Beaver Brook Shelter
The word of the day is rain. All day and all night it rained. I always lived in fear of this. I have read of people on thru-hikes having their spirits broken and givng up due to the week of rain. In last two weeks I think I have had 3 or 4 days that have been rain free. Of those my feet have stayed dry 3 days and one of those days because I was indoors at the hostel! Still I have felt no buckeling in resolve. I do not like the rain but it is just part of the trip like the bugs or the heat or cold. I just sort of plug through it.
Today I let everyone leave and spent the first half of the day catching up on my journals that have fallen way behind. Also I needed to deal with some mail. This kept me at the hostel till past 2 P.M.. It looked like the rain might let up but the best it did was ease up to a fine mist.
The goal for the day was rather simple, go over the top of Mt. Moosilauke. That is no simple feat though given it is about a 3700' continous climb. Moosilauke is is the first mountain on this trip were we pass into an alpine zone and above tree line. The climb was unquestionably hard but it also was steady and gradual happening over about 5 miles.
Here the climb also climbed through various forest starting with something more mixed; maples, birches, and pine trees with bushes, mushrooms, and mosses. At about 3,000' the plants changed to only pine trees and mosses. The soil thined exposing more rocks and the trees formed a matt of roots that ran along the top of this rock base.
After that the pine trees start to change. The higher up one gets the shorter they become Balsim Firs. The start to become thicker as the trunks get shorter. This is all selected for as the wind is far too powerful for taller trees and thinner branches to hold up to. The wind was really something. It remided me of the winds I got ridiing along the lake front in Chicago. I had been hiking shirtless so I could keep my shirt dry and I was staying pleanty warm from the climb but near the top I had to put on my rain jacket to fight off the wind chill. As I continued up the mountain the mist reduced visabilty to 100 yards, then 50. The wind grew stronger and the plants adapted to compensate. The Pines trees gave way at about 4,600' to short grasses, litchens, and very small wild Sandwort flowers. The mist of the rain was horizontally blowing across the exposure on the summit. All I could hear was the wind and and rain beating itself against the hood of my jacket. I could only see !
the the ground just around me and the grey outlines of the next stone carrin leading me up. At the summit there were the ruined foundations of an old hotel. It must have been a massive undertaking getting not only people up here but also their supplies, firewood, and even water. The wind was everywhere and the only pictures I could easly take were to the lee side as the wind would wet my lens quickly. One wrong move and my pack cover caught the wind and tried to take off. After I took care of that I was looking in the mist and savored the moment. The view beyond these clouds, I am sure, is stunning but I took comfort in watching the wisps of mist rapid skirt by the rocks and shouting into the wind.
The down hill was gradual. I took it a little slower as it is harder to climb down wet rocks than up. Fortunatly I only had to descend about 1,200' so I was in camp about and hour later where I am warm and dry en enjoying the last couple hours of sun.
------------------------------
Refer-A-Friend to PocketMail today and a receive $50 in service or $25 in CASH!
No comments:
Post a Comment