Date: 2007-09-15
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: moderate rain

Not So Tropical StormThe tropical storm came with a vengeance, dumping rain. It started around 1am and kept most of us awake for a while. I woke up around 8 and it was still raining so I rolled over and went back to bed. Around 10 it mostly stopped raining so I thought about walking. There were still 4 other people in the shelter and game on in a tent. Slowly people trickled out onto the cold went muddy trail. I was the 4th to last to leave and got walking at noon.The trail was practically underwater but I managed to keep my feet somewhat dry. I left the shelter in full rain gear but had to take it all off as soon as I started climbing saddleback. The rockwork going up that mtn was excellent with steps a lot of the way. I got to thinking about trail maintenance and ended up fixing a damaged water bar, diverting a stream off the trail. Near tree line I figured it would be bad on the ridge so I put on my rain jacket with the hood over my head. I had no idea what I was in for! As soon as I stepped above treeline I got hit with the intense wind and freezing rain. My kilt soaked through in about 5 min and was blowing in the wind. My legs started to go numb so I had to duck behind a small tree and put on my rain pants. That made the situation a bit better and I kept pushing through the storm. Game on was right behind me and we could not believe how harsh the conditions were. We made it to the top of Saddleback and to our horror saw that we had another 2 miles above treeline! I was already frozen and the wind seemed to get stronger and stronger. At times it made me loose my balance and stumble a bit. All we could do was push forward. We came to sections in the saddle that were underwater with no rocks to hop over. I paused for a few seconds before saying F-it and, with a sploosh, stepped in a puddle up to my calves. My shoes soaked through with icy cold water instantly and I kept walking through the water. I started loosing feeling in my finger tips and stopped again to put on my gloves. I resisted for so long since they were my only pair, which I wanted dry for camp. That brought their feeling back and I hiked on. The wind going up to The Horn was so intense, I had to lean into it to keep from falling over. I made it to the summit at 4040ft and screamed into the wind, before dashing down into tree cover.It was like night and day back in the trees. Game on and I took a long break to collect ourselves. I think that was the harshest conditions I have EVER walked in and definitely the closest I've been to hypothermia. I made it though and felt pretty damn tough. I was exhausted and walked the next few miles to poplar ridge lean-to in a daze. The last mile before seemed to take forever, but I made it. Shuffles and bug shoe were in there set up already. I had no energy to set up my hammock so I slept in the lean-to again. This was the "baseball bat" lean-to with bat size logs laid parallel to how you sleep. It was surprisingly more comfortable than it looked. I cooked dinner while laying in my sleeping bag and fell asleep by 8pm.Today's StatsStarting Point:Piazza Rock Lean-toEnding Point:Poplar Ridge Lean-toMileage:8.9Elevation Gain:4170ftElevation Loss:3740ftHiking Time:6:05Weather:Tropical Storm rain, cold, high windsPain Factor:4