3-13-06
Start: Thomas & OH 555 (BT)
Destination: Rock Hollow Rd (BT)
Miles: 10.1
Weather: It's 7 pm with severe weather warnings until midnight
We stuck around this morning until we were able to pick up our mail drop. I like getting re-supplied, but OH, the weight. Some of you, I know, will cringe at this number -- 45 pounds! What the heck are we carrying that weighs so much?! I know before I left for this hike, I'd get to a point where I'd be throwing stuff out of my pack - I'm about to that point. Something's got to go! I can handle 30 pounds okay, but 45? Whew! So as we walk, mom and I are trying to come up with "convenience" items we can get rid of. But, anyway, we're carrying it for now. As we eat and drink our water, it gets lighter, at least.
Our hike started out having to say good-bye to dad when he dropped us off. I hope his flight goes okay with the weather. So we were off, once again. We had to cross a couple of heavy streams over gravel roads (from yesterday's rain), and at that time, it wasn't raining. Our boots got a little water in them from the crossings - at some points the water was well above our shoes. And, then, it started to rain. After a few scary clouds rolled by, it actually cleared up and the sun came out. Our rain gear even dried out nicely.
We decided that at 5:30, we'd start looking for a tent spot. At 6:00, we finally walked down some nice peoples' driveway and asked if we could pitch our tent in their yard. They didn't mind at all, so we picked the highest spot in the yard we could find, up by their garden.
There was a flash, a boom about 4 seconds later, and just as I started putting the poles in, the sky let loose. DOWNPOUR! So everything got completely wet. The inside of the tent is wet, our clothes, our packs... it happened in about 15 seconds time. Mom and our gear was even inside the tent before it was completely set up. I just hope my sleeping bag can stay dry, but I don't know that there's much hope for that.
We took a little risk and boiled our ramen and cocktail wieners inside the tent with the lightning flashing and cracking above us. It all worked out well. Oh, and now it's raining so hard, it's actually coming through the tent a little bit and it feels like it's raining inside! Oh well, whatcha' gonna' do? As our title states, we will hopefully drift off to sleep and dream of being dry. :)
There are severe weather alerts out tonight, but the couple that loaned us their yard for a night told us if it got too bad, to just knock, so that is really cool. We have a more solid shelter available if we need it, at least.
This is certainly a new experience and a challenging night. I keep thinking about what it's going to be like packing up camp if it's still raining in the morning. Even if it's not - packing up all this equipment damp is going to be messy. But we will do it, and we will hike on.
We are also coming up with rules for tent etiquette when you have a tent-mate. We'll pop one in our entries every now and again.
Tent Etiquette Rule #1: When changing, one must face his/her back-side in the opposite direction of their tent-mates' face.
There's always something to make us laugh, even in uncomfortable situations like tonight's rain.
The dogs stopped barking, the frogs are singing, and the thunder's booming... good-night! :)
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