NH AT section hike #2, day 1

September 6, 2014
Start: I-93, Lincoln, NH
End: Galehead Hut
Mileage: 13.0

I started out at 7am where I stopped my last hike - where the AT travels underneath I-93. The folks from Mt Liberty Lodging very kindly gave me a ride to the side of the highway where I needed to be. 

And I climbed! I-93 is in Franconia Notch (1450'). 

I hiked up through Liberty Springs tentsite (3870') and chatted with the caretaker. He reported a storm coming in with rain and winds with gusts up to 70 MPH. 

I hoofed it up Little Haystack Mtn (4800'), Mt Lincoln (5089'), and Mt Lafayette (5260'). On the way up Lafayette, I chatted with Lupa, a NOBO thru hiker. 

Top of Little Haystack

You could just see Greenleaf hut along the ridge to the far right. It's a steep 1.4 miles down a side trail from Lafayette 

View of Mt Lincoln and Mt Lafayette from Little Haystack 

It seemed so close but it took me over an hour of hiking to reach the top of Lafayette from Lincoln (it's around 2 miles between the two peaks).

Greenleaf hut from Lafayette

I passed by Garfield Pond and went over Mt Garfield (4500'). 

Garfield Pond

View from Garfield Ridge

I traveled past Garfield Ridge Shelter; I stopped and chatted for 20 minutes with NOBO thru hikers Daddy Long Legs and Baby Steps. They're from TN and started their hike in the Smokey Mountains.

From there, it was 2.7 miles to Galehead Hut (3800'). 

I arrived at 2:15pm. I got settled in my bunk (they had triple bunks and a quad bunk!). The storm held out until about 3pm and then it began to downpour. Looks like the hut will be full tonight;  a lot of folks who were going to camp out have changed their minds! Daddy Long Legs and Baby Steps found bunks to stay the night. :) Thus far, the hoards of loud children are in the bunk room across the hall and not in mine; I hope it will stay that way.

Throughout my hike today, I saw a lot of day, section, and thru hikers. The majority of thru hikers I saw were going north, hoping to make it to Katahdin early enough to fully finish. I did see a few SOBOs. Everyone here at the hut seems to be inexperienced day hikers. They were very impressed with my 13 mile day.