The rain continued throughout the night, but was once more replaced by a thick fog in the early morning. Seems like this is becoming the dominant weather pattern. Oh well, I knew the east coast was going to be much wetter than my PCT days out west. With nothing but a gray shroud surrounding me, I figured I'd just focus on churning out some miles on the tread to Brown Mountain Creek. It started raining while I was crossing Pedlar River Bridge. No surprise. It was really just a matter of time. Not if, but when.Three thousand feet of elevation gain to get to Bald Knob, but on the way I climbed out of the clouds. Yes!!! The rest of the day whenever I dipped below the 3,700 foot level I was back in the damp mist. It goes without saying that I much preferred the heights today. I made a special point to stop on top of Cold Mountain because the sun had come out. I took a longer break there below the blue sky, soaking up the rays.
As the late afternoon turned to early evening, I was again enveloped in fog. Felt very fortunate to find a space available at The Priest Shelter when I pulled in at 6:30. In the Thru-Hiker's Companion it's written that the shelter is near a busy access for backpackers and is often full. That information was spot on as over the next hour more and more people came in off varying trails, filling up the shelter and taking over most of the tent sites. A brave deer joined them. Obviously accustomed to having people nearby, it nibbled the long grass growing near the side of the shelter. Snug in the corner, I had a tasty dinner and enjoyed listening to the idle chit chat about happenings on the trail, struggles in the rain and observations about the weather. Feeling sleepy, I lay back and closed my eyes. Blackness.
Near Cold Mountain
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