Our day started off slower than planned. After breaking down camp, we headed back to the community center to use their facilities and get a little more charging in. It was 10a when we decided we had better leave. We were still hoping to hike fourteen miles yet.
Just as Warthog lined up an Uber ride, a local trail angel stopped and asked if we needed one. We were sitting outside of the community center, tucked way in the back of a business park. It seemed too good to be true. Warthog double checked that there would be no fee. There wouldn’t, so we cancelled our Uber. Joe, the trail angel, retired last November and has dedicated his mornings and afternoons to giving hikers rides. He keeps a list of names for all the hikers he’s helped. Our four put Joe at just over 180 hikers for this season. That’s 180 people one man has single handily impacted… in this year alone. Getting a ride when you are in need of one is a huge blessing for a hiker, which makes Joe an amazing man. He dropped us off and handed us his card. “Pass on my information to whoever needs it”, he said. We took a photo of each side and gave the card to the next hiker we saw. Again, Joe is an amazing man. He also seems like he is a busy man.
Storms were coming so the camera stayed packed away. We climbed up and out of city while it was still nice. The bad weather started right at the end of the climb. It was lightening intermittently when we were about to reach the top of the peak. Not knowing if it would be bald at the top and not wanting to be the tallest thing on the peak, we decided to wait out the worst of the rain where we were. It was a decision that was validated when we watched other hikers slip on the rocks we were waiting to go up. Things slowed after about twenty minutes. It was still raining, but not as heavy, so we continued our ascent.
The weather had cleared by the time we reached an overlook. We wanted to eat lunch on the big boulder face that looked down onto the valley. As we were eating, we noticed that the storm off in the distance was actually headed towards us. More lightening and more rain hit before we were ready. We thought we were playing it safe earlier by staying down, now we were in the middle of it. Well done team (I write with sarcasm). Eh, we do the best we can and whatever is out of our control we rely on God for. The cell only lasted ten minutes and broke again. We were still hungry so we finished our lunch on the same rock we watched the storm roll in on.
More rain was on it’s way. It seems like it’s going to be one of those days – the kind that totally negates any showers or laundry you just got to enjoy. It started up again as we hiked on. This time is was constant. We hiked for an hour or so before taking a break at a shelter. We had considered staying, but it put us at only five miles for the day. We really needed to cover more ground than that. Begrudgingly we moved on. It was still raining. For another hour or more we hiked like that; hats or hoods up and splashing in puddles. Finally it broke. The sun came out, its’ rays streaking through the forest. As miserable as hiking in the rain can be, what it does to the forest afterwards is really beautiful.
We spent the day dodging salamanders. The wet weather drew them out onto the path. Some were teeny tiny, others were full grown. I enjoy seeing these salamanders. They’ve been with us since Georgia. Now we are starting to notice tan ones in addition to the orange. Yep, we are reptile and amphibian dorks.
We turned on music and cruised through the last couple of miles. The good weather, the great music, the bright green forest, and the slight breeze put me in a very happy place. I was grateful for such a nice end to a tedious day. Although I can’t complain about the rain too much. First, it gives me water to drink. Second, it also cools down the air. That doesn’t even go into all the other beneficial things it does. I do like the rain, I just don’t always like walking through it.
We arrived at the shelter around 7p. We only hiked 11.6 miles. We spent the evening trying to dry things out, making dinner, and settling in. The guy we are sharing a campsite with said he saw the biggest porcupine he’s ever seen up at the shelter gnawing on the wood. Porcupines must be really prolific around here. Lately the shelters have been built in a way that is designed to keep them out. Magnet, a section hiker, said she keeps waiting to wake up with a porcupine looking at her from the ledge. It’s not happened yet. We’ve heard these sneaky animals may steal shoes left outside of the tent because they like the salt.
I’m excited to lay on an inflated sleeping pad tonight. After very restless sleep, I have no desire to repeat our sleeping arrangement from last night. We are cozy and warm in our tent under the rainfly. Our down comforter draws both Warthog and I in and threatens to keep us here. It’s glorious – a comfy that we’ve worked for all day.
-ansel