Date: 2013-05-05
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Elk Garden Gap
Miles today: 14.3

May 5, day 42, mileage 14.3I had a good nights sleep in my new hammock. I still am learning about the best way to set up the tarp and hammock for me. We had some rain and wind last night with a low near freezing but I stayed warm and dry. After only one night on the hammock I know I really like it.Today's hike started with dark skies, cold and breezy. So the new rain pants and jacket and a fleece pullover were in order. The fleece pullover and then the rain jacket were shed as I warmed up.Before lunch a light rain was with us at times. So the rain jacket was back on. It was about forty five degrees. As we climbed up White Top Mountain, the rain and the wind became heavier. Just before the highest elevation of White Top Mountain, there was a large open area of grass and rocks. As we walked across this area, the rain was moderate but the wind was gusting to at least fifty miles per hour.The rain felt like it was cutting my face if I looked toward the wind. So the hood of my jacket was adjusted to hide my face. I had my wind gloves on to protect my hands.We could not stay on the trail because the wind kept blowing us off to the left then as you get back on the trail the wind would let up and we would fall toward the right because we were leaning into the wind that no longer kept us up.This was the most wind I have ever walked in. I was laughing in spite of the seriousness of the situation. The wind sometimes would take a hold of my pack and turn me into the wind like a weather vane. My pack cover stayed on but was pulled off of the right side. Rick's pack cover was completely off but was hanging by the elastic that runs across the middle and around his pack. After returning to the trees, we resecured our pack covers. We hiked another four miles down the mountain toward Elk Garden Gap, where we were going to camp for the evening. There were a few areas going down the mountain that were sheltered somewhat from the wind. We continued descending in the hopes of finding something better at a lower elevation.Upon arriving at Elk Garden Gap, there was absolutely no place to camp that was sheltered from the wind. Rick arrived before me and was taking shelter in the concrete toilet building. At least that was out if the wind and rain.Rick had checked the clothes in his pack. Everything was soaked. He was also wet from the rain and the wind. We needed to get off of the mountain. So I went part way up the next hill to get cell service and called for a shuttle to get us to Rick's truck parked about eight trail miles away.We then had a warm ride into town for a Mexican dinner. I do love heated seats.Now for the report on the performance of my new Rab rain jacket and pants. From the waist down, I was absolutely dry. I did have some dampness from sweat on my chest and upper back where my pack was against me. With the moderate rain for three hours and wind up you fifty mph, this stuff kept me dry. It also kept me warm with only a tee shirt under it. The time when there was no rain earlier in the day, I did sweat on my forearms. At no time did it feel cold or clammy. I like this rain gear.Toward the end of dinner we looked at the weather forecast. Not good. Two more days of severe weather followed by three more days of rain. The low temperatures at night in the mountains would be near freezing. The highs in the forties.The only way of getting things dry at these temps is to wear the clothes and let body heat dry them. I am not big on putting wet items in my sleeping bag to try to dry them.The next few days of hiking will take me over unprotected areas (no trees) at high elevations with rain and high winds. As good as my new rain gear is, I figured I would be wet at some point. This was looking like a recipe for hypothermia.Rick could drop me off at the trail where we got the shuttle. Either way, he was not going back to the trail without having dry clothes. I was looking at holing up in a hotel for a few days to wait out the severe weather.Rick is also coming back next weekend with a few other friends to hike with me then. Hmmmm...So I made the decision to ride back to Columbus with Rick to wait out the wet and severe weather and come back next Friday. Some will call me a Woosie. I call it avoiding a dangerous situation. I do not want to spend that much time away from the trail. I do not mind being in miserable weather, but I think it may be dangerous. There is no photo today due to the rain. My next journal entry should be on Saturday if I have cell service.