August 14: After yesterday's harrowing hike, we woke up feeling groggy. All of our stuff was still in the slack pack bags, everything from yesterday was still wet. We figured we'd get a late start after getting organized and having a good breakfast. So we showered and turned on the weather channel while we got organized. The weather report called for cool temperatures (high of 60 at Franconia Notch) with lower temps in elevation (40's at the ridge) and chance of getting below freezing at night. I stepped outside. It was FREEZING!
That clinched it. We were taking a zero.
We made arrangements at the motel office and then jumped back in bed for 2 more hours of sleep.
Our motel at Franconia Notch had all the basic necessities: bed with clean sheets, shower, toilet, sink, spots to hang drying gear. The hotel across the street, however, had lots more ammenities: restaurant, laundry, ATM, pool. We would use all of these ammenities before the day was over.
We also had lunch at a nice Italian restaurant walking distance away. We were eating outside on the patio in the sun when clouds came speeding across the sky like they were being driven by the cast of The Fast and the Furious. Rain came pelting down- the kind of rain that hurts when it hits you. It was icy cold, too. Luckily, we were zeroing and all we had to do was move ourselves and our food indoors. That would have been miserable up above treeline on the ridge!
In the afternoon, we organized our now-dry gear and got everything packed up for an early start. And let's be honest here: it was a zero day so we took afternoon naps.
Then it was time for dinner at Dad's (the across the street hotel's restaurant) and to bed early. Successful day of really truly slacking in the Whites.
That clinched it. We were taking a zero.
We made arrangements at the motel office and then jumped back in bed for 2 more hours of sleep.
Our motel at Franconia Notch had all the basic necessities: bed with clean sheets, shower, toilet, sink, spots to hang drying gear. The hotel across the street, however, had lots more ammenities: restaurant, laundry, ATM, pool. We would use all of these ammenities before the day was over.
We also had lunch at a nice Italian restaurant walking distance away. We were eating outside on the patio in the sun when clouds came speeding across the sky like they were being driven by the cast of The Fast and the Furious. Rain came pelting down- the kind of rain that hurts when it hits you. It was icy cold, too. Luckily, we were zeroing and all we had to do was move ourselves and our food indoors. That would have been miserable up above treeline on the ridge!
In the afternoon, we organized our now-dry gear and got everything packed up for an early start. And let's be honest here: it was a zero day so we took afternoon naps.
Then it was time for dinner at Dad's (the across the street hotel's restaurant) and to bed early. Successful day of really truly slacking in the Whites.
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