Samwise Hikes the Appalachian Trail! - Trail Journal -
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August 28, Cascade Lodge & B, North Woodstock, NH - mile 1795.4

Well, even though the sign out front and the listing in my book still call this a "Bed & Breakfast," I don't believe there's been any breakfast served here for a while, so we're calling it the "B" instead. North Woodstock wasn't a scheduled town stop for me, but the mileage here fit perfectly and there wasn't really any place to camp along the trail right here, so I decided to come in for a bed and some food. With my new and reduced pace these days, it will take me an extra day to reach my next mail drop so I also needed a bit more food to add to my supplies.

Besides all that, today has been one of my best days on the trail ever! I'm so glad I waited out the rain to climb Kinsman Mountain today instead of yesterday. The climbing was literally hand-over-hand, foothold by foothold rock climbing, so it would have been murderously difficult when it was wet. But the real shame would have been missing the view from the top - WOW! When I scrambled up that last boulder and got my fist 360* viewing of the mountains around us, it took my breath away. I took some photos of Mt. Moosilauke behind us and of the Franconia Ridge (tomorrow's hike) but I know the camera can't possibly do it justice. I've hiked some in the Rockies, but I truly can't recall anything quite as breath-taking as the Whites.

After the Kinsman peaks, I then got my first visit at an AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) hut, which is the system they use in the Whites instead of shelters. Huts and designated campsites they have here, and all of them are fee-based. The campsites are essentially the same as we've been using all along, except they cost $6 and they're staffed with full-time caretakers. The huts, on the other hand, are pretty elaborate, with bunk rooms, compost toilets, meals served and a fee of $66 per person. Thru-hikers can try to do work-for-stay, though, which essentially means we can do a couple hours of cleaning in exchange for meals and sleeping on the floor or a picnic table. It may not be fancy, but at least we get to eat and sleep inside, which is nice, especially when it's cold out. So, I stopped at the first hut today to see if they had any leftover baked goods for sale, but unfortunately, everyone had been through before me and cleaned out all that was left. Instead, I filled up with fabulous well water and enjoyed chatting with the cook for a little while.

When I got to the road into town this afternoon, I found a note from Yellow, who I stayed with last night at the shelter, telling me where she was staying in town. So I found her here at the B and we're sharing a room tonight, which is even more fabulous because it's also storming tonight. I'm so pleased that for once, I chose a stormy night to be in town!