Date: 2022-05-07
From: Stealth Campsite

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: light rain

I¢m sitting in McDonalds in damp clothes having eaten two breakfasts as I write this. Yesterday was miserable. I woke about 5am with rain tin-panning on my tent. I dozed for 30 minutes then packed my backpack whilst sitting in my tent. A skill I a learning for rainy mornings. Got my bear bag out of tree and rolled my tent soaking wet, attaching it to outside of my pack. All going well. Now to poop in the woods. I went for the hang onto a small tree and squat method. There was a loud crack and my bare arse hit the cold wet ground. The tree had snapped.  Note to self, you¢re a big fucker so pick a bigger tree in future! Left camp at 6.45. A mile up the road in the pummelling rain, remembered I had hidden my penknife under a rock. No thought of going back with a 20 mile day ahead. Another item to list of growing list of gear I have lost (was eating dinner with my penknife because I lost my spork the day before).  Stopped at spring to filter some water.Eight mile trudge in torrential rain to next shelter to make coffee and eat breakfast bar.  Path was a stream and my feet were soaking after about 30 minutes.  Started to feel cold about an hour before I got to shelter. Along with rain , It was 10C with a chill east wind. Realised my expensive gortex pro rain coat could only handle a couple of hours of intense rain. Leaking through all zips and soaked through in places.  £10 kilt doing a much better job keeping my shorts dry. Had a much needed hot coffee and a honey bun at the shelter. I love these buns! Changed out of my wet t shirt and put my lightweight mid layer on. Assumed it would get wet too but offer me more insulation even when wet. Two options now  - stay at this shelter for a long day and night. Or push on 13.8 miles to next shelter. I went for it. The miles were certainly walkable and my plan was not to stop, but push on the whole way in the rain, eating trail mix and energy bars. First, I had a stream with a beaver dam to navigate. Given that the whole trail was not a running stream, getting wet feet was not a concern. I balanced across the branches making up the dam without falling in, probably because I had no fear of falling in as my feet sodden already. The next 5/6 miles passed fairly quickly though I did walk the wrong way (south) for about 15 minutes after getting disorientated at a camp ground where I stopped to pee. Luckily, I walked into Gazelle who was 30 minutes behind at the previous shelter. Turned around feeling lucky and massively irritated at adding 30 minutes to my hiking day. I got in a fast hiking groove to keep warm and was going strong, until I slipped over and then again and then a final time when I bent my hiking pole through 45 degrees or so.  Wet AND muddy now. Got to a bridge over river with a sign showing 7.2 miles to shelter.  Steep climb for 30 minutes or so was a blessing as it warmed me up. But a nasty chill wind up top had me singing Spice Girls hits to keep my spirits up. The trek along the ridge was sometimes flat and easy if wet walking. But occasionally a quarter mile of sharp rocky stuff would test my concentration.  Twisting an ankle or worse would result in an uncomfortable slow tent (already wet) erection and a less than comfortable night.  I was soaked again through by now but my mud layer whilst soaking wet was still keeping me warm (ish).  Now deep into shelter as my ¢true north¢ psych to keep me trucking forward. About 5pm - and 10 hours in the pouring rain - I made it to the shelter. The platform upstairs had 3 hikers warming up. I spread my wet stuff out on the wooden platform. Got into dry clothes, into my sleeping bag and got some hot food and drinks inside me. Gazelle arrived and then Unwound (a younger hiker who¢d done 30 miles or more). Both as waterlogged and cold as me. Once warmed, we started to make plans. Another day of even worse rain forecast for tomorrow, persuaded us all that a few miles walk in the morning to the nearest road and a shuttle to a hotel was needed to warm us up and raise morale.Something to tell the grand kids one day!?