The big group of thru hikers from the Lakes of the Clouds Hut got going up to the summit of Mount Washington this morning, the second highest point on the AT at 6,288 feet. It is known for its bad weather so I was very happy to be able to go over it in sunny, clear weather. There wasn’t even much wind. It’s a touristy spot as people can also drive or take a train to the top. We hung out in the snack shop for a while, eating hot dogs and soup.
My whole hike today consisted of slowly picking my way through a rock jumble. There was some scrambling too when going over Mount Madison. I was above treeline until about the last mile of my 10.1 mile day, and the rocks thinned out a little bit then for the very steep downhill to the Osgood Tent Site. I was starting to get a little worried about arriving before dark since the rocks slowed me down so much but I made it just in time, and was able to set up and start cooking before needing my headlamp.
I set my non-freestanding tent up for the first time on a wooden tent platform. It actually worked quite well as there are hooks to tie off to on the sides. My tent fits perfectly diagonally and I used my bear bag line to extend the sides and tie those off.
Glad you had such a clear day up there. Could not see 2 feet in front of us at High Point and Sunrise Mountain in NJ this year. Hoping for great views for you the rest of the way.