Date: 2017-10-07
To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: fog

10/7Bailey Gap Shelter 14.6 milesThe moon shone brightly enough to cast shadows from before I went to sleep until after I woke up. I pulled my cap down over my eyes to block the light so I could sleep. It was comforting to be able to look out and see things, though. My hindbrain feels much safer when it can see. I woke at 6:15. There were no signs of life elsewhere in camp. I was glad I had tented so I could get up without bothering anybody. I grabbed my food bag and made iced coffee to go with my honeybun. Caffeinated and full, I finished packing up and relocated to the log in front of the shelter for last minute details like tooth brushing and visiting the privy. By now the fellows from last night were all up - Dale, Dogtags, Stumbles, and Bubbadoodle. I took their picture standing together at the picnic table. They were a great, low key, fun bunch. When I left the other three were advising Dale, out on his first section, about ways to drop pack weight. He was fairly miserable from the weight he carried. I hope he takes the advice and becomes a happier camper. It's funny how fast the day goes by. I started walking, blinked, and I was at the next shelter and eating lunch. I started walking again and then it was starting to sprinkle and the sun was going down. Two blinks and a day was gone. I found nobody at the shelter so I kept my pack on and walked down the mountain to get water. It might have been fine at the shelter while I was away. Then again it might not. It wasn't a big deal anyway. I had already carried it nearly fifteen miles. Another half mile didn't make much difference. The sun had set but a little light remained when I got back to the shelter, which was still empty. I swept out a spot and set up my sleeping pad and sleeping bag. I moved my tired butt over to the pad so I had a comfier seat, then supped on bulgogi flavor beef jerky and dry ramen. Dry ramen is a disgusting habit that I picked up on one of my first long section hikes. It's essentially like eating crackers, and avoids the fuss of cooking and the mess of eating noodle soup. I hung my food bag from a mouse hanger in the shelter. Rain, possibly torrential rain, might be starting overnight. I checked the forecast when I briefly had a cell signal this morning, and it called for up to six inches over the next three days. At least finding water shouldn't be a problem for a while! Finding high ground might be. At any rate, I didn't want to hang the food bag in the rain. It's a dry bag, but it isn't perfect. And sodden rope is a pain to deal with. Tomorrow is a question mark. Forecasts calling for this much rain seldom come to fruition. If it's really that wet, I'll want to get to a shelter. The next one is closed thanks to hazardous dead trees. The one after that is over sixteen miles away. That's a very long walk for me - not that I'm prone to taking long breaks on those kinds of days, which helps. I'm honestly not sure I can make the distance before the sun goes down.  I don't remember what the footing is like. I don't particularly want to subject my headlamp to torrential rain. There are several campsites along the way. If I have to, I'll camp. I don't have much faith in my tent thanks to acorn damage, but a wet night won't kill me. Leave me pruney and grumpy, but not kill me.