Day 151 – Ethan Pond Shelter to Mizpah Hut

“Wow, I feel good

I knew that I would now

I feel good

I knew that I would now

So good, so good, I got you” – James Brown 

Up at 7:00. Broke down camp and on trail at 8:15. Short 9.2-mile day today. Big climb, but shorter day.

Clear, low 50s going up to low 70s.

Easy hike down to US 302. Arrived at 9:30. Had a snack and got ready to climb that.

I’ve got 332.4 miles to reach Katahdin. Woo hoo!

The ascent up Mount Webster is very tough. This is one steep, rocky mountain.

Great viewpoint overlooking US 302. First cell signal since yesterday afternoon, so I called Dana and chatted for half an hour while looking out at this view. 

YouTube video part way up Mount Webster 

The views up here are awesome. Slight breeze and 70s. 

Mount Washington. You can see the facilities up there .

Crap, now this:( More rock climbing. Yes, these all are almost vertical. 

Summited Mount Webster at 1:20. Amazing view. Exhilarating! Tomorrow I climb Washington.

And it just keeps getting better. Thought I was done with the rock climbing for today. 

Summited Mount Jackson at 2:15. More amazing views. Great view of Bretton Woods Resort. 

And even better view of Washington.

YouTube video from Mount Jackson.

There is my destination for tonight. That building in the lower left. About 1.7 miles and 1.5 hours away.

And now we have a bog at this altitude. Really?

Arrived at Mizpah Hut at 3:30. Got checked in and had a snack. Very nice facility and super friendly staff. 

Only 3 of us in a bunk room for 8. Decent beds with pillows and 3 heavy wool blankets. Nice to not have to unpack my sleeping gear. If it weren’t for the 20-person youth group (10-12-year-old school kids), this place would feel fairly empty. 

Gravy and Sprawl are here. Been hiking around them the last 5 days. They are doing work-for-stay tonight. They do 1-2 hours of chores and are allowed to spread out their bed rolls on the floor in the common room, and they get leftover food for dinner. They have to be out before breakfast time tomorrow morning. 

Hung out with these guys and talked for a couple of hours until dinner time at 6:00. Very good dinner. I had seconds and thirds. Working on that calorie deficit. Hung out and talked with table mates until 8:00. Very good Hut experience.

Had dinner with a female section hiker from Bethesda who graduated from Poolesville in 2005. Small world. 

Today was another awesome day. Doing this kind of hard hiking with these mountain peaks and these views is exhilarating. It’s like a drug. It actually is a drug…massive endorphin rush. Hard to explain the feeling, but it’s great!

Technical Notes:

• Pop Tarts 370
• Snickers 250
• Cliff Bar 250
• Oreo 160
• Zero Sugar Sausage 120
• Oreo 160
• Hershey Bar 210
• Snickers 250
• Meat and Cheese Stick 140
• Snickers 250
• 2400
• AMC Hut Dinner 3000
  • Green Beans
  • Mashed Potatoes 
  • Pulled Pork 
  • Garlic Bread
  • Salad
  • Lentil Soup
  • Chocolate Cake
• Water 2.4
• Miles 9.3
• Time 7:30
• Elevation Gain 3333
• Calories Consumed 5400
• Calories Burned 6500