View of Mt. Washington from the Wildcats
August 14, 2006 - Zeta Pass Campsite to Hiker’s Paradise in Gorham
This is Melodye’s birthday! I ended up at Pinkham Notch at 4:30 p.m. It was 25 years today that I was here at the
same location on my 1981 through hike! This day had a lot of climbing and descending in it. Coming down to
Pinkham takes my vote as the prettiest and most difficult decent on the entire trail except maybe Moosilauke. The
wooden steps in the solid rock display just how treacherous it was. I took a shower at the Hut and don’t waste your
time doing that here because the water is cold! It was like this in 1981 and they still haven’t fixed it! I hitched down
into Gorham with a man who was proud of his old diesel converted pickup truck. He burns recycled cooking oil in it
and the smell is like French fries. He stopped by The Barn for me so I could get my food bag and then took me over
to The Hiker’s Paradise. I was grateful. The Hiker’s Paradise is also a business like the Barn. You pay up front. This
place is different however. We get a bed up off the floor with sheets and blankets. We also have a free telephone to
use with our calling card. There is a good television, a refrigerator, you can take all the showers you want and there
are cooking pots and pans and silverware. This place is very clean and there are 4 or 5 sleeping rooms so if you
want to you can have a room by yourself if they are not busy. This all comes for $17.00. The rooms also face the
back of the building which makes it a lot quieter then The Barn. I have no ill feelings for Doc at The Barn but if you
want the most for your money stay at The Hikers Paradise. I ate at the local Chinese restaurant and bought a new
pair of insoles for my boots. They are like walking on air now! I will not hike a lot tomorrow. I will go to the closest
campsite from Pinkham Notch. I called Virginia at 10:00 p.m. My knees are hurting badly from the steep decent
today.
August 15, 2006 - Hiker’s Paradise Gorham N.H. to Osgood Campsite
I was up early with two others in this big upstairs hostel. I took a bath to soak my sore knees and felt better after a
long hot soak. I had some bacon left by others and coffee for breakfast. I headed to get some batteries but they
didn’t open for a while so I went over to the laundry where I finished drying some damp clothes. I walked back
through town and hitched a quick ride to Pinkham Notch. Gorham is one of just a few towns on the entire trail that
you can get to from two different directions. I hiked a total of 4.8 miles and was listless all day. The hike out of
Pinkham skirted around the valley and was a bit rouged at times but without much elevation. This campsite is a nice
one with tent platforms and privy. It has excellent water and is at 2500 feet in elevation. I will have to go up 2800
more feet to the top of Madison first thing tomorrow. I may work for stay there tomorrow. Combat is here too. We are
at the same tent platform. He has a badly infected toe and should get off the trail and see a doctor.
This is Melodye’s birthday! I ended up at Pinkham Notch at 4:30 p.m. It was 25 years today that I was here at the
same location on my 1981 through hike! This day had a lot of climbing and descending in it. Coming down to
Pinkham takes my vote as the prettiest and most difficult decent on the entire trail except maybe Moosilauke. The
wooden steps in the solid rock display just how treacherous it was. I took a shower at the Hut and don’t waste your
time doing that here because the water is cold! It was like this in 1981 and they still haven’t fixed it! I hitched down
into Gorham with a man who was proud of his old diesel converted pickup truck. He burns recycled cooking oil in it
and the smell is like French fries. He stopped by The Barn for me so I could get my food bag and then took me over
to The Hiker’s Paradise. I was grateful. The Hiker’s Paradise is also a business like the Barn. You pay up front. This
place is different however. We get a bed up off the floor with sheets and blankets. We also have a free telephone to
use with our calling card. There is a good television, a refrigerator, you can take all the showers you want and there
are cooking pots and pans and silverware. This place is very clean and there are 4 or 5 sleeping rooms so if you
want to you can have a room by yourself if they are not busy. This all comes for $17.00. The rooms also face the
back of the building which makes it a lot quieter then The Barn. I have no ill feelings for Doc at The Barn but if you
want the most for your money stay at The Hikers Paradise. I ate at the local Chinese restaurant and bought a new
pair of insoles for my boots. They are like walking on air now! I will not hike a lot tomorrow. I will go to the closest
campsite from Pinkham Notch. I called Virginia at 10:00 p.m. My knees are hurting badly from the steep decent
today.
August 15, 2006 - Hiker’s Paradise Gorham N.H. to Osgood Campsite
I was up early with two others in this big upstairs hostel. I took a bath to soak my sore knees and felt better after a
long hot soak. I had some bacon left by others and coffee for breakfast. I headed to get some batteries but they
didn’t open for a while so I went over to the laundry where I finished drying some damp clothes. I walked back
through town and hitched a quick ride to Pinkham Notch. Gorham is one of just a few towns on the entire trail that
you can get to from two different directions. I hiked a total of 4.8 miles and was listless all day. The hike out of
Pinkham skirted around the valley and was a bit rouged at times but without much elevation. This campsite is a nice
one with tent platforms and privy. It has excellent water and is at 2500 feet in elevation. I will have to go up 2800
more feet to the top of Madison first thing tomorrow. I may work for stay there tomorrow. Combat is here too. We are
at the same tent platform. He has a badly infected toe and should get off the trail and see a doctor.
Madison Hut
August 16, 2006 - Osgood Campsite to camp very near Madison Hut
It rained a little in the night. I was out of the camp at 6 a.m. and on my way up to Mount Madison. It is a big climb
today but I will soon get above tree line and it should be a good day to view Mount Washington from up top. I
enjoyed the slow climb up and took many breaks. I got to Madison Hut by 1 p.m. and tried to get the all you can eat
soup here. I got a small bowl and was told that they were out already. I hung around for a while and decided that it
would be tough in being allowed to stay here so I left. I knew there was a free camp sight .6 mile off the ridge and a
steep trail at that so I started down to it. About 1/3 of the way down I found a nice stealth camp sight and stayed
there. It was a perfect place to view Mt. Madison and the sunset. It was about 10 minutes hike down from the hut,
just out of the .2 mile buffer zone in which you can not camp. I set my hammock up on a good tree and a dead tree
and had to brace off of the dead tree to hold my weight. It held up fine but at times I was wondering whether or not it
would make it through the night. I slept well here but it is still getting very cold at night. I should have gotten water up
at the Hut but I didn’t. I had to bushwhack over into a little gorge to get it and it was difficult getting down there. While
at the Hut today I checked the old journals here and I had signed it in August 10 to 12 in 1981. I could not find that
particular journal so I was unsuccessful finding it. I found a little radio with a light today and will carry it for a while to
see if it works. It is now time to eat! It is nearly 8 o’clock and I just finished my mashed potatoes and gravy and
hamburger that I like and mixed up some orange drink and heated it up to drink. It was good. Except for tomorrow I
can camp the rest of the way below tree line. I took a few Ibuprofens tonight for my barking knees. I slept well in my
hammock but had to wear all of my clothes to keep warm.
It rained a little in the night. I was out of the camp at 6 a.m. and on my way up to Mount Madison. It is a big climb
today but I will soon get above tree line and it should be a good day to view Mount Washington from up top. I
enjoyed the slow climb up and took many breaks. I got to Madison Hut by 1 p.m. and tried to get the all you can eat
soup here. I got a small bowl and was told that they were out already. I hung around for a while and decided that it
would be tough in being allowed to stay here so I left. I knew there was a free camp sight .6 mile off the ridge and a
steep trail at that so I started down to it. About 1/3 of the way down I found a nice stealth camp sight and stayed
there. It was a perfect place to view Mt. Madison and the sunset. It was about 10 minutes hike down from the hut,
just out of the .2 mile buffer zone in which you can not camp. I set my hammock up on a good tree and a dead tree
and had to brace off of the dead tree to hold my weight. It held up fine but at times I was wondering whether or not it
would make it through the night. I slept well here but it is still getting very cold at night. I should have gotten water up
at the Hut but I didn’t. I had to bushwhack over into a little gorge to get it and it was difficult getting down there. While
at the Hut today I checked the old journals here and I had signed it in August 10 to 12 in 1981. I could not find that
particular journal so I was unsuccessful finding it. I found a little radio with a light today and will carry it for a while to
see if it works. It is now time to eat! It is nearly 8 o’clock and I just finished my mashed potatoes and gravy and
hamburger that I like and mixed up some orange drink and heated it up to drink. It was good. Except for tomorrow I
can camp the rest of the way below tree line. I took a few Ibuprofens tonight for my barking knees. I slept well in my
hammock but had to wear all of my clothes to keep warm.
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