I took 3 days off from hiking to take care of some personal admin. My partner joined me and we stayed in a really neat tiny house at The Notch hostel. It was great to relax and spend time together.
The primary reason for the time off was to sync up with Kyle, an old coworker of mine that enjoys backpacking. He planned to arrive on 5/29 so there was time to burn and I was happy to have it.
On memorial day my partner and I went on a day hike along the AT and saw Kinsman Pond and the Lonesome Lake.
The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) maintains shelters, trails, and operates a variety of lodging options in the northeast. Their huts are off the grid bunkhouses that are staffed with caretakers. During certain seasons, you can stay and be fed breakfast and dinner. Off season they are sometimes available at a lower rate without meals. We walked past the Lonesome Lake Hut but didn't go in.
AT hikers can sometimes get walk-in spots in these huts, but they are very popular, making that approach unreliable. Some huts allow hikers to "work for stay". It's usually an hour or two of work and hikers can sleep on the floor in the common areas. My hike through this section was during the transition to full service season so I expected many to be closed.
With big mountains coming up I added rain pants and waterproof gloves to my pack. I didn't want another Moosilauke experience.