McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 9/01/2024 | AT Mile 389.6 | Day Total: 13.4 miles | Gain: 3782 ft

Woke up this morning to kitchen noises. The cook of the day starts making breakfast at 5:15. I deflated my sleeping pad and pillow, put my contacts in and started packing my bag. I ate some oatmeal and a family walked into the dining room. They were being quite loud, the rest of the croo was still asleep in the room next door, so he asked them to quiet down. I left shortly after and went down to the lake to check it out. It was another foggy morning.

I’ve got just over 13 miles to the road today where I’ll try to hitch into town for some food before meeting my parents later today. They are driving all the way from WVU to Lincoln NH. It’s roughly 12 hours away.

I climbed just under half way up to south Kinsman Mountain yesterday so I’ve got another 1500 ft to the top. It was very foggy as I climbed making the nonexistent views.

Everything’s still damp from last nights rain and dew. I’m getting wet every time I brush up against anything. If I nudge a tree I get a nice shower. I’m due for a shower anyway… I passed a few section hikers in the morning so I was clearing all the spider webs from last night.

On a side note the hut has these massive spiders all over. Their body was humongous and their webs were everywhere. There was even one chowing down on a cicada. All the kids were freaked out and were talking about them nonstop.

The climb up the Kinsman’s was pretty steep but nothing I haven’t experienced yet. Once again the view was fogged in but there was a large carin in a clearing.

The hike down was slow, steep, wet and rocky. After a while I started hiking alongside Eliza Brook. There are multiple small waterfalls I passed by.

I had another “small” mountain to climb named Mt Wolf. At this point the sun has burned off most of the fog and it was fairly hot.

I called my parents to check in while I had a little service near the top. Their eta is just before 5!

I began my hike down to Kinsman’s Notch Parking area where a nobo and I tried to hitch into town. We weren’t having any luck so we called a shuttle with the little service we had. They answered but it was going to take 30min before they arrive. We ended up waiting it out. There’s not a ton of traffic on the road and most of the vehicles are motorists.

The shuttle arrived and we headed into town. She dropped off the nobo at the Notch Hostel and me just down the street at a pizza joint. The pizza joint is not too far from the Vrbo we have reserved. I ordered a large pepperoni pizza and a sprite and went to the back where they have some tables setup. There’s an icecream place next door that’s got a line about 30 people long.

I wolfed down 3/4 of the pizza and disassembled the box so it could fit on the top of my pack with the remaining 1/4. I then walked .9 miles to the vrbo down the street. There’s a nice path for part of it then was walking on the bike path on the road for the rest. It was easy walking.

I got the vrbo and entered the 10 digit code for the door. It surprisingly worked. I took my shoes and pack off in the covered porch and went inside. It was pretty hot in there (75F) and I was hot from the walk as well. I cranked up the ac unit. About a minute later I hear the door open and there they are! Lots of hugs! I was so excited to see them, and vice versa.

I took no time to waste and grabbed my bag of clean clothes and jumped into the shower. I washed 6 days of funk off and it felt really nice.

We chatted about plans and I’m definitely taking a zero tomorrow on my birthday. The next day they will drop me off and hike a mile or two with me then they will head over to Mt Washington. That afternoon they will come back and pick me up at another trailhead and back to the vrbo. So I will spend a total of three nights with them!

We ate dinner at a very large place called the Woodstock Inn Brewery. They had tables everywhere. I got a burger with fried pickles on it. Very tasty! We went back and we threw my backpack in a vinegar bath to wash some of the funk off it. We’ll leave it overnight and throw it in the washer for a rinse in the morning. Sleeping in an actual bed tonight going to be lovely.