Journal July 3, 2009 (Friday) Trail Day 24 (AT Mile 250.5 - 264.5)

What a day! It started out with me in a bad mood and seriously considering quiting. Last night it rained so hard, I kept waking up and Pirate didn't sleep at all. He seriously read all night! The rain was crazy! Then when I got out of bed, I didn't want to put on all my wet, gritty, stuff - again - for the who knows how many times in a row. I got a late start (9:30 a.m.) and had 14 miles to go. Once I got moving, I started to feel a little better, but I really missed talking to "Ground Support". Last time we talked it was rushed, not long enough, and it was a while ago.

So I started praying and talking myself through it, determined I wasn't going to let the stupid weather be the factor that ended my hike before I even finished the first state. -granted, Maine has almost 300 miles of trail on the AT (all of it water and mud logged). The weather has been so depressing and discouraging. I don't expect sunshine and fluffy clouds the whole time, but I also didn't think it was going to rain or be cold and overcast 22 out of 24 days. This is Maine's wettest June ever recorded. Ha! Just my luck.

So back to today. Well, the sun did peek out from the clouds, and I got excited because I was trying to go up and over Baldpate Mtn. today, and it was supposedly really slabby on the South side, which translates to really slippery. At 2:00 p.m.ish I was taking a lunch break at the worst stream crossing ever (who puts a stream crossing 20 feet up stream of a waterfall?!?) Once again, it started to rain! Ahhhhhh, come back sunny, blue sky! Also, thunder may or may not have been heard... anyway, I became determined to not let the Maine weather set me back AGAIN and started booking it up the mountain. I had a 4-mile up hill to the first shelter and then another 3.5 miles up a steep mountain, over a peak, down and up another peak and then a super steep decent to the shelter before I would call it a day. So I decided to at least stop at the first lean-to and see what the weather might do. When I got there it was sunny, blue sky and very, very distant thunder. It was only 4 p.m. so I decided to go for it! I met some people coming down who said the weather didn't look too bad up top, and I could probably make it. Off I went with purpose. When I got above the tree line, I looked around for a last chance decision 'to go for Big' or turn around and go back to the first lean-to.

The thunder was coming from several miles away, and it was moving parallel to me, but away from me (follow?). Off I went to the first peak! Then the clouds rolled in. Not loud, thunderey clouds, but not light, fluffy dream clouds either. I was stuck. It was too far to turn around and I couldn't tell what was up and over the second peak. The only real option I had was to keep pushing and find nearby shelter (a loose interpretation of the word when the trees are only 5-6 feet tall)as I hiked on. I also prayed a lot for the second time today, because the cairns were hard to follow (the rock piles marking the trail) and I had no time to waste time trying to find the trail. Then there was this whole lightning thing...

From the first peak to the second peak was only 0.9 mile and then 0.6 mile after that to the shelter. Once I finally got to the second peak, I still had a steep decent. Keep in mind, it is now thundering and lightening around me, in the distance, but getting closer and darker! (darker from the clouds) and I have done about 6.5 miles up and down mountains with out a break or a snack - I did eat a Twix bar on the run between the two peaks, but not much of a lunch or restful break. I wasn't sure if I was out of the woods yet (or in the woods as one would prefer to be in a lightning storm.) As far as the storm was concerned, when I got to the crazy steep downhill, I was so relieved because now I had something taller than me, but I still wanted to beat the storm. Half way down, I saw it.... FLASH one. two. three. four. five. BOOMOOOOMOOOM! One mile away. More distant thunder and then the woods got dark! I mean, DARK!!! Like I almost needed my headlamp, to see, dark. "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!!! Get me to the shelter PLEASE!" After 10 minutes or so I see it again. FLASH! one. two. three. four. five. six. seven. eight. nine. BOOMOOMOOM! Two miles away. Better! But still too close. Now the woods get ever darker!

Finally, after five more minutes of jumping over rocks and roots and trying to work my way down the slick (water was still running down it from last night) steep slope, I see the sign for the shelter. Point two miles!! Small rain drops fall. I start to run, I mean sprint with a 30-pound pack over roots, rocks and streams with low light. I ran as fast and as long as I could (which put me about 100 yards from the shelter when I stopped to catch my breath.) I went as fast as I could the rest of the way. Then I see it... The Lean-to!!! I jogged into the lean-to and find Brunch and two other people. The the Heavens OPEN UP! I mean it starts to pour rain with loud thunder and humongous bolts of lightening less than 30 seconds after I get under the roof. Talk about God answering prayers!!! Wow! I got lucky today and I found out I have more than one Guardian Angel watching over me! (Thank you, Lord!)

Relax now, It's over. Nobody got hurt or wet.

So... How was your 4th of July Holiday weekend?
Zombie