Date: 2003-08-01
From: Franconia Notch, I93 (1450') 

To: Franconia Notch, I93 (1450') 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Aloha! Ahhh... knees, knees, knees... anyone know where I can get a 16 year old pair vice the 46 year old ones I currently own? Whew! Knees! They're actually much better today than they were last night or yesterday but they're still reminding me that I pounded them harder than I should have.   This decision to take a zero day was definitely a good one. Mahalo Gutsy! They're feeling so much better.   Gutsy's on the other hand, well... those ain't working all that well. They weren't terrible at waking but as the day progressed, and we walked the mile to and from Lincoln, they ballooned up terribly. So bad that she was barely walking. The poor thing was miserable!   Bill, the chain smoking and then inhaler sucking proprietor of the Cascade, was kind enough to use his connections to get her in to a doctor quickly. With the additional help of two other section hikers, Doc and Virginia Creeper, she even had a ride to and from Lincoln.   Excellent. She wasn't gone terribly long but upon her return she looked to be feeling better. With drugs and ice in hand, we think she's going to hike another day... just not tomorrow. Gutsy is out for a couple of days now. Bummer. But rest would be the best thing for her.   Double bummer!   As you may have noticed above, we changed hotels. Unfortunately, Autumn Breeze was unable to extend our stay. We weren't forced but chose to join the hiker masses, if any, at the Cascade. The hostel is fine overall; the Autumn Breeze was just nicer... and had the weather channel!   Anyway, the Cascade is pretty much a Doyle Hotel in New Hampshire without the local drunks. Gutsy and I have been awarded the "nicest" room in the house - a two-bed room with a love seat and kitchen sink. That's it. The bathroom is out the door and either across the hall or next door.   After spending 30 minutes cleaning it up before stepping into it, I'm sure I'm a much better woman!   For the most part my day was spent resting and then waiting for Gutsy to return with the diagnosis. She obviously did return and the diagnosis isn't horrible. That's good. We're planning on her meeting up with me a little further down the line.   I'd like that. Nice gal. To bring some brightness into our grey rainy day I received a call from...Pizazz! Phenomenal Number Three! After several phone calls actually we (really she) has worked out a perfect plan for my continuing into the Whites. I'm about to experience staying in two of the huts.   Pretty cool!   Pizazz has made reservations at the Green Leaf and Galehead Huts for us. As it stands I will hike to Mt Lafayette (slack pack really), take the 1.1-mile trail off the AT to Green Leaf and meet her there tomorrow. (Only for one of the Phenomena¢s or Lady Hawk or PeeWee would I walk a mile off trail.   Not even a promise of tex-mex food can get me to do that!) We'll enjoy the hut and then hike on together to the Galehead Hut and do the same. The following day we will hike together to the Zealand Hut where she will turn off and head to her car and I will continue on to Crawford Notch where she'll pick me up.   At that point we'll hit North Conway and grab Gutsy and my stuff and then head for her home in Maine for a zero day. Wuhuu! How awesome is that! Pretty cool, huh! I'm excited.   As for the rest of the day, it really was spent relaxing and going to dinner with Gutsy's new found friends, Doc and Virginia Creeper. We enjoyed a tasty, but horribly slow, Italian restaurant for dinner this evening. Good food, good companionship and a car too boot.   Not too shabby.   But now, I really do need to figure out what I'm going to actually carry and what I'm leaving behind for Gutsy to guard. So sweet of her to do. Without a tent, kitchen, sleeping bag and food I'm going to almost fly UP and over those mountains. Or at least I'm going to think I am.   But I won't if I don't get to packing. So you go do whatever it is that makes fly and I'll drop a few pounds to help me. We'll chat again tomorrow from the trail. No... from a hut. Cool!BSandTs: only poor Gutsy's painful tears.AandPs: on a zero day?MandGs: horrendously slow and terrible wait service in a restaurant... waah!