Day 6 Long Trail 2008

No one came in last night so I had the cabin to myself. At 2030 last night I hit the sack and by 2100, a huge thunderstorm came roaring thru. I had a great ligntening show thru the windows. The cabin was snug and dry and I was asleep in no time. I was again awake at 0500. I got up and did my usually morning routine and was packed up and out the door by 0720. It did take me till 0745 to get back up to the Long Trail and on I went. This was the toughest day of all. The 1.9 miles to the Theron Dean shelter, which I had considered yesterday of doing instead of stopping at Glen Ellen, was a grueling agony of steep descents. It took me over 2 hours to go that 1.9 miles. It was raining that morning and all the roots and rocks and bedrock were dangerously slippery. The continual need to stretch as far as I could in my step downs made my right knee begin to hurt. Is it a medical term to say my knee was hyper contracted? Anyway, by 1015 it had stopped raining and the sun was actually starting to come out. With the elevation drop it had warmed up so I took about 5 minutes to get out of my rain jacket, get a drink of water and get going again. The remainder of the days 4.1 miles continued to be grueling right down to the highway. At one point I was hyper ventilating and close to tears, shifting from foot to foot, exhausted with trying to figure out how to get down the continual ledge drops. Finally, I came out to the parking area at Appalachian Gap about 1115. I was never so happy to see a road. I got to the parking area and took off boots and socks and pant legs. The wet clothes in the cool breeze, even in the sun, was too cold. The picture is of me when Randy drove up at 1130. Day's milage 4.1, Trip mileage: 40.2. Can't wait for my whirlpool bath!