Date: 2018-05-15
From: Stealth campsite

To: Clyde Smith Shelter 
Miles today: 14.5

Last night was crazy loud with animal sounds, all night! Don¢t these things sleep? At least there was no bear activity! I did however feel some raindrops just after sunset so to be safe, I attached my rainfly. There was no rain during the night.This morning the bugs were still it in full force so I packed as quickly as I could and headed for a nearby road thinking there¢d be fewer than in the deep woods. There wasn¢t, so I ate breakfast through my bug netting, repacked and off I went. Since there seemed to be no other campers nearby, I was thinking I might just hike without any interaction with other hikers this morning but out of nowhere came ¢Doc¢ and we hiked and chatted together for a good three hours; Doc is a retired chiropractor/acupuncturist/physical therapist from Florida up here doing a week of section hiking. After lunch our paces split us up and I was alone with only my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams and all that other crap to keep me company. I also had my poncho and I soon needed it! Within 30 minutes of lunch it began to sprinkle and that was quickly replaced by one of those downpours that lasted for the next 5 hours. Ultimately it didn¢t matter that I had my poncho on, I was wet through to the bone and though I managed to keep water directly off my pack, the dampness cannot be stopped. I crossed a two lane highway, was passed by a car and I was hiking like it¢s just another day. Might that driver question what could this person possibly be thinking by being out here in a driving rainstorm? The same thing would go through my mind and I¢m a hiker! But what else could I do? I know nobody in the area, I have nowhere else to go, I don¢t even know where I am or which state I¢m in, so I keep going. It makes no sense to stop and sit on the side of the trail to wait it out because who knows how long it will last and I¢ll just continue to get wet and likely cold, so I keep going on.  I was reading in Proverbs about wisdom and thinking how I might practice it out here. One thing a hiker doesn¢t want to do is hike across an open bald in a lightning storm carrying two aluminum trekking poles. And as I was marching down off a mountain keeping time with the rhythm of the rain and low rolling thunder, I came to an open gap (not a bald) about 40 yards wide with an occasional dead fruit tree distributed throughout. I stood at the beginning of this gap thinking Ok Lord, what should I do here? The lyrics to a gospel song came to mind about listening for the voice of God... ¢sometimes He shouts, more times He whispers¢. Suddenly the soundtrack in my mind changed songs and I was singing ¢Should I stay or should I go now?¢ by The Clash. Even more suddenly a huge flash of lightning and instantaneous crack of thunder from behind sent me moving into that gap without a second thought. About 100 feet into my hightail across that field with my poles tucked under my arm (to minimize the target) while my version of the next line from The Clash song continued playing in my mind...¢if I stay there will be trouble, if I go it may be double¢. Too late, I was across that 200 yard field in no time and back into the safety of trees.  So that voice was a shout, but was it saying stay or go?Fourteen and a half miles today, ten in the rain. I¢m now in bed, everything is wet or damp and I¢ll be back out in the soup tomorrow. The crew I¢m camping with tonight, including Doc, have ambitious plans for tomorrow, 17 miles followed by 15 on Thursday and that¢s just a bit too aggressive for me. So I¢ll do 10 or 12 and see who I meet tomorrow night.