Day 31 to Pinkham Notch

The night before, I had bumped into a young couple from Lausanne Switzerland!  We chatted and exchanged addresses. That morning I said good bye and set off just before NH Bob who saved had me a spot on the tent pad the night before

Again there was a steep descent as we went toward Pinkham Notch. Boulders were again the trail of the day.

Toward the bottom it flattened out. I thought that I might still have time to catch breakfast at the Pinkham Notch visitors center. So I set a brisk pace. My left knee was a bit swollen and sore so slowed me down.  In arrived at 9:15 only to find the "all you can eat" hiker breakfast was over. 

But as I walked up my friend from 2014, Neon walked up. We had been planning to meet there. Unbeknownst to me he had hiked up to Osgood campsite with pizza for me.   But he arrive after 10 pm, well after hiker midnight. I was already asleep. Not wanting to disturb us  he tented and went back down. But here he was. We spent a nice day together catching up. 

But all day I nursed a swollen, stiff, painful left knee. I iced it. It helped a  bit. But it stayed swollen. 

So in decided to stay at Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham notch...effectively being a "nero" (hiker talk for a "near zero" day)

Miles : 4.7

2016 miles: 370

Total AT miles: 1869.7