Think of walking in a cloud. Now add a howling wind that literally blows you off the trail as it hits you in the side and propels you uncontrollably forward when it's at your back. Add yo this inadequate rain gear for the day and you have all of the elements that drove me to stop after nine miles to avoid hypothermia.
Saturday night gave distant hints of what was to come, but I didn't believe "Red sky at night, Sailor's delight," meant that the wind would rip tent stakes from the ground and drive dirt and rain under the rain fly to coat the inside of the tent with mud. Needless to say that Saturday night was sleepless at Sunrise Trailhead.
I stopped early at a water resupply point where Rodriguez Spur intersects the PCT. water was plentiful if difficult to get at under a steel shield.
Wet clothes hung from a makeshift clothesline in the tent. Others dried on the barbed wire fence during the few short hours of sunlight. Now I'm warm and cozy in my sleeping bag waiting for darkness to come.
Tomorrow will be a better day! The plan is to be up early and off the Scissors Crossing where I hope to catch a ride to Julian for resupply. Now two days behind my ambitious schedule I will need some mac and cheese or ramen to make it safely to Warner Springs.
Very cool reports here Allen" I just started reading your blog posts. You go boy!
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