Franconia Notch to Garfield Shelter

Day 10
Friday, June 7, 2019
Franconia Notch to Garfield Shelter
10.3 Miles

We have heard so much about Franconia Ridge, and we definitely were not disappointed in the beauty of the place.  The weather was very nice and clear for us, that was a blessing.  To have come so far to get here and not be able to see the magnificent view would have been very disappointing.  Lots of day hikers hung out on top of the two mile ridge ove treeline.  We slowly made our way over Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette, stopping along the way to rest, eat and chat with other hikers.     We finally decided we better head on over to Mt. Garfield and the shelter.   So we left the crowd behind and started the long, hard descent down to Garfield Pond then a steep back up through trees and over the top to Garfield Ridge Shelter and campsite. 

We saw water on top of the mountain before the shelter and thought it would  be a good idea to get it here so we wouldn’t have to go down a trail to get it when we got to the shelter.  Boy, was it hard to carry a load of water .2 down from the top of the mountain then up again .2 off the trail  to the shelter, only to find out that water was available very close to the shelter!  Duh!  It said “reliable water” at the shelter right there in the guidebook.  OMG! 

The fee for camping at the shelter was $10 per person.  We purchased the AMC pass which enabled us to camp through the Whites for 50% off, 2 free baked goods and 1 free soup redeemed at one of the AMC Huts along the way. Jess was the caretaker. 

We hiked today from 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.  Thirteen hours.  8:40 was probably the latest we have ever gone to bed on the trail.

YouTube of Franconia Ridge

YouTube video of today's hike.

Eliza Brook Shelter to Franconia Notch

Day Eight
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Eliza Brook Shelter to Franconia Notch
8.8 mile

We thought yesterday was hard!! We are so glad we didn’t try this mess after 3:00 yesterday – we would have never made it to the next shelter.  I have never seen such steep mountains and hard-to-maneuver climbs and descents!  We met a man who had slept overnight at a most unlikely place on the mountain.  He was descending South Kinsman Mountain going south and said he ran out of daylight yesterday and had decided it would be unwise to try to go down in the dark even using his headlamp.  He had pitched his small tent in a notch between the rocks right on the downward path.  He was a seasoned hiker, a hunting guide from Maine.   

We reached Kinsman Pond Shelter at 12:30 and then went on to Lonesome Lake Hut where we ate potato soup, a cheese quesadilla and maple cookies. This hut is one of eight huts accessible only by trail in the White Mountains operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club. They have no heat or showers, use alternative energy sources and composting toilets.  They have bunks for hikers and serve a very fine dinner and breakfast for overnighters.  They are not cheap, but many thru-hikers take advantage of their work-for-stay opportunities to get a good meal although they have to sleep on the floor.  

Crossing Cascade Brook proved to be a little tricky.  We went upstream to find a shallower place to cross and didn’t realize that the brook split, so when we got to the other side, we couldn’t find the trail.  After searching for some time, another fellow came along and crossed downstream and was able to help us locate the trail.  We had to go back across where the stream split to get to the other side.  Then came Whitehouse Brook which didn’t present a problem before we got to the road and called Mike from Liberty Springs Hotel to pick us up. 

Two hikers checked into the room beside us and we got to know a little about them over the next couple of days.  They were hiking for an AARP campaign, sponsored by Gold Canyon Heart and Home, called “Disrupting the Aging Model.”   A 71-year-old man named Mike Fegan started the campaign with the intention of completing a Triple Crown Challenge of 8,000 miles on the Applachian Trail, the Continental Divide and the Pacific Crest Trail.  Somewhere back on the A. T. he had fallen and hurt his shoulder, so Silver Streak took up the walk in his place.  WOW joined up with him along the way.  We found out that WOW had already done some of the PCT and was planning to finish it up after completing the A. T. before going back to Australia.  

At our age, we identified with their campaign. 

We talked briefly about their plan to hike Mt Moosilauke tomorrow.  We shared our opinion since we had already done it.  But to them the 9.5 was considered a NERO  (near zero) day.  

YouTube of Kinsmans