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Beyond
the Log Cabin, the trail continued sharply up the ridge. The weather
was great though, and I was even leaving the mosquitoes behind
at this higher elevation. Every now and then, a view north through
the trees would open up. In one spot, I could even see some above-treeline
terrain in the distance. It looked like it could have been the
summit, but I was sure it wasn't. It seemed too close and was
too rounded. I think it was probably just a small rise in Nowell
Ridge that was hiding the summit.
Sooner
than I expected, I reached the Quay, which is both the name of
a very short trail that connects Gray Knob to Lowe's Path, and
an overlook with great views west. I imagine people staying at
Gray Knob come there to see the sunset.
I
turned left on the Quay (trail) and quickly reached Gray Knob
cabin, which looked just like its photo on the RMC
web site. Gray Knob is the primary RMC backcountry shelter.
It's open year around and has a caretaker. It's only $8 a night,
and even allows well-behaved dogs. The caretaker is also responsible
for visiting and collecting fees from the other three RMC shelters
(Crag Camp, the Log Cabin, and the Perch).
I
went inside to look around. I also wanted to buy an RMC t-shirt,
but the caretaker had left a note saying that she was headed for
Mt Adams and would return around noon. The weather was so good
I guess she couldn't let it go to waste. Downstairs, there were
a couple of dining tables, a small kitchen area, and the caretaker's
room. There's a small stove in the kitchen area, but it's only
for the caretaker. Guests have to bring and use their own backpacking
stoves.
Upstairs
was the bunkroom. Actually, there weren't any bunks as such, just
a sleeping loft with mattresses spread out on the floor. There
must have been some guests staying overnight because there were
a few sleeping bags already on the mattresses. It looked like
a nice cozy (and inexpensive) place to stay. |
Looking
north from Lowe's Path. As I got closer to Gray Knob, views began
opening up. |
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The
Gray Knob dining area. Downstairs, the cabin also has a small
cooking area, another dining table, and the caretaker's room.
The flags hanging from the ceiling are Tibetan prayer flags. |
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