Start: Leroy A Smith Shelter ( AT mi 1276.1). Stop: Delaware Water Gap (AT mi 1296.1). Today’s miles: 20 miles. Total AT mileage: 271.4 miles
It was a cold and windy night, with over half of my body being in the opening of the shelter. My warm sleeping bag was the only reason I wasn’t shivering. My pad deflated early, but I still slept well despite that. The rain poured and the wind howled all night long.
Everyone around me started getting up and packing. The sun was up so it was light out, but it was still raining. Finally I sit up and scooted back some, so less people have the opportunity to walk into my sore legs. I look at my watch. 05:56. Are you shitting me?
While everyone ate their breakfast, talked, and packed, I stared into space wishing I didn’t give up my sleeping space because I can’t get it back now. It was supposed to continue to downpour until 11am, and it was in the 40s. I was less than thrilled. But once some of the people rolled out, I too started my morning routine. I ate a cliff bar and packed. I can’t understand how people are so chatty in the morning. Derby seemed to agree with me, because while he was up and packing too, it also looked against his will, and he wasn’t talking either.
He left out right before me, then I hit the trail with one person still at camp (he quickly passed me, too). There were tons of tents set up everywhere, and no one seemed to be stirring. I thought I spotted Lizard’s hammock, but couldn’t be sure. She ran over in the rain last night to give me some toilet paper before running back to her dry hammock tarp. I continued hiking past potentially her hammock, since I couldn’t be certain it was hers, and because whoever was in it was probably warm and happily asleep still. I was jealous! I was already soaked within seconds, even through my rain gear.
I decided when it stopped raining and I found a little campsite, I’d make my oatmeal and coffee to warm up some. It was so cold! 11am came and went and no cease in the rain. Not even a little bit. I decided to risk it all and pulled out my headphones to listen to some music. It wasn’t terrible terrain.. I mean there were still rocks, rocks and more rocks. But I wasn’t slipping or falling. I took a blue blazed trail as an alternative route around a dangerous rock scramble, as directed to do in bad weather. I think this counts as bad weather.
I made it to the shelter around 2pm, 13 miles done. Derby and a day hiker were the only ones there! He was all dry and sitting up in his sleeping bag keeping warm. He told me everyone else made it to Wind Gap (one of the awful downhills to the road, then straight back up again, a little less than 5 miles into today’s hike) and caught a ride to hotels or motels nearby because of how crappy the weather is. I was the first to show up after him! I was so cold that I had decided earlier in the day that if I felt “ok enough” I’d eat some food here at the shelter and then huff it into town the extra 7 miles. My first 20 mile day.
Earlier, I talked to Curmudgeon. Today is his birthday, he and Cholula stayed dry in their tent, but most of their stuff is soaking wet, including his pack-which is just absorbing water like crazy and becoming heavier and heavier by the second. They were planning to go to Wind Gap and catch a ride to Delaware Water Gap. He had said on the phone “it’s less than 20 miles, I’m not worried about it.” Which hit me hard-he’s right, what’s 20 miles? That was the moment I decided I’d push through and walk the 20 miles in the rain. If I made it to Delaware Water Gap tonight, I can double zero there because I’ve already rented a hotel for Monday night and have to go to the post office on Tuesday either way.
I ate my warm oatmeal and coffee, talking to Derby and the other guy, and waiting for Lizard to catch up to me. She had hit the trail some time after me, And I called her to tell her my plan when I was close to the shelter. She had already decided she was going to do the same thing! YES!! I had someone suffering through the same day as me! So, while I was eating at the shelter, the intent was to wait for her to get there, too. But I started shivering so hard after I ate, that I used the privy and repacked, and started walking. Derby was going to make sure to tell her when I left so she’d have a good idea how far behind me she was.
My left shin started sending out a shooting pain. It felt random, like it didn’t come after a stubbed foot or slip on a rock. And the pain was intense and shooting. I started limping, but like, there’s no turning back now, I’m freezing and have my eyes on a double zero and hot shower. However I have to get there, I’m getting there tonight, dammit.
I was aiming for the church hostel, which the bunks are first come first serve. Curmudgeon and Cholula are staying there tonight too. It was just after 6 when I made it. The hikers that were there informed me that there was one bunk and one couch left. I claimed the couch and got the bunk for Lizard.. then promptly jumped in the shower. It. Was. INCREDIBLE.
Lizard made it soon after I got out of the shower, and then she did the same. We got ready and met Curmy and Cholula at a restaurant/bar named Sycamore, down the street. We caught up, did our happy birthdays to Curmudgeon, and had a beer with them. After telling each other about our day, we moved down to the sushi/ramen restaurant. The company was way better than the food, for the record. The drinks were pretty great, too. We tried different sakis, but I drank red wine. Glorious.
We stumbled back to the church hostel and all went right to bed. They got in their bunks in the bunk room, and I swiftly climbed on my couch with my sleeping bag. Tomorrow is a zero day, followed by another, and I really think my shin needs the rest. (I’m writing this the next morning, the first time I haven’t written about my day before bed!)
