Date: 2004-06-04
To: Rain and More Rain
Miles today: 20.0

Note: This journal entry is being composed after its date. I decided that with bad weather forecast over the long term, I would endeavor to hike a long way today. This would enable me to shorten my hiking distances over the next two days as I neared the town of Rural Retreat, VA, where I could pick up my new shoes and book a room in a motel.When I awoke in the shelter, it was pouring out with thunder rumbling. The water was rising on all sides of the shelter, reminding me of a mote. This was not a happy way to begin a hike. But the rain soon let up. Seizing the moment, I shouldered my backpack and hit the trail. I was hoping that the inclement weather had passed and I would be hiking dry,Or so I thought. I walked a short distance until I was facing a barbed wire fence. At that spot, I stepped into a wet area and my right shoe took in some water. That really ticked me off. Worse still, I discovered that the path was not the Appalachian Trail. I had taken a wrong turn.Back on the Appalachian Trail, the going was slow due to soaked conditions. In some places, the trail was a stream. In others, it was covered with puddles. In others, the ground underfoot was sodden with moisture. Soon, the downpour of rain came back. I used my umbrella, but it was nearly impossible to keep dry.For a while, I tried different methods to keep my feet dry, and gave these methods names. The most common technique I named 'strategic stepping,' which is the placement of my shoes on objects above the water, such as rocks, or roots, or higher points of ground. But theses objects are wet, and there is a risk of my shoes slipping off into the body of water underneath. Another method is the 'duck waddle.' With this approach, I spread my feet wide and place them on either side of the flooded trail. Often, this means placing my feet at awkward angles when there is a tiny slope beside the trail. I walk with a waddle. The problem with this method is that by spreading my feet wide, it means my shoes are no longer protected by the umbrella above. Another method is called the 'soldier's march.' This approach is used when hiking through soaked grass. I lift my shoes up high and place them straight down; it prevents the grass from rubbing against the shoes and soaking them. Occasionally, I perform a modified duck waddle and soldier's march when the grass is growing close to the edge of a steep furrowed trail which is full of puddles. These methods sometimes work when rain has stopped or during a drizzle. Today, it rained frequently and heavily. My feet and footwear became soaked and caked in mud.At one location, I came across a small public campground which was almost deserted. There, I huddled under a roof at a rest room and got rid of some trash in a bin. As I stood there in the temporary shelter, looking out at the downpour, I felt unmotivated to venture back into the rain. What a low moment that was. But I shouldered the backpack and ventured back out. During the afternoon as the rain poured down, I approached a stream near a road crossing. Fourteen cans of Mountain Dew, a free handout for passing hikers, had been placed in the stream. Talk about a morale booster! Under a piece of plastic was a note which read: "Just returning trail magic favors I rec'd when I was a thru hiker in 2002. Have a good hike. Condor England" It was not the taste of the soda which I appreciated the most, it was the man's act of generosity that buoyed my spirits. I slogged for ten miles to Hurricane Shelter which has just been constructed. There, I beelined over to the new outhouse where I sign greeted me. It read: "Welcome to our Composting Privy." To my dismay, the out house was not really a 'house.' But it sure was 'out.' In the open air was a plastic toilet with a bucket next to it. The bucket contained saw dust which was supposed to be tossed into the toilet after use. The toilet was soaked from rain. I was taken aback by the notion of having to sit on the soaked toilet with an umbrella in one hand. I considered using some of my toilet paper to dry the toilet seat, but my supply was too low. (There are no rolls of toilet paper in outhouses; hikers must bring their own). In a moment of lunacy, I contemplated using one of my bandanas to wipe dry the seat, but recoiled at the notion. I finally dropped my trousers, grimaced, and plopped my butt down on the wet toilet seat. Surprise! It wasn't that bad of a sensation. After finishing up at the out house, I contemplated whether or not to push on another ten miles to the next shelter. By doing so, I would reduce the mileage output during the next two days, but it was 3:30 p.m. and I did not want to fall short and have to make camp in the rain. I decided to strike out for another ten miles. I followed the trail along a wide and straight direction. When I reached a dirt road, I realized that for the second time today, I had wandered off the Appalachian Trail. I backtracked and corrected my error, but the mishap had cost me time.For the next few hours, I picked up my pace worrying about the onset of darkness. For a while, the trail took me downhill, enabling me to make decent time. And the rain let up, another promising development.I reached a road crossing where I had an option of hitch hiking into the town of Troutdale, VA where I could bail out in a Baptist Church hostel. I chose to push on to the shelter. After crossing the road, the trail took me up a long ascent. As my pace slowed down, the rains returned with a vengeance. I heard thunder rumbling in the area. My anxiety level rose. It started to get dark out due to the thunder clouds. The trail began a long descent and the rain became torrential. I was soaked. I was miserable. I started jogging where the terrain permitted. Finally, I spotted the shelter!After hiking twenty miles in lousy weather, I stepped into the Trimpi Shelter, a small and elegant stone structure with sleeping areas to the left and to the right. In between the sleeping areas was a dirt floor which led to a fire place. A man was lying on the left side with a sleeping bag liner over him. I introduced myself to him. He was a section hiker from Pennsylvania named Jeff. After the introductions had passed, I swallowed my pride and asked him if he had any body powder. I explained to him that with all of the rain, I was developing a rash in my rear end. He did not have any powder. As Jeff lay there and watched, I tied a string across the center of the shelter and hung out my wet clothes, my wet footwear, and even the wet umbrella. Then I cooked a hasty meal, hung out my bear bag on a tree limb, and crawled into my sleeping bag.Jeff was a great guy to share the shelter with. He was highly educated and conversant in all kinds of subjects. Later in the evening, he lit a candle on his side of the shelter. I watched the stone walls of the shelter glow from the ambience of the flame. It was a soothing way to end a stressful day.