Nice report/ The pictures really show what kind of weather you were having. I can sympathize. I attended MLS with the AMC a few years ago. Boy have things changed. You guys got the Highland center - we had to stay at Joe Dodge lodge and use the Pinkham Notch facilities. Looks like you had nice lightweight tents, we had to use heavy old Eureka tents (and no hut time). We even had to pay for our t-shirts (and no goody bag, either).
But it was a great experience. We mad very poor time, just as your group did, because of the constant role plays and debriefings. Our instructors were a little upset with us for our relaxed attitudes in setting up camps, sometimes. But we were a pretty experienced group, for the most part, and we told them we would come through if it became necessary.
We spent our second night camping deep in the Great Gulf with a plan to head up through Sphynx Col over Jefferson and down the ridge to the Perch the next day. We talked about how the weather can change in the Presi's (and tried to scare - I mean prepare - the folks that were unfamiliar with the Whites).
Well the next day we woke up to steady rain in the Gulf. When we reached Sphynx Col it was apparent that this was the time we would have to come through. In the col we were greeted by winds that we estimated to be around 70 mph steady with higher gusts (this was later confirmed by the Obs weather reports for the day) and stinging horizontal rain. The temps were probably high forties, low fifties. One of our group was starting to panic from the conditions. The wind pulling one persons external frame pack so hard that a shoulder strap broke way from the frame. We huddled together and decided, as a group, that we needed to bail out. We got the pack fixed and headed out via Ridge of the Caps. Only the wind was to strong to stay on the trail over the Caps, so we had to go around. By this time we were all soaking wet and cold due to the rain, wind, temps, and our necessarily slow pace. Because I was one of the stronger more experienced group members, I was assigned to be the sweep once we hit the bad weather (the trip leaders were giving some necessary one on one attention to various members of the group), so I was often just standing waiting for the group to move. We were getting blown off our feet on a regular basis. Several of the group (myself included) were starting to have some small motor skills problems (you know what that means). But we reached Jefferson Notch Road safe and sound.
So here we were with one more night to go, not where we were supposed to be and no way to contact Pinkham to let them know we needed a pick up somewhere other than Lowe's Store, out original planned finishing point.
Luckily as we walked the road a ways before heading into the woods to make camp, a car drove by. We asked them to let Pinkham know out situation. That was the only car we saw that day.
The next day when our ride arrived, we were informed of an emergency with another of the MLS groups. We were told that anyone who could do it would be need to help carry the person out (this was a fall with a possible neck/head injury - in the Baldfaces, I think). I and another member volunteered to go. Once we arrived back at Pinkham we were told that the injured hiker had almost reached the trail head and we would not be needed for that task. Oh by the way, our ride - not a nice van with a trailer for our gear. It was a pickup truck with a cap. Four of us had to ride in the back laying on top of the group gear.
Well this got a lot longer than I intended, sorry everyone. But what an adventure - I would do it again in a second.
