Day 13 – The Umbrella is a Great Invention

Miles hiked today 13.4. Total miles 163.9.

Got off to a very early start this morning. When tented by the side of road, traffic usually wakes you up. Went into the brush to dig a hole and stepped in someone else’s poop! YUCK! There were three kids tented with us – evidently they don’t understand “leave no trace.”

It was not raining when I started out, but started misting soon after. One reason I wanted to early start is Jacobs Ladder was coming up. It starts around mile 151.5 and it is almost vertical. Tough, tough climb.

The clouds came in and pretty much covered everything. It was time to put up the umbrella because rain was coming.

And let me tell you it came! It rained on us for about five hours until we got to the lodge.

The bad part is that it fooled us. It was just the sprinkles that we usually walk through. But then in a matter of seconds the heavens opened up and we were drenched. Well, at least my compatriots were drenched – I had my umbrella up!

For about four hours I was wet from the waist down. My upper core remained pretty dry. It just kept on raining.

The trail was totally waterlogged. As you know water finds the least path of resistance – and that is usually the trail.

Shoes and socks were wet. Caked with mud. When the lodge was within hitching distance everyone was ready to call it a day.

Since everything was wet, the first thing on my mind was to get laundry done. Grabbed the plastic bag, got everyone’s laundry and headed down to the store where laundry was available. There was a line. I sat down and within 30 seconds everything went black. A huge lightning strike had just taken out the transformer above the laundry store. The guy putting quarters in the dryer got quite the shock.

Got a hitch back to the lodge from the hotel employee. Will wait a couple hours for them to fix the electricity and will get laundry done. But for now I’m warm and dry!

It is an adventure!