Each AMC hut prides themselves on the daily chalkboard interpretations of place, croo names, and (not pictured) the menu for the day.
We awoke this morning at Mizpah Spring Hut at an elevation of 3,777 feet. After filling our bellies with croo-made pancakes, we had a relatively easy 2.7 mile hike down to The Highlands Center Lodge at 1,900 feet. On the way, we heard many songbirds, saw some red squirrels and a chipmunk, and transitioned into the hardwood forest. In the forest, we saw several tiny American toads; they were so cute, and camouflaged perfectly with the leaf litter on the trail!
As we descended from the Presidential Range, the terrain began to feel much more familiar to us. We traded the gray, rocky landscape above tree line for various shades of green below. We were surprised to find lots of water along our path in the forms of small springs and creeks. This culminated into the highlight of our hike: a stop at Gibbs Falls. It was a lovely respite. Our team stopped and sat quietly, listening to the peaceful sounds of the rushing, cold water. The cool air surrounding the clear pool beneath the falls refreshed us as we bolstered ourselves for the final half mile of our hike.
Quiet contemplation at Gibbs Falls
Before long, we began to once again hear the telltale signs of civilization. Our time on the trail ended with a sign marking the Crawford Path, the oldest continuously used mountain trail in America. As we emerged from the forest and onto asphalt, the feeling was bittersweet.
Our hike retraced historical footsteps along the Crawford Path.
The final steps from the trailhead to the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Center – a tasty lunch and hot showers await! (Photo: Josh Reed)
We checked into the AMC Highland Center, ate our lunch of salads, soups, and sandwiches, and then all of us made a mad dash towards our first hot shower in several days. After a bit of time to relax and reflect on the last leg of the trip, we took a stroll around Ammonoosuc Lake, a small, spring-fed body of water that is just down from the main building. Along the trail around the lake, we saw lots of wildflowers (including lupine and two different colors of lady slippers (a spring ephemeral wildflower), tadpoles, evidence of spotted salamanders, and an owl pellet.
Beautiful lupine along the Ammonoosuc Lake trail (Photo: Josh Reed).
As we finished our stroll, we took the opportunity to dub one another with creative trail names. This is a common practice for through-hikers along the Appalachian trail, but a person cannot create his/her own trail name, so this turned out to be a great demonstration of our camaraderie and admiration for one another gained throughout our adventure.
As we wrapped up our final evening group meeting, we watched as the clouds turned dark, indicating a storm on the horizon. The looming dark skies contrasted with the beautiful weather our group has been thankful for throughout our many adventures this week.