Day 3 Long Trail 2008

I was awake again at 0500, 6/20/08, and again put off getting up till 0530 or so. The 2 women and 2 girls had stayed up quite late, playing card games and generally having fun. By the time I was ready to go, it was showering so I took the time to put my pack cover on my pack and put on my rain jacket. I'm glad I did.

I left the lodge at 0800. As I expected, the trail was wet. It was also just as tough, if not tougher than yesterday. It took me 2 hours to get to theEmily Proctor shelter, only 1.9 miles. The next mile took an hour plus. By then it was 1130 and I hadn't stopped for a morning break. So I found a spot, a trail junction for the Clark Brook trail, that had a nice outcropping of rock to sit on. At the moment, it wasn't raining. I stopped for about 20 minutes, as long as I could sit still in the cold. Somewhere around Mt Roosevelt, I passed a couple going south. By now, the sun was trying to peak thru the clouds so I stopped at a wide spot in the trail and took off my rain jacket. Past some smaller mountains, (meaning they weren't too difficult or took too long to climb) about 1330, the sky started raining on me. The trail was going thru and open area, lots of ferns and widely spaced birch trees and shrubs next to the trail and soon I was soaked thru. It let up raining a little as I climed and descended Mt. Cleveland but it was a constant shower of tree spray and brush wetting. I got to the Glen Cooley shelter about 1530. Just in time as it started raining again, and as I'm writing this, about 1650, it's still raining. I got out of my wet clothes and into my sleeping clothes, the only dry stuff I've got with me. What I was wearing is hanging up but I doubt it will be even close to dry by morning. When I eventually have to go for water or to the privy, I'm going in my sandals, sockless. I don't want my last pair of dry socks to get wet. Right now I'm warm enough in my sleeping bag. Soon I'll make some dinner and hope for the rain to stop. About 1800 it stopped raining but was still dripping. I finished my supper and rolling up pants legs and taking off socks, prepared to complete the evening chores. Going for water, I found the spring, a small pool about 3 inches wide, 4 long and 1 inch deep. I managed to get my pot washed and water dipped up into my nalgene bottle then back up the trail to the shelter, trying not to brush against any overhanging trees or bushes to stay dry. At 1830, a group of 4, 2 couples, arrived, soaking wet and very glad to reach shelter. They are out for a weekend backpack going north to south. They were Evan and Becky, Matty and Mellissa (Mo). Nice folks, picture at top. Mileage for the day; 7.6, for the trip; 22.9 miles.