Date: 2016-05-02
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It stormed last nite right after going to bed around 10pm. It came down hard and it hailed too. I like the sound of rain...it's very relaxing. I got up at 6:45am. The rain had stopped but it was still overcast. After I packed up, I went to the main house for breakfast. Eggs, sausage, cheese grits, bread, cinnamon rolls, orange slices, orange juice and tea. What a great start to my day! The skies look like they are clearing although the forecast is for rain the next few days. I left my name and email with the hostel so they can contact me next year about working there for a couple of weeks. I think it would be a pretty cool experience. I said my goodbyes and got on the trail at 9:35am. I ran into Learning Curve a couple of miles in so we ended up walking together. I saw a Grouse walking next to me so we stopped and took pictures. When I started walking again something hit my legs from behind and I let out quite a scream. Of course it was a manly scream!! It was the same Grouse...that was weird and funny at same time. It finally went away and we continued on. Learning Curve is faster than me so I was walking alone again. I stopped at the top of a mountain with great views and had a snack. I love my snacks.I met Tea Biscuit who is from Belgium. He got a visa so that he could hike the trail. He is faster also so I am hiking alone which I like. All that was the GOOD for today. Now the BAD! It was going to happen sooner or later...I tripped going downhill and went down hard. I stayed on the ground just to see what hurt the most. I scraped both knees, both hands, and my left wrist. I got my water and cleaned the injured areas. I got up, brushed myself off, and got going again. A few minutes later I saw that my right knee was bleeding so I stopped and got my first aid stuff out and cleaned with disinfectant. I applied a couple of bandaids and was good to go. I started going slower because I didn't want to trip again and it did hurt some. There were some nice views along the way then it started getting overcast. The wind picked up which at first felt good. I would say it had been in the high 60's for most the day. Then the UGLY happened. It got really dark and the wind picked up to gale force almost knocking me down. Branches were falling from the trees. Then it started raining. I put my back to a large tree and put my pack down to get my rain gear but it was very difficult due to the wind. All of a sudden it started hailing! Some hit me on the head but it didn't hurt that badly. I always thought it would really hurt if you were hit by hail. I lifted my rain jacket over my head to protect myself. It was a lot of hail, it was everywhere. The hail lasted about 10 minutes then the rain picked up then stopped. I finally got my gear on. I guess it was a quick storm. As I walked there was hail on the ground everywhere. The temperature dropped to the low 50's. Within an hour another storm came and, this time, with thunder and lightening. It started raining again really hard. The trail was like a creek in parts. I wasn't even trying to avoid the puddles anymore as I was all wet anyway. I finally made it to the Rice Field shelter which sleeps 7 but there must have been 12 packed in there and a couple other hikers standing under the cover of the roof waiting for a good time to pitch their tents. Crisscross and Sunray were there and Sunray said I had a bump above my eyebrow. Apparently I got bruised by hail and didn't know it. Crisscross had 2 lumps on his head. I pitched my tent in the drizzle and on top of hail. Crisscross and Sunray came over to help me. It's going to be a cold night. My fingers are numb so it must be in the low 40's now. The trail throws all kinds of things at you but we're still here!