Carlo Coal Shelter
August 10, 2006 - Carlo Col Shelter to Trident Col Campsite
I was awake at 4 a.m. so I got up in the shelter alone. I had breakfast and was gone by 5.a.m. I hiked the .2 back up
to the trail and after I got back on the trail it was absolute climbing hand over hand to the top. It was very slow and
difficult going but doable. I was only an elevation change of 300 feet so I got up there in ½ hour. I hiked to Gentian
Pond and took a break. This is a scenic area and a fine shelter. There were raspberries in front of the shelter too. I
left the shelter after an hour and the next little bit was a pretty woods walk and near flowing water. Oh by the way,
New Hampshire has lots of roots and rocks too. There were several boggy areas here too and the going was slow. I
got to Trident Col Campsite and it started to rain soon thereafter. It started to rain harder so I ate my dinner in my
hammock. Combat who hiked some of the trail last year is here tonight too. At 8 p.m. it is still wet outside but the
rain has stopped. I am 6.8 miles from Gorham N.H. I will leave at 5 a.m. in the morning and try to be at the road to
hitch into Gorham at 11a.m. I will be at the barn tomorrow.
I was awake at 4 a.m. so I got up in the shelter alone. I had breakfast and was gone by 5.a.m. I hiked the .2 back up
to the trail and after I got back on the trail it was absolute climbing hand over hand to the top. It was very slow and
difficult going but doable. I was only an elevation change of 300 feet so I got up there in ½ hour. I hiked to Gentian
Pond and took a break. This is a scenic area and a fine shelter. There were raspberries in front of the shelter too. I
left the shelter after an hour and the next little bit was a pretty woods walk and near flowing water. Oh by the way,
New Hampshire has lots of roots and rocks too. There were several boggy areas here too and the going was slow. I
got to Trident Col Campsite and it started to rain soon thereafter. It started to rain harder so I ate my dinner in my
hammock. Combat who hiked some of the trail last year is here tonight too. At 8 p.m. it is still wet outside but the
rain has stopped. I am 6.8 miles from Gorham N.H. I will leave at 5 a.m. in the morning and try to be at the road to
hitch into Gorham at 11a.m. I will be at the barn tomorrow.
Wooden Moose in Gorham
August 11, 2006 - Trident Col camp to Gorham, The Barn
I was up early today and left at 5 a.m. as planned. It was a cold morning and I got very cold while walking in
overgrown trail that was wet. I had to stop and put on my raingear to keep warm. I took two breaks this morning and
enjoyed the cool morning. I descended down a long time to get to the road. You could see the Bridge through the
road and lake area all morning below. When I finally got to the road I got a ride after a while along with Tex, a
through hiking north bounder. A drunk horny woman picked us up and I am glad I was in the back seat. She was
really eyeing young Tex! I was dropped off at The Barn and the woman and Tex disappeared down into Gorham. I
never saw him again! I met the owner of the Barn and paid him immediately. He expects to be paid right off the bat. It
is a money thing! I took a shower and stowed my gear and re-packed my food box that Virginia sent me. I had
stayed here in 1981 and it was free then. You get no more this time and it costs $18. I had planned to stay 2 nights
but it didn’t do much for me this time. I had my picture taken again at the window I got my finger smashed at in 1981.
I walked around town getting the things I needed to move on tomorrow. I had to buy a new camera card for camera
because the C.D. machine was not working at the Rite Aid. I didn’t mind this because I can take more pictures now.
This place has no phone, internet, no spoons or forks, little cook pots and a sink, or a tub to wash dishes in. Doc the
owner needs to upgrade a bit! The upstairs has mattress on the floor. The other thing is the traffic is bad at night
and if you are not a sound sleeper you will not sleep! Oh by the way. If you want a second shower it costs you an
additional $3.00. I don’t do this much but just go on by The Barn at Gorham and stay at The Hiker’s Paradise.
Everything you need is on the other side of town anyway.
August 12, 2006 - The Barn to a Campsite south of Rattle River Shelter
I slept fine here at The Barn despite the traffic noise here at the beginning of the weekend. I got up at 5 a.m. and
watched a little news on the tub. None of the news is good. The terrorists plot on planes in England all over the
news. I got coffee going on the stove, no coffee maker here, no silverware, not phone, no internet. I tried to get a
ride to town but no deal either. I would have to wait till the bus begins to run at a later time. The beds here have no
blankets so we need to use our own sleeping bag. I left a food cache here and will pick it up when I get to Pinkham
Notch. I will hitch back into Gorham in a few nights. At 7:00 a.m. I went to a phone and called Virginia and told her
that I missed her and I loved her. She did the same more than once. I then went to Cumberland’s Farm close by and
bought some cheese, one quart of milk, and some potato chips for a junk treat. I said good bye to Doc and he gave
me a couple of link sausages for the road. They were good! In the town yesterday I was able to get some Gatorade
at the outfitters but they could not replace my platypus. They didn’t carry my four liter size at this store. I took
several pictures of wooden moose in this town and many of the buildings and the mountain ranges to the south. I
got a quick hitch out of town by a man going to play golf. He dropped me off at the far side of the road walk. I had to
backtrack and do the road walk without my pack. I then started to hike south on the trail and got to Rattle River
Shelter in about an hour. I stopped at the shelter for a while and talked to a sister and brother team who were out for
200 miles. They were carrying hammocks too and he had a cheap version and his flung him out on the ground last
night. Even though they got ahead of me this day I never saw these two people again. I left shelter and started the
800 foot climb and by the time I got to around 2500 feet up it was windy, 20 mph winds and cold! As I hiked up I
heard water from a creek and looked off of the trail and could see open pines. This would be a good place to camp
and there would be wood too for a cold evening. I really had to bushwhack to get over there to the campsite but
was a good hammock site! It stayed very cold and I am glad I stayed at a lower elevation tonight. I put on everything
I had in my pack to wear and got a fire going and drank some coffee and I feel better now. Life is good when you are
fed and warm. I am in the Whites now and you can only have fires 200 feet off the trail which I am. My hammock is
cold to sleep in and it will be tough tonight. I will be glad to get out of these higher elevations. It is too cold and too
many restrictions. Too much B.S. for me. I heard hikers walk by and they never knew I was here. I just noticed that I
will be at Pinkham Notch on the 14th of August. I was there on August 14th in 1981 on my through hike then too.
Weird huh? My daughter’s birth day was on that date. She was 7 years in 1981. Life sure does fly by. Sometimes it
doesn’t. R.I.P. little girl. Wish you could be with me here. I guess you are! Melodye died of leukemia in 1989. It is
really cloudy here tonight I hope it doesn’t rain. I think it would snow if moisture comes this way. At 7p.m. I have
finished dinner and am still drinking hot liquids. I still have a nice little fire and I am sitting close to it. There is a hard
day of hiking tomorrow. I am in the Wildcat Range!
August 13, 2006 – Campsite near Rattle River to .2 south of Zeta Pass
I was up before the break of dawn. I built a fire immediately and cooked breakfast and made a big quantity of coffee.
I later found out that I left my bear twine at the tree in which I hung my food at. I am lucky that I have two of them. I
heard today that it snowed 2 inches on Mount Washington yesterday. The trails were in good shape here in the
Whites and the going wasn’t so tough. I saw 6 hikers all day. I saw none while hiking. There were lots of nice views
up on Carter Dome for all today. Mount Washington just stood out and you could see the whole range easily. I could
pick out the Auto Road and towers on the summit. As I hiked I noticed the only flat good camping spots are closed. I
am feeling very smart now that I bought a hammock. I can stay anywhere there are two trees. I stopped at Zeta Pass
and got some water and hiked out of the no camping zone and bushwhacked over into a mountain side and hung
my hammock. I got another fire going on a cold day and rested up after eating something. I have my hammock
hanging over rocks and small sapling trees, on very unlevel ground! No problem for me here either. It got down to
30 degrees here last night. Since I left most of my supplies in Gorham my pack is very light for a change. I broke a
stick off of the tree I was hanging my hammock on earlier and it spat back a splinter and hit me on the tip of my
nose! I bled like a stuck pig!
I was up early today and left at 5 a.m. as planned. It was a cold morning and I got very cold while walking in
overgrown trail that was wet. I had to stop and put on my raingear to keep warm. I took two breaks this morning and
enjoyed the cool morning. I descended down a long time to get to the road. You could see the Bridge through the
road and lake area all morning below. When I finally got to the road I got a ride after a while along with Tex, a
through hiking north bounder. A drunk horny woman picked us up and I am glad I was in the back seat. She was
really eyeing young Tex! I was dropped off at The Barn and the woman and Tex disappeared down into Gorham. I
never saw him again! I met the owner of the Barn and paid him immediately. He expects to be paid right off the bat. It
is a money thing! I took a shower and stowed my gear and re-packed my food box that Virginia sent me. I had
stayed here in 1981 and it was free then. You get no more this time and it costs $18. I had planned to stay 2 nights
but it didn’t do much for me this time. I had my picture taken again at the window I got my finger smashed at in 1981.
I walked around town getting the things I needed to move on tomorrow. I had to buy a new camera card for camera
because the C.D. machine was not working at the Rite Aid. I didn’t mind this because I can take more pictures now.
This place has no phone, internet, no spoons or forks, little cook pots and a sink, or a tub to wash dishes in. Doc the
owner needs to upgrade a bit! The upstairs has mattress on the floor. The other thing is the traffic is bad at night
and if you are not a sound sleeper you will not sleep! Oh by the way. If you want a second shower it costs you an
additional $3.00. I don’t do this much but just go on by The Barn at Gorham and stay at The Hiker’s Paradise.
Everything you need is on the other side of town anyway.
August 12, 2006 - The Barn to a Campsite south of Rattle River Shelter
I slept fine here at The Barn despite the traffic noise here at the beginning of the weekend. I got up at 5 a.m. and
watched a little news on the tub. None of the news is good. The terrorists plot on planes in England all over the
news. I got coffee going on the stove, no coffee maker here, no silverware, not phone, no internet. I tried to get a
ride to town but no deal either. I would have to wait till the bus begins to run at a later time. The beds here have no
blankets so we need to use our own sleeping bag. I left a food cache here and will pick it up when I get to Pinkham
Notch. I will hitch back into Gorham in a few nights. At 7:00 a.m. I went to a phone and called Virginia and told her
that I missed her and I loved her. She did the same more than once. I then went to Cumberland’s Farm close by and
bought some cheese, one quart of milk, and some potato chips for a junk treat. I said good bye to Doc and he gave
me a couple of link sausages for the road. They were good! In the town yesterday I was able to get some Gatorade
at the outfitters but they could not replace my platypus. They didn’t carry my four liter size at this store. I took
several pictures of wooden moose in this town and many of the buildings and the mountain ranges to the south. I
got a quick hitch out of town by a man going to play golf. He dropped me off at the far side of the road walk. I had to
backtrack and do the road walk without my pack. I then started to hike south on the trail and got to Rattle River
Shelter in about an hour. I stopped at the shelter for a while and talked to a sister and brother team who were out for
200 miles. They were carrying hammocks too and he had a cheap version and his flung him out on the ground last
night. Even though they got ahead of me this day I never saw these two people again. I left shelter and started the
800 foot climb and by the time I got to around 2500 feet up it was windy, 20 mph winds and cold! As I hiked up I
heard water from a creek and looked off of the trail and could see open pines. This would be a good place to camp
and there would be wood too for a cold evening. I really had to bushwhack to get over there to the campsite but
was a good hammock site! It stayed very cold and I am glad I stayed at a lower elevation tonight. I put on everything
I had in my pack to wear and got a fire going and drank some coffee and I feel better now. Life is good when you are
fed and warm. I am in the Whites now and you can only have fires 200 feet off the trail which I am. My hammock is
cold to sleep in and it will be tough tonight. I will be glad to get out of these higher elevations. It is too cold and too
many restrictions. Too much B.S. for me. I heard hikers walk by and they never knew I was here. I just noticed that I
will be at Pinkham Notch on the 14th of August. I was there on August 14th in 1981 on my through hike then too.
Weird huh? My daughter’s birth day was on that date. She was 7 years in 1981. Life sure does fly by. Sometimes it
doesn’t. R.I.P. little girl. Wish you could be with me here. I guess you are! Melodye died of leukemia in 1989. It is
really cloudy here tonight I hope it doesn’t rain. I think it would snow if moisture comes this way. At 7p.m. I have
finished dinner and am still drinking hot liquids. I still have a nice little fire and I am sitting close to it. There is a hard
day of hiking tomorrow. I am in the Wildcat Range!
August 13, 2006 – Campsite near Rattle River to .2 south of Zeta Pass
I was up before the break of dawn. I built a fire immediately and cooked breakfast and made a big quantity of coffee.
I later found out that I left my bear twine at the tree in which I hung my food at. I am lucky that I have two of them. I
heard today that it snowed 2 inches on Mount Washington yesterday. The trails were in good shape here in the
Whites and the going wasn’t so tough. I saw 6 hikers all day. I saw none while hiking. There were lots of nice views
up on Carter Dome for all today. Mount Washington just stood out and you could see the whole range easily. I could
pick out the Auto Road and towers on the summit. As I hiked I noticed the only flat good camping spots are closed. I
am feeling very smart now that I bought a hammock. I can stay anywhere there are two trees. I stopped at Zeta Pass
and got some water and hiked out of the no camping zone and bushwhacked over into a mountain side and hung
my hammock. I got another fire going on a cold day and rested up after eating something. I have my hammock
hanging over rocks and small sapling trees, on very unlevel ground! No problem for me here either. It got down to
30 degrees here last night. Since I left most of my supplies in Gorham my pack is very light for a change. I broke a
stick off of the tree I was hanging my hammock on earlier and it spat back a splinter and hit me on the tip of my
nose! I bled like a stuck pig!
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