Date: 2011-05-08
From: Day 59 tenting near pond

To: Day 60 Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

When I looked outside the first thing I saw were tents, lots of tents, I counted at least 8, there were only 3 when the rain started.  A restful night sleep, NO!! Because the rain got heavier, like coming down in buckets, and the wind really kick in. When the rain and wind got really severe, I hoped I had anchored my tent well. I had always made a habit of setting up my tent for nights just like this, and boy tonight I am glad I did. I often find humor in personal challenges, For example; the rain was letting up but my digestive system wasn't. So out into the rain I go, dig my hole, this time I just turned over a large rock, I'll put it back when I done.  Now comes the tricky part, try keeping TP dry, going from it's waterproof container, to your butt, a butt by the way is now itself wet. I'll go no further, but now looking back it was funny. Example #2; Tramp's tent, new to him, he just got it from Blue, who was trading it in. It is a very good tent with a "bathtub" type floor. This design has the floor going up 4" on all 4 sides, keeping rain water on the outside from coming in to the inside. Tramp wasn't proficient setting up his new tent yet, so during the storm, the top of the tent sagged in creating a puddle that leaked onto the tent, a lot, so all the rain water that leaked into the tent, stayed in the tent in the " bathtub" creating lake Eureka  inside his tent and soaking his sleeping bag, his dry clothes, his TP, EVERYTHING. Ugh. Boy his day is starting out not so great. Tramp quickly put everything into his pack and headed up the trail to Chestnut Knob shelter about 2.5 miles away and up 435', to spread open his gear and assess his situation. I faired much better, I was dry and took time to make breakfast and have hot chocolate and coffee before packing up. Then while inside the tent, pack everything in pack and put on rain cover, set outside. Lucky for me the rain has let up but we are in a cloud and everything is soaking wet. Using my micro-fiber cloth, I was able to almost dry my tent before putting it away. (see I've learned) Packed and ready to go, now one last stop for water before heading for Chestnut Knob shelter, it was 9:15. By the time I got to the shelter, Tramp was in the process of repacking his pack. We were on top the mountain and I had cell service so I called my Mother and wished her Happy Mother's Day!  We left Chestnut Knob about 11:00, It was 10 miles to Jenkins shelter, the sun had started going in and out. Things we're looking up. The trail was hard today because of the big rain last night it is a nightmare of streams and slippery rocks, in addition there are numerous blowdowns and annoying ups and downs. Rocks just like NJ, yeah, only these were wet and slippery. I took very few pictures today first, there was nothing to see and second, I had to pay very close attention to each and every step.  And there were long steep downhills putting a lot of pressure on my legs. Many hikers get shin splints about now because they just push to hard trying to do big miles, and these rock-climbing long downhills just kill them. (after all they thought Virginia was flat ;-)  By now the sun was shining as we made it to Jenkins shelter, it was 4:00 and It was empty. Tramp set out all his gear in the sun to dry, while I went about setting up camp.  Around 5:30, hikers started pouring in and by 9:00, the area is quite crowded with the shelter full (8) and at least 12 tents. Gives me the feeling I'm back in Georgia again, at the beginning of the trail, where many nights those shelters were as full as tonight. This wave of hikers will pass.  But who do I find in this wave, arriving in camp around 8:30, Cappy  Cappy was the hiker in the loft with me at Springer Mountain shelter, in Georgia, on day 1. It was great catching up and swapping stories and finding out who unfortunately has left the trail, because we want everyone to make it to Maine.  Like so many others tonight Tramp and I went over tomorrow's plan of how far we might go and where we might stop for the night but we know anything goes, it's up to the trail, not us, we can only put one foot in front of the other and repeat. Temps, @ 9:00 it's 56* in my tent, the sky is clear and the waxing crescent moon is shining.  There is a low background hum of conversation from the tents and the shelter but there is no campfire.  Once again I am hoping for a restful nights sleep. Total AT miles hiked today 11.8.  Nite all.