Edmands Col Cutoff 1863.7 to Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center 1874.9 (11.2 miles, 849.5 total miles)
It was a windy night, and I did wake up for a while at one point, but managed to sleep until 6AM, which was sleeping in for my most recent schedule.
We started the day with some climbs, and peak bagged Mount Adams off the AT. I was feeling tired right away, and huffing and puffing up the mountains.
The terrain was still well above tree line, and the rocks were abundant. It was tough to tell exactly where the trail was, and we traversed the best we could, following the cairns.
On the way down to Madison Spring Hut, 2.2 miles into the day, I took a big fall off a rock step and landed hard on both my knees, but especially my right one, and scraped up my hands.
I gingerly stood back up and started walking again, hoping the pain would fade away. It appeared to do so, though my right knee was bleeding a bit.
Down at the hut, the croo gave us some leftover breakfast sausages and we had pieces of cake and coffee. Madison Spring Hut is one of my very favorite huts because Pockets and I did work for stay there and had an amazing time the first time around.
We chatted with one of the volunteers, and got to pet a very cute goldendoodle that a couple was hiking with. My knee was stiff after sitting down, but got less sore as I hiked.
My body had definitely taken a beating during our five days in the two White Mountain ranges. The descent down from Madison Spring Hut to the tree line was more loose rocks and steep steps down.
I set the pace for a bit, taking my time getting down the mountain safely. It was as tricky as I remembered.
We stopped and chatted with a couple who were avid adventures, Glory and Granite. We talked with them for about 10 minutes, and found out they had peak bagged all 48 New Hampshire 4Ks, were sectioning the AT state by state, and planning a thru hike in 2024. They were very enjoyable to talk to.
After Catchup and I were under tree line again for the first time in two days, the trail turned back into pine forest walking, with less rocks to travel and climb over.
The descent ended near Osgood Tentsite, and we still had 6.1 miles to go to Pinkham Notch, where we were going to be picked up by the Barn Hostel shuttle most likely.
I put on some music for us, since we hadn’t seen many hikers after being back in the forest. We both said how it felt like being home again being under tree cover.
Catchup and I both noticed how much hotter and muggy it was getting as we were now hiking at elevations in the 2000s instead of the 5000s. There was much less breeze from being under the trees as well.
When we stopped to get water at a stream, Catchup gave me an electrolyte pill to take. It was quicker and easier than mixing Propel, and it definitely seemed to help. We were both sweating like crazy from the heat.
We had one small uphill that had looked flat in the guide compared to the ridge we had just hiked off of, but it honestly felt like the most difficult climb of the day with the extreme humidity and tiredness of what we’d done the last five days.
We were both tripping on rocks and roots, and stumbling or falling as we hiked much more than usual, which meant our bodies were definitely more tired than we knew.
I was honestly glad we were taking a couple days off, to let my body rest after the exertion. I was keeping up with Catchup well, who was a very fast hiker, but I was not the hiking machine I’d been when we started after Lincoln.
After the top of the little hill we were on, things got easier as we hiked down to the road. We passed the Mount Washington auto road, and only had 2 miles to go from there.
Catchup pointed out some treacherous looking clouds building overhead, and we hiked fast to avoid the rain, finally back at a 3mph pace with the easier terrain.
The clouds dissipated like the other day, and the sun came back out. I don’t know how we kept getting so lucky, but I wasn’t complaining.
We arrived at the Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center at 2:40PM, which I remembered from last time. I realized I hadn’t quit the trail there in 2015, but had quit at Route 2, the other entrance to Gorham.
We saw Snacks and Drinks at the center, a couple NOBOs that Catchup knew, but I had only met at Zealand Falls Hut.
Catchup and I got sandwiches, soup, and sodas. I downed my food quickly, absolutely famished, but he did the work of calling for shuttles to get into Gorham, which was appreciated.
The Barn Hostel shuttle ended up being the best option, and would pick us up at 4:30. After finishing our food we sat outside for a while, lightly planning our next few days ahead for when Sunshine returned to trail.
A nice gentleman picked us up and brought us to The Barn, where Paul the manager gave us the rundown and we got settled in. Pockets and I had picked up a food box at the hostel previously, but it was my first time staying there.
There was a full kitchen, common area, laundry, a shower, and a bunk room on the second floor. Coastie and Long Story were camping out back, and we also saw the Wild Hawgs, and several hikers I didn’t know.
Catchup and I went to a restaurant called The Public House Eatery, where we had amazing service, food, and drinks. We both felt like we had accomplished a great deal in the last five days, and were happy to just relax and enjoy our time in town.
We found an Airbnb right on the Androscoggin River, and within walking distance of the hostel that we could stay at till Sunshine rejoined us. The Barn was very popular, and we’d only booked the one night ahead of time.
It had been a really great day, with some challenges, but wonderful feelings of accomplishment in the end. I missed Sunshine already, but I knew she’d be back soon, and couldn’t wait.
It was hard to believe we had started our day in the heart of the Presidential Range, and had ended back at town level. It was a whole other world up there, and quite an adjustment to experience.
I was excited for what was to come for all of us. Maine was less than 40 miles away now, and would mean something different to Sunshine, Catchup, and myself. I was proud of all three of us, and looking forward to what would come next.