We slept under a table in the dining room and got up and packed before the guests. We hung around until after the guests were fed, then ate all the leftover pancakes and pineapple. To finish off our work-for-stay, we swept the floors in the dining and bunk rooms.
We began the eight mile stretch to Crawford Notch with Cliff Note. The trail was uncharacteristic of the Whites--graded, smooth, easy. We flew.
We reached the notch around noon. The next section is the Presidential section of the White Mountains, 20 miles of ridge line walk all exposed and above tree line. The forecast called for evening showers, and thunderstorms all day Thursday.
Mount Washington is not the place to be in a storm. It is famous for its "dangerously erratic weather" and until 2010, held the highest wind gust record at 231 mph. Yes, I typed that correctly, 231 mph! Over 137 deaths have occurred on the summit due to the weather.
We called an audible and decided to let the weather roll through before tackling the Presidentials. A hard decision, especially since it was still beautiful out. Cliff Note joined us, and the three of us caught a ride into North Conway, New Hampshire.
Typical Americans, we crashed at McDonalds for cheap food, air conditioning and a place to recharge our electronics.
We walked over to Doc and Llama's house for the night. They are former thru-hikers of the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. After sweeping out the garage, we setup on a few cots in the garage. They generously allowed us to shower and launder our clothes.
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