My first work for stay.

Day 108 - 8/6/10
Didn't have any more moose visits during the night. Maybe I was
paranoid about it or something though because I didn't sleep too well.
I was also on a slope, so I could never get fully comfortable. I heard
Bodacious moving around early, and just as he was about to leave I
yelled out asking what time it was. He said, "6:30. See you on down
the trail Coon Cat", then left. I packed up, had breakfast, and left
within an hour.

It was less than 2 miles to Zealand Falls Hut, so I made it early
enough to score some breakfast leftovers. They had oatmeal and
cornbread, so I ate some of each. Gave them three dollars for it and
was on my way. The next 5 miles was the flattest and easiest stretch
in the Whites, very different from the rest of it. I think Bodacious
said something about how part of that section used to be an old
railroad bed, so that would explain some of it. I hiked through there,
stopped into Ethan Pond Shelter for a quick snack break, then hiked
down to Crawford Notch by lunchtime.

The hike up from Crawford going North was much more steep than going
South. I had to hike up almost 3000 feet in 3.2 miles to Mt. Webster.
The section through there is called the Webster Cliff Trail, and after
going through I now know why they named it that. Once you get up a few
thousand feet the trail begins to go along cliff edges, then it'll
dodge back into the trees, then back to some cliffs a little higher
up. Along those cliffs were some of the fiercest winds I've
experienced, so fast and cold. On a bad day you would easily be
knocked over and maybe even off. I really enjoyed that part for that
very reason though, and it felt great to be able to dry out my sweat-
drenched shirt and shorts.

The climb up to Webster took a few hours, and when I made it up and
over the weather started to turn from blue sunny skies to dark and
misty. It was amazing to watch it transition that quickly, something
you'd only see in the Whites (and maybe a few other rugged places).
Luckily it didn't rain, and I just had to hike along the rocks in high
winds. After Webster was Mt. Jackson, going up only another hundred
feet. Then it was a few ups and downs to Mizpah Spring Hut where I
planned on fitting in a work-for-stay if I could. One strange thing I
saw along the way was someone had written my name (Coon Cat) in a
muddy bog next to this boardwalk you go across. I thought it might've
been Bodacious, but when I made it to Mizpah and went to go see him at
the campsite nearby I knew he'd be at, he told me it wasn't him. Not
sure who else it could be, or who else knew I was going through that
part today. I'll be putting in some detective work these next few days
and perhaps I'll find the person responsible.

So at Mizpah I was able to do a work-for-stay, even though I was a
little early to ask for it. I ended up showing up a few minutes before
4, and they don't really want hikers asking until closer to
dinnertime, but the girl I spoke to, Sarah, was real nice and said
it'd be okay. Because you're not paying to stay they don't have you
eating with the other hikers, and you can't get any leftovers until a
few hours later when everyone is done. The people working here do it
this way so that the paying customers know and can see why they pay.

It's only 5:30 now, about a half hour before dinnertime for everyone.
I'm posting early tonight so that means I'll fill in how the rest of
my night went as well as the work I ended up doing in tomorrow's post.
In less than 24 hours I'll have finally hiked that mountain I've been
able to see from my house for 23 years now. Can't wait.

Total miles: 1840.5