Day 111 - Lake in the Clouds Hut (July 28)

I had a relatively short 11 or 12 mile day. It was a very steep climb out of Crawford Notch. There were places I was rock climbing with a pack and poles dangling from my wrists. The views were spectacular.

Lake of the Clouds hut is about a mile from Mount Washington. I climbed Mount Clinton (aka Mount Pierce) to get here. I'm doing work for stay this evening so I can get out early tomorrow morning. I want to do about 15 miles to Pinkham Notch Hut where I hope to stay tomorrow.

Bear Walker (Southbounder) and I had to wait an hour and a half after dinner was served before we could eat. The rest of the staff waited too. Dinner was very good. Eliza (Assistant Hut Manager) did not have anything productive for us to do. I realized very quickly that we were just going to have to put in time.

My old friend Pete Rix from grade school taught me just what to do in these situations. You just hang out and look busy. The work is not important so the results are not important. One or our tasks was to scrub the underside of baking pans. Only oven cleaner would have worked on this task. We just scrubbed and talked about the trail. Nothing came off and no one expected it to.

Hut life is interesting, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to do work for stay once. I would not want to do it again. I walk as many miles as I can in a day. I don't have the energy to do meaningless tasks. I like to cook when I stop for the day, and I'm usually in my tent by 8:00 PM. I don't want to stay up until 9:30 PM when the hut guests go to their bunks. The hut staff act as if its a privilege for us to stay at their hut. I just need a place to stay, and the huts are the only option in several places.

I've been practicing the photography techniques that Gail and George taught me last night.