Saturday-Sunday, September 11-12, 2021
Start: Nineteen Mile Trailhead
End: Old Bridle Path Trailhead
Mileage: 51.88
Elevation gain/loss: 18,957′
Total time (car to car): 24:02:48
Moving time: 22:52, 1:10 water/hut stops
Clock: 4:45am-4:45am
I was awake at 3am, and met Ali’s Rides at the end trailhead at 3:45am. We drove over to the Nineteen Mile trailhead, and then I started hiking up towards Carter Notch Hut at 4:45am. I made the hut by 6am; I took a quick bathroom break and topped off my water and then started my watch and took off. I arrived back at the road by 7:30am, and then headed into the Great Gulf Wilderness. I ascended to Madison Spring Hut by the Madison Gulf Trail, which was mostly just a waterfall towards the top, with some intense rock scrambles. As I came up over the headwall, the cold wind hit me hard, with windchill as low as 10 degrees. I got to the hut by 9:45am, where I filled up my water bottles and put on my shell, wool gloves, and mitten shells. There were a lot of people at the hut for Flags on the 48, but I mostly avoided everyone as I quickly suited up, added more snacks to my vest, and headed out. The northern Presis slowed me down a lot with a combination of technical trails, cold weather, and very limited visibility. The trails around Adams and Jefferson were completely socked in. I skirted Mt Washington at 12:30pm and stopped at Lake of the Clouds hut at 1pm. The hut was very busy both with day hikers and loud entitled thru-hikers, but I stopped in for a water refill, bathroom, and a quick snack. I eagerly pushed on, wanting easier terrain and quieter trails.
I summited Pierce by 2:30pm and stopped at Mizpah Hut for a big bowl of tomato soup and bread at 2:45pm. I made Crawford Notch by 3:45pm and then climbed up to the Mt Tom Spur by 4:45pm, arriving at Zealand Falls hut by 6pm. I quickly filled up on water, yogi’d some gels from a passing day hiker, and kept going. I summited South Twin by 8:45pm and swung by Galehead for water at 9:15pm; I made Galehead summit by 11:15pm. I made the summit of Lafayette by 1am and then descended towards Greenleaf, passing by at 1:45am. I made the parking lot by 3:15am and pushed past to do the last push to Lonesome Lake hut, arriving by 3:45am. Then I wandered my way back to my car to end at 4:45am.
