Start: 0800 - near Crag Lake
End: 1900 - Big Crow Basin
Miles (today): 23.5
Miles (cumulative): 2368.5 (2145 PCT, 149.5 alternate, 74 off)
Rain dominated the entire day. At first it was delightful - rain is peaceful. Then, when the trail basically turned into a stream, it became tedious as I tried to keep my feet from getting soaked. Then, after I realized trying to keep my feet from getting soaked was impossible, it became cold and endless.
It didn't feel like a music or podcast sort of day, but I needed something to help me through the cold and endless day. Thinking about what Alejandro told me about the power of the mind, I started to chant, "I am warm" over and over and over. After a while I added "I am happy", "I am strong", and "I am enough", just because I figured it couldn't hurt. It might sound silly but repeating that mantra made the miles bearable.
The glove rain covers worked well, as did the umbrella- I'm so grateful it got to me on time! I'm also grateful that the rain held off until after we passed through Goat Rocks - I would have been pretty upset if those views had been spoiled by the rain. As it was, I'm sure I missed out on some fantastic views today - it was beautiful despite the rain and fog so I can only imagine what it would have been like without it.
a hint of beauty behind the fog
fall is here - the leaves are changing
The rain prevented me from taking a break at all - I walked the entire day (11 hours), only pausing to pee and only taking off my pack twice - once in the morning to take care of business and once in the afternoon to get out more snacks. It was a slow and steady sort of day.
When I stopped to get out more snacks in the afternoon (unbelievably, there was a small dry spot under some trees that made a good stopping place), a day hiker stopped to chat. Unfortunately, I had just shoved a hefty handful of trail mix in my mouth so it took me a moment to respond. When I could finally speak I apologized for my slovenly ways and we both laughed.
I talked to him for quite a while, the whole time wondering where Nick was. My pace was definitely not fast and I expected him to catch up to me already.
When I resumed hiking, I kept my pace slow since getting to camp early would be silly since Nick has the tent. What was I going to do, sit in the freezing rain? As the hours passed I started to think perhaps l should stop and wait for him before the planned spot - it was getting late - but then I worried that maybe he had passed me without me knowing it (although why I thought this was possible when I didn't really leave the trail all day is beyond me).
Despite intentionally going slow, I made it to the campsite before Nick. While the rain had let up somewhat in the late afternoon, as soon as I got to camp it started up again, only this time with gusts of impossibly cold wind. For a moment I sort-of panicked, whimpering pathetically as I stood there in the rain. I was cold and wet and desperately wanted some shelter - any shelter. Then I told myself to get a grip because whimpering wasn't going to help my situation. Action, I needed to take action. I forced myself to change out of my damp hiking clothes and get into my warm, dry sleeping clothes ASAP (making the change with the cold wind blowing on me was not easy)... And then I slowly made my way back down the trail to fetch water and to hopefully see Nick. I started to worry that something had happened, like maybe he got hurt and couldn't make it to the campsite. Why didn't we just walk together today?!? It's our anniversary, we should have. I started to seriously think about what I would do if he didn't show up. In a dry environment I would just cowboy camp, but that wouldn't be possible tonight...
Happily, just as it was getting too dark to see without a headlamp, Nick came rushing down the trail. He said the trail really tried to break him today but didn't say more - he collected some water and then followed me back to the campsite, which would have been difficult for him to find in the fading light.
Once the tent was up, we both dashed inside and did our best to get warm. Nick said he went off trail for a bit and I knew exactly where it happened because it happened to me, too (only I checked to Halfmile app right away and realized my error before going too far). Dammit, I knew I should have gone back to draw an arrow! I had thought about it but decided an arrow would be unnecessary since Nick usually checks the maps whenever there is an unmarked trail junction (he didn't check the map this time because of the rain). I should have erred on the side of caution- I feel horrible.
I love my dry down sleeping bag - it's so warm in here!
Along the trail:
the wet, wet trail
where we both went off trail for a bit