Carter Notch, For Better or For Worse

Carter Notch Hut has been deemed the favorite of all the huts simply because it is "SO cool!"  It sits nestled in a valley between two huge mountains with a 1,500 foot climb on either side.  Hansel and Gretel felt more in the woods and isolated than they did at any of the other huts.  They also had the best dinner, and we all know how important food can be to our dear Hansel and Gretel.  Homemade black bean burgers on homemade buns, awesome pasta salad, chili, and apple pie for desert!  Another point of interest is that Carter Notch is open year round.  There is a care taker that keeps it open for very serious winter hikers.  How they get to the hut going over the mountains in the snow and ice was more than Hansel could fathom, but it's there for the crazy adventurers who dare try it.  In those winter months, the never actually sees direct sun light because the mountains around it are so tall.  This makes the hut extremely frigid in the winter.

The down-side to Carter Notch Hut was that the staff working there left something to be desired (that is a euphemism).    Hansel and Gretel have had exceptional experiences with the staff at all the other huts.  The crew typically does an excellent job of accommodating thru-hikers and are usually very excited to hear their stories.  George at Madison was an excellent example of this.  The Carter Crew, however, just didn't seem to get it.  Hansel and Gretel were especially disappointed with this because they weren't just thru-hikers, they were paying thru-hikers with a real reservation.

When Hansel and Gretel stay at a hut, they often try to leave early in the morning so they are able to make it to their next destination.  They cover more miles per day than the casual hiker so it's important for them to hit the trail as early as possible.  At Carter, they told one of the staff members that they wanted to head out around 7.  Unfortunately this is when breakfast starts.  At other huts, the crew is always able to give something to Hansel and Gretel before the other guests eat.  This Carter crew member didn't seem to understand this but said they usually start preparing at 6:30.  So, 6:30am Hansel and Gretel stood in an empty dinning room listening to the echos of distant snorers.  Food preparations started at 6:45 and Hansel and Gretel ended up with some oatmeal and pancakes to go.  Gretel was so angry.  They were just so accustom to the staff being awesome, and the Carter Crew was a huge disappointment.  At least the hut itself was amazing.

They quickly forgot their frustration with Carter Crew because the Trail that day was very difficult.  They had to climb over three mountains!  The day ended at the White Mountain Hostel, which was terrific.  They were actually given spare clothes so they could wash all their dirty laundry.  The people running the hostel took them to the store for a resupply and then to dinner!  They are a little behind schedule mostly because of their delays before Madison Hut, they are hoping they will be able to make up some time in Maine. The Whites are a really difficult part of the trail and Hansel and Gretel have been pushing themselves extremely hard to stay on track.  Right now they expect to finish on the 18th or 19th of July.  The end is near!!

Happy Trails!

Beautiful sunset views before getting to Carter Notch Hut

Gretel pauses to admire the view.  The Whites truly are magnificent!

Breakfast Reflections and Trail Philosphy

Saturday morning brought the family to The Art Café for a German/Austrian breakfast.  As the five of us sat around the table, Life Lessons from the Trail began to trickle into the discussion.  Here are some of the things that came up.

From Gretel:

“We just take a positive perspective.  Negative people can get you so down and I’m like, ‘Why are you here?’  It’s just such a waste of time [to be negative].  Even on the bad days like that horrible day (when it was snowing and freezing and Gretel got lost), I say ‘Some time today I will get to the shelter and somehow I am going to be warm and tomorrow it’s going to be sunny.’”

From Hansel:

“I realize I don’t need anybody else to make me feel better about things.  If I’m not feeling good, I just think about Pirates of the Caribbean and I feel better.”

“What we are doing is crazy.  But when I think about it, the things people worry about in normal life are crazy.  I’m in a tent in a snow storm and the people back in DC are all up in arms about whether or not NPR can get enough funding.”

“I can’t judge anyone.  People tell their stories and I would have had no clue.” 

“People treat us differently in towns in a positive way.  Because we are helpless and dirty, they know that we are not going to judge them.  So they feel more comfortable.”

From Two Bad:

“One thing about thru-hikers, everyone is reduced to the same common denominator.  We met a guy named Calculator (that’s his trail name).  Big guy, wears a bandana.  He takes his bandana off and he has a huge mohawk underneath.   We asked him how he got his name.  He says, ‘I got a PhD in mathematics…  No just kidding.’  He’s just good at math.  But the point is, anything is possible.  For all we knew, he could have had a PhD in mathematics.  Anybody could be anybody.”

“Anything you have materially is irrelevant.  It’s all about what you have in your pack and how many miles you did and how your boots are feeling.”   They talked about meeting hikers who probably are very wealth in the real word, but in Trail Life, everyone is on an equal playing field and economic status means nothing. 

From Gretel:

“It’s all about your metal capacity.  You can research and have all the best stuff, or you can be like Grandpa, do no research and have nothing.”  The people that make it to the end are not necessarily the ones who planned every stop and have the latest and greatest gear.  Your most valuable piece of equipment is your own mind and your determination.  

Happy Trails!

The Youth

Manda and Hansel

Two Bad!

Introducing the newest, short term, member of the Jabeccawalk Team: 

Dad!

Around 9 this morning, Dad stuffed his pack and a small suitcase into the trunk of a cab headed for the airport (since you can’t take knives and fuel in your carry-on bag, he will have to mail the empty suit case home after he reloads the off-limits items into his backpack).  Around 3pm Dad met Hansel and Gretel at their hostel in Catawba and they started their march back into the woods. 

One problem: they weren’t nearly as far as they thought they were yesterday after tumbling down the mountain.  Very quickly, their 3-mile hike to the next shelter turned into a 6-mile hike.   So much for easing Dad into the Appalachian experience! 

I was wrong before when I said there was only one problem.  It also was raining, so they all got wet.  Good thing Dad came prepared with rain gear.  And then we have the problem of age.  As Dad was hiking he reminded the young and spry Hansel and Gretel that he was doing this hike with “two bad hips, two bad, knees, two bad feet, two bad…”  He continued to repeat all of these problems as they hiked until Hansel interrupted him.  

“Well Dad, I think you just got your trail name,” Hansel declared.  “Two Bad!” Isn't that too bad?

And so, Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad have begun their week together!

Happy trails!

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a rooster?  This little guy woke up Hansel and Gretel this morning!

A Hostel Friend

Gretel making an epic breakfast!

Hansel with his plate.  They picked the eggs right out of the nest!

Also, does anyone else thing that Hansel's hair is getting rather fro-tastic?

Adventures in Hampton: Theresa's Grill

News of an all-day breakfast place met the ears of Hansel and Gretel and Theresa's Grill instantly became an essential destination.  When they entered this dive of a building claiming to be Theresa's, the first thing they saw was an old woman, silently sitting in a folding chair, giving them the death stare.

"Ahhh, hi!  Can we eat here?" They asked.  Nothing.  Just more staring.  Not knowing what to do, Hansel and Gretel just stood there and waited while Folding Chair Lady drilled holes through their foreheads with her eyes.  Finally, another woman came out from a back room.

"Y'all can eat.  Sit down.  What d'y'all want?"  She said dryly.  She tells them they can't have biscuits and gravy because they are out of biscuits and gravy, which was interesting because some other guy came into the restaurant five minutes later, ordered biscuits and gravy and got biscuits and gravy, but let's not get hung up on biscuits and gravy.  The entire menu, consisting of about five items, was written up on a white board.  They ordered their meal, and for only $10, they ended up with a giant breakfast... which, needless to say, did not include biscuits and gravy.

Hansel and Gretel thought they should visit the restroom before heading out, but it's possible that they might have been better off saving it for the woods.  The toilet was basically a seat on top of a wooden platform.  Not only was there no toilet paper, there wasn't even a place to put the TP if the bathroom had been fully equipped.  It seems like Hampton's bathing accommodations are universally lacking.  This was the town where Hansel and Gretel couldn't find an adequate shower and ended up bathing in the bathroom of a gas station.

They both agreed that the best part of their Hampton day was going to Subway, buying sandwiches, putting them in their packs and then eating them for dinner once they got to their camp site.  Soooo good!

Happy trails!