day 23 - 04/02

wow! what an amazing day of hiking. it is crazy to think about what i hiked thru in one day. i woke up and the storm actually intensified throughout the night. my water bladder that i left out on purpose was a little slushy, so it was definitely chilly. i starting hiking in all of my clothes, which i also slept in. everything, that is, besides my shorts and t-shirt. so base t-shirt, wool long sleeve, fleece vest, wool long johns, rain pants, rain jacket, and a wool hat. i was just warm enough when i started. about 30 minutes in as i'm hiking thru a dense spruce and douglas fir forest, which was very reminiscent of the pacific nw, btw, and was totally sheltered from the wind and rain, i peeled off all layers, put on my hiking t-shirt, put my shorts over my long johns, and put back on my rain jacket. fast forward to 10 minutes later and i'm on a bald, covered in very fast moving clouds with pelting rain that actually hurts thru my clothing, and gusts of wind that almost knock me over. ya, quite a change. i think of my thoughts of yesterday and how inconsequential i am in the scheme of nature, and bam!, i totally get knocked flat on my ass as a strong gust of wind comes from the left precisely when i lift my right trekking pole. i haven't laughed so hard in a long time. i finally get up after laughing for at least a minute, and swoosh!, there goes my backpack cover as if it were a kite. so now i'm laughing as i chase my cover over mounds of grass. i so wish this episode was on you tube for all to see. it was quite entertaining, at least to me anyway. oh, and did i mention my shoes are making a slooshing sound even when i step on rock, cuz basically there is a stream of water running down the trail. my hands feel a little funny cuz i can't really move them fully, meaning they are partially frozen. got the picture? needless to say i am know dreaming of this hostel that is only another 10mi up the trail with some hot food and a warm bed. fast forward to 14:30 in the afternoon, when i am partially dried out and my hands have gone thru the pins and needles process of thawing out, and bam!, the clouds break and the sun hits me square in the face. i think to myself that i don't need that hostel. so i dry my feet out, change my socks, grab a bite to eat from my food bag, and hike another 9mi to mountaineer shelter. it is just so amazing how so much can change in the course of one day. i am so glad i pushed thru, cuz the scenery was amazing. just another amazing day on the trail. 25.3mi from roan mt shelter to mountaineer shelter. 398.4 total.