Posted by 26.8 miles
It bucketed down overnight.
While staying dry and warm inside my tent everything was slightly damp including the morning. There is nothing quite like pulling on wet socks and shoes on a cold morning. Yuck. But once up and going it doesn’t take long for feet to warm up. I attempted to dry my shorts and sun hoodie with body heat overnight by sleeping with them inside my sleeping bag. While they were warm they were still slightly damp. Any moisture sucked out was lightly absorbed into my sleeping bag.
I’d have to attempt to dry things through the day but it wasn’t looking promising early in the day. The rain had cleared in the early morning before I rose. A thick fog still hung low in the trees.
Even without it physically raining I had rain pants on for the warmth and to protect from the moisture brushing off vegetation.
From camp it was single track for quite a ways with a short climb to be begin the day. I’d have to top up water at the first opportunity as it was running low. Luckily there were a few sources still running clear without any run off from last nights rain.
Along the way there was a tree blow down to negotiate where I found an umbrella exactly the same as mine caught up. The owner having obviously lost it when crawling through. I wasn’t quite sure if there was a NOBO hiker in front suspecting that it belonged to one of the south bounders I crossed paths with yesterday afternoon. I’d carry it out the next major trail head where a local trail angel could claim it and send it onto the owner if it was reported missing on one of the CDT social media chat groups.
The single trail lead out to a series of forest roads for the rest of the day.
It was a four season in one day kind of a day. More rain started to fall just before noon and looked to be settling in. With full rain gear back on again I sought some shelter under the tree canopy on the side of a road opting to take an early lunch sitting under my umbrella. Actually two umbrellas. Of course as these things happen, a short time after lunch and back on the road the rain gave way to a blazing bright sun. This was ok as it gave me an opportunity to dry my tent and sleeping bag.
The afternoon dragged on walking along the roads. I came out at MacDonald Pass and Highway 12 with a short section to be walked along the highway. I dropped the extra umbrella at the trail head.
I had a few miles to go with a steep climb up towards a telecommunications tower and the promise of a decent camping site soon after. Along the way water was topped up again, this time directly from a culvert running under the road.
Reaching the top of the hill fog had rolled back in obscuring the towers and any views. What a extra disappointment though after a huge day as I reached the point where I thought the camp site was only to find rock and tree blow downs everywhere. The site description was nothing like what I was looking at.
Exhausted I pushed on downhill searching for any site that would accommodate my tent and provide some protection from wind. I’d camp at the first site I came across. I took another mile and a half to find something. Not ideal being out in the open but it would do.
I’d just set up my tent, cooked dinner further down the trail and hung my bear bag when it started to drizzle again. Luckily everything was set up and I could jump straight inside the tent. Most stuff was still damp including the tent floor however I always have my sleeping bag and thermal clothes secured well in dry bags for this very reason. It pays to keep that margin of error.
Very few photos again today owing to lack of views and weather.
Mick Beckers 