Day 26: Wildcat Detour and Madison

I didn’t sleep well on the dining room floor, but that’s okay, as we had a quick pack-up of our belongings with no tent to set up or break down. Breakfast wasn’t going to be served until 7 am, and we wouldn’t be able to eat until everyone was done, so we took some of the day-old baked goods and were on our way. Pumpkin, walnut, chocolate chip cake, and a cup of coffee were the perfect breakfast.

It’s true. We decided to take the sanctioned detour around the Wildcat mountain range. The weather forecast kept bouncing between .65” of rain and much less. There is a bridge that is out on the West Branch of the Peabody River, and our go-around detour would make sure we don’t have to risk crossing in high water. NOBOs approach the bridge 0.8 miles after the detour and can better gauge their abilities to cross without much backtracking. We SOBOs, however, have a 9-mile approach that traverses two 4,000-foot peaks before we can decide. So we made the call to just go around.

This detour was so cushy. It was the flattest, smoothest ground we’ve had in days. We crushed the detour in not much time. Along the way, we met a very friendly Pomeranian named Gilligan and his mom. He was 8 years old but looked just like a puppy.

We got to the end of the detour around 10:30 am. This led us to the base of Mount Madison. Our goal was to do this hefty climb, redeem our thru-hiker hut card for some free soup and baked goods, and then go make camp down a spur trail.

The climb up was long and steep, and we eventually made it above the tree line. We finally got close-up views of Mount Washington, and it was spectacular.

We sat at this spot for a few minutes before the wind started to pick up. To save ourselves from getting cold, we decided to keep moving. There are still pockets of snow and ice on the upcoming mountains. It wasn’t far to the summit of Madison, but we took our time, taking it all in. 360 degrees of mountains. Incredible.

We did a little bit of rocky ridge walking as the rain and hail began. The ground was still warm so the hail melted immediately upon impact. We suited up in our matching rain jackets to continue.

Mount Washington has some of the most unpredictable and extreme weather in the east.

Nick was moving faster than I was. I put my trekking poles away to allow for more points of contact while moving over the loose rock. The last thing I need is a sprained ankle in the Presidentials.

Eventually, we made it up Mount Madison. It was a continuation of the rocky ridge we had been on for the last mile, so no exact prominence.

Just half a mile to the hut now! It was all downhill from here, so I continued to take it slow. My knees haven’t been doing terribly, but they don’t love the extreme downs that have been our go-to lately.

Eventually, Madison Spring Hut appeared in view. It’s so cool to see these rustic structures in the middle of the woods. I found out they fly helicopter supplies in twice per year, and have to hike/carry up anything else they need throughout the year.

I redeemed a bowl of soup and one pastry. It was potato and dill soup, not the best I’ve ever had but it was warm and free. Coffee cake for dessert, although I had just finished a honey bun not too long ago. Empty calories don’t make me feel the best.

We sat in the hut for about an hour before heading home for the evening. It’s nice to have these small luxuries, like being able to sit inside for a little bit.

We would have asked for a work-for-stay, but after last night and not getting to bed until after 10, we decided to take the spur 0.6 miles downhill to a tent site.

We had a very slow evening, hopping into our sleeping quilts before 7. It was going to be a cold night up here so we made sure to bundle up.

Tomorrow is the rest of the Presidential Traverse. Here’s to hoping for good weather!