[at-l] More trail magic at Crawford Notch

[Arthur Gaudet]

The hikers seem to be passing through the Notch in pretty high numbers this past
weekend, about 10 or more each day. The back of the pack is still South of this
spot, estimated by who I was hiking with earlier this season in Virginia.

I arrived Friday evening, stayed until Sunday noontime.

Friday night: M&M from 2007 arrived at about the same time as me, and we greeted
Rock and Roll (2 guys) as they emerged from the woods. M&M brought homemade stew
so we all had a yummy supper together. The boys got to stay in N. Conway, get
resupplied & laundry before heading up the Webster Cliff trail on Saturday
monring.

Saturday & Sunday: Briar, Earthbound, a French couple from Quebec out for a
short section, Daisy, Moonshadow & Forecast, Hot Cheese & Bird Bath (reportedly
in the area says Steve-O), Vermont (a hiker from Scotland), Sunkist & Kyanite
(he showed me his kyanite rock!), Hi Lo & Steadfast, Chris (Just Chris), then
Sunbeam and finally New York Minute.

Briar, Earthbound & Daisy all stayed with me at a stealth site on Saturday
night. Great conversation by the fire after they all had their second supper!
All was quiet by hiker midnight, about 9 PM.

On a sour note: This past weekend was possibly the best all summer and it
brought everyone out to the mountains & trailheads. I brought the French couple
to Pinkham Notch and saw what must've been 500 cars parked there, overflowing
onto the highway. Many trailheads were also overpacked: Nancy Pond, 19-Mile
Brook Trail, Stony Brook, ... Just a reminder of how busy the Whites are this
time of year. I also was honked at, and then cut off while driving because I
wasn't moving fast enough at 5 miles over the speed limit near Pinkham.
Tailgaters abounded, and it's frustrating because I know they're all on
vacation, trying to enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the NorthEast...
Go figure.

The rt. 302 trailhead is on a dead end spur road, paved, about .25 miles in
length. At noontime on Sunday a full size tourbus headed up the spur road, nosed
itself past all the parked cars, including the ones overflowing onto the sides
of the road, opened it's door & disgorged a dozen Yale incoming Freshmen. Yup,
the freshmen orientations in the Whites have begun - marking another
inconvenience for the thruhikers moving in the area. (I know, not all of them
are bad... But some are, I remember Yale as being some of the worst.)

The bus driver then backed his way down the curvy hill, slowly picking his way
past all the cars. If I was him I'd have dropped the kids at the bottom of the
hill and told them to walk the rest of the way. But that's me.<g.> --RockDancer

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