We woke up expecting to be greeting by rain. We weren’t… not yet anyway. But it was coming. Around 9a we were leaving camp in full rain gear, the camera was tucked away for safe keeping. The skies had started to spit at us. Not too long after hitting the trail it started to fully rain. I had looked at the terrain profile for the day. There weren’t any real difficult hills to climb. It was all pretty “flat”. I was worried it would also indicate a rocky trail. This is Pennsylvania. The nasty rocks are supposed to be here. We haven’t seen anything more rocky than what we’ve experienced before. But like the rain this morning, we know the rocks are coming. Just not today. There were some areas that required some boulder hopping, just not many. I’ve heard stories of miles of basketball sized rocks separated by a few hundred yards and then repeat. Apparently this continues beyond the state line even. We will hit it. I hope to be ready. I’m trying to make decisions that will help me carry lighter than normal. Food weight is my biggest variable. Warthog and I have bought several dehydrated dinners from Backpackers Pantry and Mountain House, etc., to keep our weight down. The last thing we want if our ankle rolls is to have a heavy pack that makes the injury even more serious.
We hiked just shy of fourteen miles today. Most of that was in rain. We took an hour or so lunch at a shelter. We didn’t need to move too fast. We just needed to be at a certain road crossing by 4p when Kirby’s father and stepmom arrived. About fifteen minutes after we hit that spot, they were there and with Grand Rapids beer even! Sushi Roll and Roar stayed a few minutes and visited with us all too.
After about twenty minutes of standing in a circle and sharing stories, Kirby and his family headed back to the hotel. The plan was a hotel room for them while Snow Monkey, Wonder Woman, Warthog, and I camped for the night. The next morning we would be picked up and would spend the day running errands; laundry, REI, resupply, showers, etc. It’s incredibly generous that the families of our “tramily” are willing to help all of us out while they are here. I know it adds so much more work to their time where they planned to catch up with their loved one. I especially enjoy meeting everyone’s parents because it gives me such a window into how and why our friends are the people that they are. I love seeing the phrases and mannerisms that have been passed down from parent to child.
We camped right at that road crossing where Kirby was picked up at. Lucky for us, there were established spots right next to a trout stream. It was set back from the road too, so no one would really know we were there. We felt safe and comfy in those woods. Thankfully, the rain eased up while we were setting up camp and eating dinner. Warthog was even able make a fire – the first one we’ve had in a while because of how late we’ve been getting into camp.
It was early enough when we finished dinner that I went back to the tent and started editing photos. Around 9p Warthog put out the campfire and joined me. Just after he got in, the rain picked up enough that I had to zip up the vestibule. I knew we would bake. We spent the night in a hot, humid tent. The rain was constant enough that it started to come into the tent through the rainfly. None of it splashed on my face, so I was able to sleep through it. Warthog had it dripping onto his pillow. Between the rain and his flat air mattress, he didn’t sleep so well and was really looking forward to our zero day.
-ansel