Miles today: 17.5

Trail miles: 436.1

Elevation: 4169

Spinning on the turntable: David Gray: A new day at midnight

Today was a long, wet, cold hike. When we woke the rain was falling and it really didn’t look that inviting outside. Noelle was planning to hike a few miles with me but changed her mind when we looked at the rain. (Smart move!)

It was damp as I worked my way uphill through the clouds. A deer appeared out of the mist at one point and we eyed each other from across a opening in the bushes. Once I attempted to snag my phone to capture its picture it disappeared into the mists.

The temperature was in the mid 40’s (7C)I kept busy moving to stay warm. I stopped for a mid-morning break and filtered some water from a stream. I chatted with a Norwegian couple who are getting off the trail in day or so to head to the nearest REI to purchase warm weather gear. It’s cold.

I appreciate the ultra light gear weights, but the majority of the hikers (my opinion) really push the safety envelope by carrying the absolute minimum amount of gear. I saw someone pass me in a dress this afternoon as I was huddled beneath the bush line eating lunch.

A freezing rain/fog/wind/cloud was whipping up the mountain so I hit the deck for twenty minutes and ate my lunch. No one passing me looked like they were having a good time. The young lady in the sun dress looked super cute, but super cold.

As I approached another summit the wind was just howling.

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I was glad to descend a bit later in the afternoon. The weather cleared up a bit, defined as not raining, and I dried out a little bit during the last mile.

I was happy to make it to camp. I stayed at a Ranger station and they offered a soda, snack and hog dog in exchange for a two dollar donation. It was a good investment.

I set up the new tent without too many difficulties. It’s a bit tight, but I fit, sort of.

The new stove worked as advertised. It was great to have a hit meal after a cold day damp and cold hiking.

The tent site was a popular location. I counted 17 tents before I turned in for the evening. Hikers were still rolling in around 8:30. The camp site quieted down by 9PM.