Training Log Archive: dlevine

South central Presidential Summit Traverse

Started up Amonoosuc Ravine trail. Saw my first fellow hikers in 10 minutes. It would be six more hours until I was alone again (meaning that I didn't see any other hikers for a five-minute period.) Got caught in a large, slow-moving group going up the trail. I would have earned the "Cheerleading Badge" from Bash's summer scavenger hunt. Probably took an extra 45 minutes to an hour to get to Lakes of the Clouds hut. Had a quick lunch and headed up Mount Monroe - which fortunately was drawing less than 20% of the hikers - and most of them were doing out-and-backs to Monroe. Had some issues with the camera as my SD card was full. Was mostly alone (but within sight of other hikers) down Monroe and over Franklin and to Edmands Col. At that point it got crowded again and at the summit of Eisenhower, there were over a dozen folks. It was crowded heading down until I got to the Edmands Path. By about 1/3 of the way down that, I was finally on my own. This loop required a 2.4 mile (mostly uphill) road trek back to the car which was soul-sucking, but it was overall, a spectacular day.

The 35 minutes to go four miles through North Conway didn't make the trip home any better, though.