After departure from Carter Notch Hut and reaching the road, Erica took the lead position and set a blistering pace up Mount Madison. We broke out above treeline on Madison 3 hours and 10 minutes after leaving Carter Notch, and just 1 hour and 20 minutes after leaving NH 16 for the ascent. Above tree line on Madison, and in complete darkness, the Osgood Trail was difficult to follow, and the Parapet Trail was hopeless. After floundering on the Parapet for 20 or 30 minutes, Erica made the call that an ascent to Mount Madison’s summit would be necessary. Erica successfully navigated to the summit of Mount Madison, and we made an uneventful descent into the Mount Madison Hut, arriving at 4:40 AM, exactly 5 hours after departure from Carter Notch Hut. At the Madison Hut Erica and I said our good-byes, and I was off solo for the next 44 miles to Lonesome Lake Hut.