Eliza Brook Shelter
August 26, 2006 - Campsite near Lonesome Lake Hut to Eliza Brook Shelter
I was up early and had bacon and toast with coffee for breakfast. It was a tough climb up into the Kinsman Range. It
was one mile between peaks and it was pretty and clear up here. After this day I had just about enjoyed all I could
stand. I was very tired after a lot of ups and downs. The hike off of south Kinsman was brutal. I called it quits after
5.5 miles for the day at Eliza Brook Shelter. I found some strawberry jam at the shelter in the bear box and I took
some and ate a lot of it. I had peanut butter and jam together. The mosquitoes are bad here tonight. I was here first
and got the dry side of the shelter. I hear the next 8 miles are the last really tough miles that I have left. I have been
enjoying the brook sounds here tonight alone so far. My knees are starting to feel even better now since the hiking
is a little less brutal lately. 15 to 18 hikers ended up staying here last night. They all came in later than usual.
August 27, 2006 - Eliza Brook Shelter to Base of Moosilauke
I left the shelter early after listening to some go-lite hikers talk about big miles in the Whites to come for them! I wish
they would camp out somewhere else but they go light and have no damn equipment. One had to sleep under the
eave of the shelter to stay dry. P U.D.S. Puds are pointless ups and downs. I had many on this day. There were
little views but lots of puds! This makes for a boring day of hiking. I still enjoyed the day until later when a cold and
windy day started to test my endurance. I got very cold hiking and even had to put on my rain gear. I met The
Chocolate Bandito today. She was cold too and headed up to the top of Kinsman when I met her. I hope she just
went to Eliza Brook Shelter. I finally got to the bottom of the mountain and at Kinsman Notch it was a big, steep,
slippery, climb up to Beaver Brook Shelter so I decided not to take the chance on the steepest one mile on the
entire trail. Yes, I camped illegally at the bottom where I deemed it safe to do so. I even had a fire to stay warm. I was
close to hypothermia and knew I did the right thing legal or not. Don’t always listen to the signs put up by people who
have cars to get into and go home when it gets cold and wet. Real hikers do the right thing usually anyway. Let us
be and burn the signs. We don’t need them anyway. Goat public service announcement! I got into my hammock with
all dry clothes on and could not get warm. That is when I got a fire going. I finally got warmed up a bit when the fire
kicked in. I was chilled to the bone! My hat is working out well too. I got it in the hiker box at Crawford Notch. I will
hike up the steep mountain tomorrow when I can enjoy it. There was a shelter near here in 1981 at the bottom
where it is safe. It was too close to the road but would be nice in an emergency situation like tonight. The fire feels
soooo good here tonight. I sit very close to it.
I was up early and had bacon and toast with coffee for breakfast. It was a tough climb up into the Kinsman Range. It
was one mile between peaks and it was pretty and clear up here. After this day I had just about enjoyed all I could
stand. I was very tired after a lot of ups and downs. The hike off of south Kinsman was brutal. I called it quits after
5.5 miles for the day at Eliza Brook Shelter. I found some strawberry jam at the shelter in the bear box and I took
some and ate a lot of it. I had peanut butter and jam together. The mosquitoes are bad here tonight. I was here first
and got the dry side of the shelter. I hear the next 8 miles are the last really tough miles that I have left. I have been
enjoying the brook sounds here tonight alone so far. My knees are starting to feel even better now since the hiking
is a little less brutal lately. 15 to 18 hikers ended up staying here last night. They all came in later than usual.
August 27, 2006 - Eliza Brook Shelter to Base of Moosilauke
I left the shelter early after listening to some go-lite hikers talk about big miles in the Whites to come for them! I wish
they would camp out somewhere else but they go light and have no damn equipment. One had to sleep under the
eave of the shelter to stay dry. P U.D.S. Puds are pointless ups and downs. I had many on this day. There were
little views but lots of puds! This makes for a boring day of hiking. I still enjoyed the day until later when a cold and
windy day started to test my endurance. I got very cold hiking and even had to put on my rain gear. I met The
Chocolate Bandito today. She was cold too and headed up to the top of Kinsman when I met her. I hope she just
went to Eliza Brook Shelter. I finally got to the bottom of the mountain and at Kinsman Notch it was a big, steep,
slippery, climb up to Beaver Brook Shelter so I decided not to take the chance on the steepest one mile on the
entire trail. Yes, I camped illegally at the bottom where I deemed it safe to do so. I even had a fire to stay warm. I was
close to hypothermia and knew I did the right thing legal or not. Don’t always listen to the signs put up by people who
have cars to get into and go home when it gets cold and wet. Real hikers do the right thing usually anyway. Let us
be and burn the signs. We don’t need them anyway. Goat public service announcement! I got into my hammock with
all dry clothes on and could not get warm. That is when I got a fire going. I finally got warmed up a bit when the fire
kicked in. I was chilled to the bone! My hat is working out well too. I got it in the hiker box at Crawford Notch. I will
hike up the steep mountain tomorrow when I can enjoy it. There was a shelter near here in 1981 at the bottom
where it is safe. It was too close to the road but would be nice in an emergency situation like tonight. The fire feels
soooo good here tonight. I sit very close to it.
Jeffers Brook Lean To
Under Construction but Usable >
August 28, 2006 - Base of Moosilauke to Jeffers Brook Shelter-
I was up late for me this morning, 6:30 a.m. I didn’t leave till after 8 a.m. after evening rain everything is wet! I started
my 2000 foot climb and it was pretty and not as bad as it once was. Now there are many hand holds going up or
down. In 1981 there weren’t near as many. This was another mountain tamed since 1981. I enjoyed the waterfalls
going up and you could see them constantly. I made it to the Beaver Brook Shelter and I met John and Molasses.
They are south bound thru-hiking and have been behind me the whole time finally catching me. They left a week
after me and are ½ my age. They are in no hurry either. I came down this trail in 1981 in a really bad rain and sleet
storm at the end of the day. This time it wasn’t so bad. I stayed at the shelter for an hour and John and Molasses left
before me. I noticed soon after they left that Molasses left one of his stuff bags here. I decided to carry it today and
try to catch him if I could. Before reaching the summit I met Sam I Am, who I had met last fall in Pennsylvania! He
remembered me too. I caught Molasses before I got to the top of Moosilauke. He noticed he had forgotten it and
turned around and had been coming back to the shelter when I laughed and said I know where you are going. He
looked at me and said,” Did you bring it?” I laughed again and told him I had it. I was glad to get rid of the 3 # of
weight! There wasn’t much of a view up top but it was worth it. I continued on and the downhill was slippery but not
too bad. I hit a milestone today. I have climbed the last big hard mountain till I get out of New Hampshire.
Massachusetts has some smaller big mountains but the worst is over now. I got to Jeffers Brook Shelter, built in
1981 and I hung out all of my wet stuff and went to get water out and down front of the shelter. Someone had left
some eggs at the shelter and I had them for dinner. I am alone here so far tonight. This is a most beautiful setting
for a shelter. It has many large pine trees and had a brand new outhouse, very big under construction. I enjoyed my
night here at this pretty place. The hostel in Glencliff is only 1.1 miles form here. I will do some business there
tomorrow and move to the next shelter tomorrow night. I ate blackberries for the first time today coming off the
mountain to here. I walked through the first open field I have seen since leaving Baxter State Park. Farmland will
become more prevalent in the coming days. I saw many apple trees today but not many apples. There are moose
and bear signs everywhere!
I was up late for me this morning, 6:30 a.m. I didn’t leave till after 8 a.m. after evening rain everything is wet! I started
my 2000 foot climb and it was pretty and not as bad as it once was. Now there are many hand holds going up or
down. In 1981 there weren’t near as many. This was another mountain tamed since 1981. I enjoyed the waterfalls
going up and you could see them constantly. I made it to the Beaver Brook Shelter and I met John and Molasses.
They are south bound thru-hiking and have been behind me the whole time finally catching me. They left a week
after me and are ½ my age. They are in no hurry either. I came down this trail in 1981 in a really bad rain and sleet
storm at the end of the day. This time it wasn’t so bad. I stayed at the shelter for an hour and John and Molasses left
before me. I noticed soon after they left that Molasses left one of his stuff bags here. I decided to carry it today and
try to catch him if I could. Before reaching the summit I met Sam I Am, who I had met last fall in Pennsylvania! He
remembered me too. I caught Molasses before I got to the top of Moosilauke. He noticed he had forgotten it and
turned around and had been coming back to the shelter when I laughed and said I know where you are going. He
looked at me and said,” Did you bring it?” I laughed again and told him I had it. I was glad to get rid of the 3 # of
weight! There wasn’t much of a view up top but it was worth it. I continued on and the downhill was slippery but not
too bad. I hit a milestone today. I have climbed the last big hard mountain till I get out of New Hampshire.
Massachusetts has some smaller big mountains but the worst is over now. I got to Jeffers Brook Shelter, built in
1981 and I hung out all of my wet stuff and went to get water out and down front of the shelter. Someone had left
some eggs at the shelter and I had them for dinner. I am alone here so far tonight. This is a most beautiful setting
for a shelter. It has many large pine trees and had a brand new outhouse, very big under construction. I enjoyed my
night here at this pretty place. The hostel in Glencliff is only 1.1 miles form here. I will do some business there
tomorrow and move to the next shelter tomorrow night. I ate blackberries for the first time today coming off the
mountain to here. I walked through the first open field I have seen since leaving Baxter State Park. Farmland will
become more prevalent in the coming days. I saw many apple trees today but not many apples. There are moose
and bear signs everywhere!
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