CDT - Day 112 - Thunderstorms and Bonus Miles
Last night, it started raining almost as soon as we crawled into our tents. I was worried everything would still be wet in the morning, but thankfully, most of our gear dried out overnight. We slept in a little before packing up and hitting the trail.
The first few miles were still on the Mack's Inn Alternate (Blue Line), heading toward the official Red Line. As is often the case with alternates, the trail was a complete pain to follow. We lost it several times, wandered off course, and eventually encountered a water crossing that soaked my freshly dried shoes all over again.
Once we finally reached the Red Line, things started looking better. We began a long climb up Taylor Mountain and eventually made our way onto the ridgeline. Around 3:30 p.m., we stopped on top of the ridge for a lunch break and quickly realized the weather was about to change dramatically.
Dark clouds were moving toward us, and we could hear thunder in the distance. Within minutes, we were getting hammered by rain, hail, and intense winds. We moved quickly to get off the exposed ridge and back down to safety. Of course, not long afterward, the sun came back out and we went from freezing to roasting in the heat.
The rest of the day was relatively uneventful, aside from another confusing junction or two. After about 24 miles, we found a nice spot in the woods and set up camp.
Just another day on the CDT: crazy weather, lost trails, wet shoes, and plenty of excitement. It hardly ever gets boring out here.
Throughout the day, I continued listening to Consciousness and the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene.