Date: 2003-05-31
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Cove Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: light rain

Rain, rain, go away.Come again some other day.We awakened to another rainy day. Spittfyre headed out first at 7:30; minutes later the skies opened and drenched everything in it's path. I held out until 8:00 and realized that it just wasn't going to get any better, so I might as well not put off the inevitable. We had shared the camp with Boy scout Troop 50 from Lexington, and when I left the 3 scout leaders and most of the boys were standing in the shelter waiting for a break in the weather so that they could eat and break camp. I hope they enjoy the rest of their weekend trip.It rained lightly for the first half hour, then stopped until right before I reached my lunch destination: Bobblets Gap Shelter, at 11:30. All morning I felt like I was dragging lead feet and had decided that when I got to the shelter and had eaten my lunch, I'd pull out my sleeping bag and put my sleepy, cold body in it for a nap; which is exactly what I did. Spittfyre did the same.When we awakened at 1:30 the sun was brilliantly shining down on us. We quickly packed up and left because the weather report had been for thunderstorms all afternoon and we wanted to take advantage of the break in the rain. It didn't last long.We separated sometime later when Spittfyre stopped for a Snickers break. Within minutes it was raining, and raining hard. The predicted 20-30 mile per hour winds kicked in and began to soak me. I had my rain jacket on but hadn't put on my rain pants when leaving the shelter because it had been so nice. I'm regretting it now. My boots slowly filled with the rain water that ran down my legs. This is the first time that the inside of my boots have been wet and it'll take a long time for them to dry.When I was almost to the top of Cove Mt. I could hear thunder getting nearer and nearer. I was on the exposed side of the mountain and the winds were very strong and gusting even stronger. All of a sudden lightning was all around me. I didn't want to go farther up towards the ridgeline, and it was too far to go back, so I ditched my hiking pole, got out of the river of water which ran down the trail, and crouched under a thicket of Mountain Laurel on the side of the trail. Having almost no cover at all, I held my knees and put my head down, hoping that the lightning wouldn't make a close hit. Moments before I had been wet but warm because of my hiking, now I was wet and freezing cold. Because of the high winds, the storm moved quickly past and I returned to the trail, hiking as quickly as I could to hold the hypothermia at bay.Within a few minutes, I heard my name being called from behind. It was Spittfyre with a big smile on her face. She too was happy to have survived the storm. We hiked together the last 3 miles to the shelter.On the way I stopped suddenly and caught Spittfyre off guard, but there was a good sized snake in the middle of the trail. He looked poisonous by the shape of his head, but no rattle. Nate, from south of London arrived as I was encouraging (with an eight foot stick) the snake to leave the trail."Ooooh"....says Nate,"A copper head". That's 2 poisonous snakes in two days and I figure that's enough for me for a while. The snake downright refused to leave, so we went through the underbrush and around him.Shortly we came to a sign for Little Cove Mt. Trail and knew that we were only a mile and a half from the shelter.Arriving at the shelter a very short time later, I stripped myself of my wet things, put on long underwear, my fleece and dry socks. My dripping wet things hang about the shelter as do the belongings of Nate and Spittfyre.Along with my hot dinner I enjoyed a big pot of hot Earl Grey tea to help warm me from the inside.It's only 6:30 but I'm already in my warm, dry sleeping bag. It'll be early to sleep tonight.Sun tomorrow. Amen.