It’s lunchtime and I’m in my sleeping bag.

After hiking 10 miles in dropping temperatures through wind and pouring rain, I showed up at Jenny’s Knob Shelter chilled to the bone. Green One, Rock Hound, Willy Goat, and Good to Go are all here and in their bags as well. Now, after 2+ hours it looks like the rain has stopped and the temp is stable at 52 degrees. the question now is whether to put on our cold and wet clothing back on and try to hike 14 more miles to the next shelter, hike 7 miles then camp and do 24 miles tomorrow, or stay here and show up to town on Wednesday at noon. Hmmm…

Later –

It’s 9pm and I’m back in my sleeping bag. If there is anything worse that putting on sopping wet & stinky clothing in 50 degree weather, it is doing it twice! The rain drizzled through the afternoon as I hiked alone all day. I was thinking thoughts that, for the most part, can’t be printed here. Not my best day on the trail.

The good news? I hiked 24 miles and will be in town tomorrow afternoon. I am dry and toasty and most of my clothing dried on my body while hiking. The sun, in its infinite wisdom, came out for the final 15 minutes of its voyage across the sky—boding well for tomorrow’s weather. And finally in the words of Monty Python: “I’m not dead yet!”

Green One and Rockhound were cooking dinner when I left the last shelter. I don’t know where they’ll end up tonight. Gear Guide, Gumby, Gumbo, Good to Go, Willy Goat, Kinloch, and Tortoise are stying in the shelter with me tonight.

48 miles in two days. I need to stuff some more food and water into my body and get some well deserved rest. We hit Pearisburg, VA tomorrow!