Date: 2013-06-28
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at about 3 a.m. and heard a steady rain falling on the roof of the shelter. Never a good sign knowing that you'll most likely be hiking in rain for the day. Sure enough, the rain was still coming down when it was time to move. Cardinal and I were on the trail by about 8 and we immediately started climbing. Our big task for the day was getting up and over South and North Kinsman Mountains, a climb of about 2,000 feet. The trail was a thriller on a clear day, so the steady rain made it even more exciting, spiced with an element of danger. I was really glad that Cardinal and I were tackling this venture together. Due to all the recent rain, the trail was essentially a steep and rocky riverbed with water coursing down. We realized there was no way to keep our shoes dry, so we charged (and plodded) through water as needed. We even forded a couple of small streams.As we neared the summit the wind increased and the temperature dropped. Cardinal said he wished we could take a video of our hike; a helmet cam would have been great. On top of Kinsman we struggled to stay upright in the rain and wind, and the fog was thick. No time for photos and we kept moving.The conditions were so miserable that we opted to keep forging ahead without a break. Our goal was to eat a late lunch at Lonesome Lake Hut, the first White Mountain Hut we'd see. At about 1 p.m. we arrived at the hut dripping, chilled, and hungry. The hut system in the White Mountains is made up of eight backcountry huts that offer bunkrooms and meals to hikers. Each hut is staffed by a croo (and yes, that's the correct spelling). Liz was working in the kitchen and she gave us each a bowl of potato dill soup and homemade bread. Now this is what I call civilized hiking. We also had coffee and tea, and a chocolate treat for dessert. At a cost of $3 for bread and soup, I may try to make a lunch stop at the huts along the trail a priority! Turns out that Liz is a recent graduate from the University of Vermont and friends with a couple of my daughter's friends... yet another small world story.We reluctantly left the hut to start our final descent into Franconia Notch. We read a sign saying that the Cascade Brook Trail (the AT in that stretch) had a bridge washed out and when there was lots of water the brook might be too high to cross. We thought we'd be fine so kept on going. When we came to the water crossing, however, we learned that we'd essentially have to wade through a thigh deep raging river. Some element of danger is okay, but this was over the top, so we sadly walked back up toward the hut to take an alternate trail down to the road. I say sadly because the last thing either of us wanted to do at that point in the day was backtrack uphill 1.5 miles.Cardinal had a friend coming to pick him up, so she arrived at the Lafayette Campground and gave us a ride into Lincoln. We'd heard about the Riverbank Motel and Cabins from our French friends in the shelter last night, and they had space available.Once again, the trail worked its magic. I'm back at the motel after a delicious dinner with Cardinal and Leigh at Gordi's Fish and Steak House, and a trip to the laundromat and grocery store. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days, but I'll be hiking...Today's highlight: successfully hiking in the rugged conditions and that wonderful feeling sitting down to soup and bread when you're tired and chilled.