Out the door of the hostel at 5:45 am. I walked in light rain along the highway back to the AT for the 3,250-ft climb over Mt. Moosilauke. By the time I passed the turnoff to the Jeffers Brook shelter one mile, the rain stopped. The trail was not too steep, although it was badly eroded in some places. At length, I arrived at a trail junction on a ridge. After a left turn, I walked along an old road lined with spruce trees then out in the alpine for a quarter mile to the summit. The wind blew as I took my picture. I was glad to have my gloves. The tundra reminded me of Colorado. Then back down into the trees to the Beaver Brook shelter where I had a break with older hiker Bunion. The descent to Kinsman Notch was ridiculously steep. I had to be constantly careful to avoid falling on the slick steep rocks. But I survived and found trail magic at the Notch. Then up for 1,600 ft to Wolf Peak. Veteran long distance hiker, biker, and paddler One Gallon and I chatted. The clouds cleared and we had a few minutes of sun. After a rocky descent, we arrived at the Eliza Brook shelter. I got a space in the shelter, cooked dinner, and chatted with other hikers. I hiked 16.8 miles today and gained 5,000 ft of elevation. I am tired but not exhausted.
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