Date: 2015-10-01
From: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to 

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

The torrential rain finally stopped at about 11 p.m.The young couple got up first and managed to get a small fire going, which was no easy feat with everything in the forest soaking wet. They tried to use the fire to dry out their clothes before hiking on.The 2 section hikers built up the fire before they headed out.I was trying to decide whether to stay put or hike on. I emptied my pack. First I checked to make sure my food was dry, and then I checked to make sure I had enough food to take a zero at the shelter to dry out my gear and, assuming the rain was actually done, let the streams, brooks, and rivers recede.Then I went through the rest of my gear. Fortunately the dry bags kept most of my gear dry. Spare toilet paper I had in a zip lock bag was soaked. Everything in my pockets, like pages of the AT guide, were soaked. My pack was soaked, my tent was soaked, and my clothes from yesterday were soaked.I used my bear bag line as a clothes line and hung all the wet clothing and gear to dry. I went to the spring to collect and filter plenty of water. I made a hot meal and I drank lots of water. I was hungry and dehydrated because I did not stop to eat or drink any water yesterday.I was hesitant to collect water. The rain washed over the ground and under privies, sweeping all sorts of nasty things into the streams, such as pollutants, animal scat, and human fecal bacteria. Fortunately the water source for the shelter was a true spring, with little opportunity for nasty stuff to be washed into it. Of course I carefully filtered the water.I also kept the fire going. It was my Wilson (Tom Hank's soccer ball in the movie Castaway). It kept me company and it kept me moving collecting wood to keep it going. About mid day a handful of potheads stopped at the shelter for a break and a "safety meeting." They even offered me some - the first time since Georgia, when a retired couple asked me to smoke pot with them. Once again I politely declined. I was surprised to learn that they were rationing their food because they only brought enough for 6 days. But they apparently brought plenty of pot, which they never mentioned rationing.They also mentioned stories about hikers almost drowning while trying to ford during the storm.The rest of the day and night I had the shelter all to myself. I managed to get everything dry and back into my pack. I also managed to get a few short logs dried out to the point that they burned just before I went to sleep, providing a beautiful fire at the end of the day.Yesterday had been a long, wet, cold, dangerous day. I needed to take a zero to dry out and regroup. I believe what does not kill you makes you stronger, and usually also gives you great stories to tell later. Unfortunately sometimes you also end up with nightmares, at least for a little while. Yesterday shook me to my very core, and that experience will stay with me for a very long time. (After finishing the 100 mile wilderness I heard more stories about near drownings during the storm. I also heard about a woman in the Whites who did drown during the storm.)The AT is calling. I hope the next rain holds off until after I get out of the 100 mile wilderness.