Date: 2006-05-11
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

I hate to start a journal entry this way, but I'm just going to be brutally honest and get to the point....today was awful and painful for me. It was the worst day I have experienced on the trail thus far. I'm sitting here in my tent after an incredibly long day, just attempting to stay warm, as we had a full day of rain, sleet, cold, and freezing weather. It's almost the middle of May and I just knew summer was on it's way; but, apparently winter came again today. The morning started off beautifully, but after an hour into our hike, the rain started. And it would not stop all day. We had a full day of hiking to higher and higher elevations, which included Mt. Rogers, the highest peak in Virginia. The higher we climbed, the harder it rained, the harder the wind blew, and the colder it got. A day that started out in the mid 70's, suddenly dropped down to the 40's in a matter of minutes. The trail itself started off this morning as a steady incline. It got harder as we climbed 2,000 ft in elevation towards Mt. Rogers in a little less than 2 miles and as the weather set in. As we went through Grayson Highlands State Park, the rain started to let up a little bit, but the winds picked up and were so powerful. When it gets really windy up here in the mountains it gets so powerful at times that it can be a struggle just trying to stay on your feet. The trail would soon become extremely rocky as we would start our decline to the next shelter. My knees, ankles and feet were in constant pain with every step and are still sore now. It pretty much stayed that cool and wet until around 4:30 this afternoon. We came to the Thomas Knob shelter, an ideal 2-story shelter perfect for escaping bad weather, and found it completely full as many hikers were seeking shelter from the bitter cold. Despite not being able to feel our fingers and toes, we decided to press on to the next shelter that was a little over 5 miles away. It was at a lower elevation so that should help knock off a little chill. So here we are. Somehow we made it here- Baro, Mouse, Roxie, Cabernet, Chardoney, Scarecrow, Donkey Love, Corey, Double Zip, Home Cooking, Nathan, Tulley, and me.I will have to admit....my attitude was horrible today. It was the lowest I have felt on this entire trip so far. As much as I tried to stay positive throughout the day, negative thoughts continued filling my mind. I'm not proud of that fact, but it's the truth. It probably seems as though I complain about the weather a lot, but it is a crucial element in our day. I guess this is just one of many lessons to be learned. The weather- it's out of my hands. I have no control over it. There is nothing I can do about the rain, wind, sleet, or sun. My attitude- IS in my hands. I DO have control over that. I may not be able to control what happens, but how I re-act to circumstances I can control. This is something I learned a long time ago, but was in desperate need of a reminder today. Prayer: Thank you God for getting us here to our campsite safely today. There was a time today that I did not think I would make it. Thank you for remaining faithful and for taking care of us. Forgive me of the negative attitude I carried today. I was so selfish and focused on MY pain and misery that I did nothing to try and help someone else. We all were going through the same struggles and my bad attitude didn't help the situation. Give us all a good night tonight and continue to keep us safe in your hands. May I have another chance to turn things around and to get my mind and attitude back on positive things from You, regardless of my situation and circumstances.