rock obstacle course to the top of Mount Pierce. It was beautiful up there, and off in the distance, I could see Mount Washington. I still had a little ways to go to get there, but it was going to happen! The skies were blue and every head turn gave another view of mountains upon mountains in the distance.
Roughly 4 miles later, across more rocky, hand over foot climbing, craziness, I came upon the Lake of the Clouds Hut. I went inside and had a cup of coffee and a piece of coffee cake. The staff at this hut were so kind and chatted with all the people coming and going. The White Mountains have these huts for people to pay for lodging over night while hiking, but there are way more trails than just the Appalachian Trail going through there. So, these huts are also great places for day hikers, section hikers, thru hikers to stop in and warm up or have a snack or just take a load off for a few.
I waited until a cloud went by before heading out to start the summit of Mount Washington. It’s only a mile and a half from the hut, and it was the best part of the Whites for me. The trail was rocky, but easy stepping rocks at gradual inclines-no hefting yourself up and over anything ridiculous. I made it to the summit by 12:30 and stood in line to get my picture taken at the summit sign. Yes, there was a line.. there was people everywhere! Multiple trails led to this mountain, but also so did a road to drive up on and cog train, too.
I went inside the gift shop desperately looking for chapstick. My face and lips felt wind burnt.. I was wearing my visor, but it could be some sunburn, too. They didn’t sell any, so instead I decided on checking out the food. I dropped my pack by a table at the back of the room and proceeded to the line. I ran into a guy, James, I had talked to at the hut earlier this morning. I told him about the lack of chapstick, and I’ll be-he literally gave me his extra one! How flipping nice! I thanked him profusely and then went to the line for some chili.
I got a bowl of chili and a Powerade. While standing there, the lady behind me in line, who I now know is Vickie, started chatting and asking questions about what I was doing.. I tell her my story, and she lets me know that hiking the AT is a dream for her and her husband. When I get to the front of the line to pay, still chatting with her-Vickie pays for my stuff! Oh my goodness! Twice I’ve been met with incredible kindness within like 20 minutes! The trail most definitely provides, and it surrounds you with the people it knows your soul needs.
I ate my chili and basked in its warmth. It was getting close to 1:15 and I still had to go down Washington, up and over 2 other blips, and then up and down Madison-the treacherous one known for a dangerous sharp rock climb down. The trail right outside of Washington was gorgeous. Views upon views of the ridge lines, the mountains I’ve hiked and the ones I’m coming up too. This is the Presidential Range, and it is jaw dropping. My hands were numb, and potentially burnt either from the wind or sun or both.. but they stung and tingled so much my thumbs were having a hard time holding my poles.
I passed the people on the train and continued on. At some point I got off trail and only realized it when the cairns were so far apart that it didn’t make sense.. I thought I was slightly off trail, turned out I was about a mile down the wrong trail and going down the wrong side of Mount Jefferson. Oh hell. I boulder hop my way back to the actual trail, completely drained and mad at myself for making such a silly mistake. Sometimes when I’m rock hopping I keep my head down, focused on the next rock.. so more times than I’d like to admit I end up going too far one way or the other instead of straight with the turns of the trail.
It took me flat out forever to make it to Madison Spring Hut. It was the hut right before you go up and over Mount Madison. It was 6:45 at night and I was exhausted, my fingers were throbbing and stinging, and I was hungry to boot. I walk inside to ask about reserving a bunk in the hut. Most hikers don’t stay in them because of how crazy expensive they are.. $145 ish per person. And there are no showers. You get the bunk (no linen), dinner that night, breakfast the next morning, and bathrooms that have toilet paper already in them.
The girl asks her hut leader about me wanting to stay, and I’m told, “we aren’t allowing walk ins right now.” I make sure they realize that I’m not asking to stay for free, that I’m wanting to pay full price-and they don’t need to feed me, I have food.. “sorry, we can’t.” I offer to Venmo them specifically. Still no. She tells me I can hike down the valley 0.7 miles off trail and camp there. I tell her my tent is still soaked, it hasn’t had time to dry out yet. “Sorry.”
I was mind blown and so hurt that people can be so hateful to someone in need. I walked outside and start to tear up as I realize that it’s already 7pm, the sun is going to be behind Mount Madison soon. Very soon. As I’m getting my stuff, another thru hiker asks, “they turned you away, too?” I confirm and tell him I guess I’ll go to that campsite, another hiker chimes in, “it’s more like 1.5 miles, just so you know.” Jesus Christ.
I ask the first hiker his plan. He had my original plan of hiking up and over Madison and looking for a stealth site at the tree line once off the ridge. I tell him my fears: I’ve never night hiked before, I’m scared of this descent, I’m freezing cold and my tent is wet, and I’m mostly afraid I’m going to make a go for it and either get stuck OR get to the tree line and have no stealth spots left. He takes in all my panic and tells me to just take it slow, watch my footing most importantly, and go ahead and get out my headlamp now so I don’t have to take my pack off in a sketchy section of trail if the daylight leaves me. The rest-we worry about later. He said he’d scout the tree line and try to find us both spots. Damn I love hikers.
I’ve gotten myself so worked up that I’m close to tears and out of breath from the ascent up rocks to Mount Madison. I had to actually stop myself and say out loud, “calm down, you’re definitely going to get hurt if you allow yourself to overreact. You’re fine. People night hike these mountains all the time. Slow your breathing and pay attention.” The whole time I was talking to myself, my breathing slowed and the tears dried. And then there was nothing else to do but get somewhere.
I got to the top of Madison rather quickly and thought I was going down the steep downhill, but it just kept turning into more ridge line. Rocks on rocks on boulders.. one wrong step and you can kiss your tibia goodbye. I had to use my hands so much and sit and slide down for better footing, that I put my phone in a zippered compartment to make sure I wouldn’t drop it off the mountainside. Wouldn’t that have been the icing on the cake?
I was going down the billionth “steep down to a new ridge line” thing, begging the tree line to appear, when a hiker came up behind me. We were almost to the point of needing our headlamps, just a slight greyish dusk was left in the sky. He said he was friends with the guy ahead of me, and that he was planning to either stealth, make it to the campsite at the bottom (another 2 miles) or potentially just hike all the way to Pinkham Notch (the road). After he heard my plans, I sort of think he purposely didn’t take a stealth spot to leave it for me.
This hiker, Hambone I think was his name, is a fast guy.. but for the most terrifying drops of that part of the trail in the almost dark, he slowed up to keep an eye on me. He never said this, and it’s not like he was close enough to talk with me, but when he could have easily sailed on those ridges, he’d slow to pace I was certain was only to make sure I made it off the last rocky bits to the ridge part safely. Even if it wasn’t intentional, I was so damn grateful for him. I knew if I fell, someone was nearby to hear me. That alone gave me comfort.
A little after 9pm I made it to the tree line. I had been hiking with my headlamp for maybe 30 minutes and I was thrilled to know it was actually pretty bright to see the whole trail and up ahead some too. I was starting to search for anything that looked remotely flat seconds after passing the first tree. At 9:15, a man’s voice says, “hey, is that you?” Lol.. uh.. I stop immediately and try to figure out where he’s at. Off to my left a little but I can’t see him.. “it’s PBS..” “ah, I didn’t know your name. Im Wolverine. There’s a site just big enough for one to your right.” I’ll be damned if he didn’t make sure to scout me out a site!
It was mostly flat, and as I pull out my wet tent, I realize it won’t fit there regardless of how wet or dry it is. I was starting to come to terms with the idea that I might be cowboy camping for the first time tonight, too.. which just means sleeping out under the stars without any shelter. Then, another hiker appears, Wolverine makes room for him over on his side of the trail. He had to cowboy camp, too.
So, I put my ground cloth down.. blow up my air mattress and quickly put on all my warm clothes. I was so cold. I get down in my quilt inside my liner, and then realize I haven’t eaten dinner. Ugh.. I ate some chips because I was far too exhausted to attempt to cook anything. I close my food bag and leave it just to the side of me, and prop my umbrella up over my head like I do in my tent to help shield the wind off the mountain.
And then I tried to sleep. Tried and tried and tried. My hands were cold but also burnt.. so when they’d warm up it felt like that were catching fire. Nothing could touch them. Trying to sleep on your side is difficult without having your hands wrapped up or wedged somewhere. They were way too cold to even pretend I was going to type this blog post up.. lol
I’m pretty sure every hiker that camped there regretted it. I moved all night long. I was literally so physically spent, but could not for the life of me let the sleep win. I did finally get some decent rest (off and on still) from about 2:30-6:00. But ya know what? I did two things I had never done before: night hiked and cowboy camped. I survived Mount Washington and Madison. I didn’t break anything or get hurt or succumb to the elements. As absolutely stressful and terrifying as it was, I’m damn proud of myself for getting it done and keeping safe thoughts while doing so.
And with that, I’ll tell y’all goodnight 🙂
