Day 111 - Friday, July 23, 2021

Today we are continuing hiking through the White Mountain National Forest and begin our adventure up Mt. Washington and the President’s. I think we may get lucky with the weather- at least for a couple days. 

This segment will take another 3 days/2nights but we have made arrangements to stay overnight in the Huts. Today we resuming NoBo from the Ethan Pond Trail (1847.4 NoBo) and hiking the approach to Mt. Washington to Lakes of the the Cloud Hut (1858.7 NoBo) equaling 11.3 miles. We will summit Mt. Washington tomorrow. 

We began hiking at 8:00 am under  partly cloudy skies. Temperatures were mild, 52°. 





Meet Spirit. Spirit left Harpers Ferry  April 2nd. 









Mt. Jackson from its base. 











Views from Webster Cliffs. 









Mt. Washington in the background. 












Making our final approach to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. 



The Lake in the Clouds Hut. 






My bunk at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. We chose to use the huts in lieu of the shelters to minimize pack weight. You’re basically slack packing as you don’t need to pack tents or meals,  just water and extra clothes. But there is a price for this convenience - they are not cheap; $120 night/person which includes a bunk, dinner and breakfast. Many thru hikers don’t use them because of that. A lot of provisions are delivered by helicopter periodically throughout the year which is why the cost are so high. 



Hut Staff hosting Jeopardy after dinner. Staff consist of college students or new graduates working the hut season. 





View of Mt. Washington from the hut at sunset… amazing!


Was a great day for hiking… first day of no rain in over a week. Early start tomorrow to summit Mt. Washington and hike the Presidents. 



Till next time... Happy Hiking  🥾 

😋


“Acts of generosity in this wild and primitive setting…where basic amenities…are intentionally absent–are often received in a heightened sense of wonder and gratitude by hikers. These acts of generosity are referred to as “trail magic.”

                     (Appalachian Trail Conservancy)

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