Hexacuba Shelter

Well the plan was to start taking it a bit easier now that the White Mountains are getting nearer but since I left at 7:00 and was pretty strong until mile 10 or 11, I decided to switch things up from my original plan and stretch the day out. The hike up Smart's Mountain was pretty good but it was also tough. Along the way I missed one turn at the top of Holt's Ledge but was able to correct it .1 miles later at the chairlift for a ski resort. The views from Holt's Ledge and Smart's Mountain were both pretty spectacular. On top of Smarts Mountain there was a great big fire tower (kind of like Stratton Mountain in Vermont). From the top you could see pretty far off.

View from Holt's Ledge

Stairs heading down from the fire tower

I left Clothesline and Cranky Pete this morning assuming they would pass me sometime along the way but I never saw them today so I am not sure where they ended up. Blazing Socks was in front of me but I never saw him either. Last night was my first night without a woman in the shelter and all the bodily functions going on told the story as well!

I arrived at Hexacuba Shelter .... or more like dragged myself in around 5:00 to find it was mostly populated by SOBOs and this crazy old guy, "Biking Ray".... who seems to be a local of sorts. He is up hiking around for a few days and will be heading back down tomorrow. Oh! While I was writing, I guess, Clothesline walked by. I must have missed him. It is good to see that someone else made it in.

Anyway, the shelter is actually shaped like a hexagon. We are all sleeping with our feet together in the center and we are going to be packed in. On top of it it seems tent sites are likely to be packed as well. I already counted 12 people and more people keep trickling in.


Tomorrow, I am thinking I will make it all the way into Glencliff and have a nice dinner! It should be 15 miles or so but the hiking looks relatively easy.

Two of the SOBOs that showed up are obviously high and they were telling all kinds of crazy stories about their slack packing adventures and all the crazy experiences they have had in every town. Smoking (not necessarily pot) is definitely a trail pass time and is part of the hiking culture. Most seem to roll their own and the preferred brand appears to be American Spirit.

Trail Names - Beetle

Mileage - 17.9 miles on the AT