The rain continued on and off throughout the night and by morning most of my gear was either damp or wet. A welcome relief that it wasn't raining when I packed up, but from 8 to 12 it poured, turning some portions of the trail into a flowing mess. Head down, huddled in my rain jacket, I was aiming for a 34-mile day. Stopped in briefly at Pinefield Hut to take a breather and refuel. On my way back out to the trail, I slipped on a rock, lost my balance and went crashing into a large puddle, nothing really hurt except my pride. Later, my left foot slid on a wet rock and I jammed my big toe. Ouch! Now that hurt!
I wouldn't say it stopped completely, but the rain did let up between 12 and 3. However, after getting a bit of Mountain Dew trail magic at one of the trailheads along Skyline Drive, the heavy drops started falling and for the next hour it was much as it had been before noon. At four o'clock the sky cleared, the sun came out and the warm temperature was ideal. It lasted for only an hour for which I was very thankful because, though brief, it was enough to raise my flagging spirits.
By 6 that evening it was raining again as I marched toward Bearfence Mountain Hut. On arrival I found room up top in the corner of the loft, which afforded a nice area for me and my gear. Before nightfall, the fog closed in and I suddenly felt as if we were floating in a world of clouds. It's supposed to rain tomorrow too, an 80% chance according to the weather service. I'm longing for a sunny day in order to dry out.
A Break in the Weather
The Wetted Woods
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