Day 31 - Storm Front

Miles Today - 22.7
Location - Vandeventer Shelter
Date - May 13

This was gonna be a long day, but a flat one. Perfect for cruisin' along. I popped out early, scarfing down a few Pop Tarts and pounding out some fast miles.

I took a quick break for brunch at a shelter, and met the Professor, an older section hiker who was almost done with the trail, just here to Damascus and then the Hundred Mile Wilderness.

Coming out of the shelter I met a handful of people slackpacking south. They told me of a huge trail magic party at the next gap. Oh. Oh yes. I jogged the next mile.

I arrived at the gap to find a trailer with a scruffy looking guy setting up a grill. I waved hello. He said something disparaging about Obama. This...did not seem like a party. I hung around, made some small talk, and he made no indication of sharing. Alllriiight? A little disappointed, I left.

I hiked for a few minutes through some grassy fields. Dejectedly, I crested a hill, and found a huge tent city sprawling out before me. Aha! The party! Set up by a group called Riff Raff, they were a rolling campsite towards Trail Days. I settled in to a lawn chair and had some cool drinks and donuts, while everyone tried to convince me to stay. Rose came and went, and I eventually managed to haul myself away.

Rejuvenated by the magic I cruised along. I stopped for a rest at a cosy shelter. Then onwards and upwards! A few miles down the trail I felt a drop of rain. Huh? The sky to my left, right, and ahead was blue. Straight above was grey. Uh oh. I bent down to secure my pack cover, and the rain picked up. Err. I pulled out the poncho, and it opened up. Thunder roared, and my exposed skin and clothing was instantly soaked. I pushed on, waterproof boots soaked, through a river of mud. Then the hail started, so hard and fast that I had to draw my arms into my poncho. And I could still see blue sky all around me. What was happening!?

It finally cleared, and I took a few minutes to wring out my socks. Jeeze. That was absurd. I headed on. An hour later, I happened to turn around and was greeted by the sight of another storm cloud.

Urp. I picked up the pace. Ahead of me I could see the ridge curving. If I made it there in time I might dodge it.

I did not. This time I took the hail/thunderstorm more in stride, belting out Thunderstruck at the top of my lungs (of course doing some sweet vocal guitar solos). As it began to die down I found a small shelter by the trail. I squeezed in to find a pair of hikers and a dog. Apparently this was an old, no longer maintained shelter. But the next one, my destination, was but 1.4 away! Back to cruisin'!

I literally ran. The rain died down, and then started up again as I skidded into the shelter! Score! My happiness died away as I opened my pack. I dampness had infused everything. I stripped down to my dryish pair of underwear and went to get water when the rain briefly broke. Down a muddy hill. A quarter mile. Screw you too Tennessee shelters.

I cooked dinner late, curled up in my bag, and then promptly crashed to the sound of another hailstorm smashing into the tin roof. What a day. The weather here makes just no sense.