Date: 2008-04-19
From: Devils' Fork Gap

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: broken clouds

Since I'm getting back on the trail at less than full capacity, we decided to give me a slow start and allow for a couple of bailout points along the way if things go badly. Thus we drove up from Hot Springs to Devils Fork Gap, about 3 days' hike back into Hot Springs. We left the car there and set off into the woods at 2 p.m. We planned to go about nine miles, to the second shelter south of the gap.Gaps are low places between mountains where a road can pass, and they are a mixed blessing for hikers. To get down to a gap, the descent can be brutal on the knees. But a gap also means at least a brush with civilization (an opportunity for a hitch into a town, occasionally a town itself, and, sometimes "trail magic"). And of course, every time you leave a gap you face a steep climb up. Today's start out of Devil's Fork Gap was no exception.Since I don't have my "trail legs" yet (these take at least three weeks of steady hiking to develop), and my lung capacity has been hampered of late by cracked ribs, SLOW was the word that described me today. UP was the other word that was predominant. It didn't help that the skies opened and it poured rain starting at about 3 p.m. Despite our rain gear, we were quickly soaking wet-- from the inside out. Sweat can't escape for the same reason that the rain can't get in, and we were working up a sweat climbing.We were happy to meet up with Gentleman Jack and Willow, two hikers we met at Springer, and we stopped in the rain to chat with them for a while. It's great to see familiar faces, and to know that they are still on the trail.Despite these less than ideal conditions, I did okay. We hit the shelter at about 6 p.m., and only one other hiker, Brown Bag, was there. Ordinarily I hate sleeping in the shelters, but I was pooped, and with rain pouring down, I could not imagine going back out into it to set up our tent. So we staked a claim to a corner of the shelter, and proceeded to try to get warm and dry.One aspect of staying in a shelter that I've never addressed ( and that I've never been completely comfortable with)is how quickly modesty goes by the wayside. Of course, when possible, I remove myself to a private place outside to change clothing, or change in my sleeping bag. But when it's pouring rain and I am dripping wet (so an in-the-bag change is not an option), my choices are limited. I just announced to Brown Bag that I planned to change, and he looked the other way while I shimmied out of wet things and into dry. Hoover braved the rain to get water from a nearby stream, and then he cooked our dinner while I set up our sleeping quarters. It was cold enough that we slipped into our sleeping bags right after we ate and watched as the shelter filled with other hikers. In all, there were nine of us there for the night: the two of us, Brown Bag, White Lightening, Sherlock, Aaron and Whisper, and Stubbs & Mr. Bones and their dog Jinx. During a break in the rain, two couples set up tents nearby, and Sherlock hammocked, so the shelter wasn't too full. We all fell asleep listening to the rain on the metal shelter roof, and watching the rain fall. Fortunately the shelter roof didn't leak, and no one snored too loudly!