Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	091
Date:	Friday, 1 August
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	8.6
Daily Other Miles	1.0 (0.7 on road, 0.3 in town)
Total AT Miles:	1777.4
Total All Miles	1829.8
Weather:	Warm, humid, mostly overcast, some rain.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Muesli, health drink. Lunch: Fish and chips, ice-cream. Dinner: Chilli, veal, ice-cream.
Aches:	None.
Animals Seen:	Grouse.
People Seen:	6 day hikers, many others.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	I got up at 5:30am after a wet night, during which I woke up a number of times when rain came in through the mesh screen. It was still drizzling when I woke up, so I moved things into the Shelter as quickly as possible and didn’t get much wet. After putting on wet clothes and socks, I left at about 7am with 8½ miles to go to US 3 and Franconia Notch. The going was very slow as the Trail ascended Mount Kinsman through sopping wet vegetation and up its hairy slippery rock faces. It was very foggy and there were no views, but the scenery was attractive desolate alpine at the summit as I walked to North Kinsman before beginning the risky descent. It took me 3¼ hours to reach the AMC’s Lonesome Lake Hut. The AMC manages a number of huts on trails in the White Mountains which it operates for hikers who do not wish to carry camping gear and food. They offer dormitory-type accommodation and meals, at a price. I went in and rested for ½ an hour during which time I ate a couple of Hershey Bars, some chocolate cake, and some of the remaining pancakes (free) from the Hut breakfast. The Hut looked like a good place to stay. From there it took me just over an hour to walk the three miles down to US 3 and, after mistakenly walking ½ a mile north along the road looking for where the AT left on the other side, I hitched into North Woodstock. I got a lift relatively quickly from a lady who lived in Lincoln and arrived at Cascade House, the guest house where I had arranged to meet Marj and Peter, at 12:30pm. Marj had booked me in, and I had a shower before putting my laundry on and having lunch at a restaurant. I spent the afternoon doing the washing, shopping, food repacking, drying out wet equipment, reading the paper, and eating. During the afternoon, Ruth and Bob turned up (having cut out the Kinsmans Ridge section) as well as the four guys from last night’s Shelter – all very friendly. I started a letter to Barb sitting on the verandah of the guest house at 5:30pm. When half-way through, Marj and Peter turned up and we spent some time sorting out gear before going out to a meal. After dinner, we returned to the verandah to talk and eat our ice-creams for a while before retiring around 10:30pm. It was raining steadily. I had tried, unsuccessfully, to ring Barb a few times. I finished the letter to her and went to sleep at midnight.