Posted by 2352.2 to 2377.5, 25.3 mile
It rained all night again last night but that’s ok. I was warm, toasty, dry and slept like a log. I’d found a single tent site just away from a larger 4 tent site near a spring. I prefer to camp alone as it means I don’t have to worry about waking other people with my early starts.
It looks like there are a few different hiking strategies.
1: Wake up early, hike and get the miles in early, choosing a camp site around 5 or 6 o’clock.
2: Sleep in, hike and get the mile in late in the day, often walking in the dark and setting up camp late at night.
I’m a strategy type 1 kind of guy and I’m always walking past hikers still in bed way past 8am. Likewise, my camps always seem to have boots walking past in the dark. I don’t get the whole walking in the dark thing to be honest. Setting up a camp site in the rain by torch light would be a pits. It’s good to have the light to work it to get your tent pitched just right; plus being early to into camp you get to pick the best spots and don’t have to scrabble over marginal, sloping sites with no cover.
Of course it was wet again this morning and I’d have to pack up a wet tent. Looking on the bright side, I had a dry pair of socks to put on first thing today and not yesterday’s smelly, soggy ones. It’s a pity they only stayed dry for all of about one minute. Oh well, that’s the way it goes.
Zero views again today with low cloud scrapping the tree tops. The rain was a persistent drizzle all day, soaking the vegetation on the side of the trail that would then brush off onto you as you walk by.
I’m not sure which one it is yet – there are so many hikers that are either very hardy or fool hardy. I’m semi dry under my rain shell and umbrella but do get cold when the wind picks just a fraction or when I stop for a break. Time and time again I’m bumping into hikers wearing just shorts and a norma hiking shirt completely soaked through, no shell layers. I guess they were thinking what I was thinking – Washington is meant to be warm and sunny this time of year. It should be mid summer by now.
They always pull out a smile when passing and exchanging pleasantries. “Great day hey”….”I hear the sun is coming out tomorrow.” Each to their own. I just don’t get it. I’d be on hyperthermic if wearing saturated shorts and shirt for days on end.
I went kind of big today, managing to squeeze in a 25 miler to put me closer to town tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to dry out and look at how I might get to Chelan.
Ditching the rest of this section is definitely the right way to go for me. I’ve been thinking about it for three days and am completely comfortable with the decision.
Mick Beckers 