Day 72: Run from the storm

June 30, Day 72: 1022.9-1051.4

Miles Hiked: 28.5

Gratitude of the Day: I’m thankful for fresh smelling woods after a nice rain. 

After yesterday’s rain storm that prevented me from getting in planned miles, I needed to have a big day today. I woke up to the birds singing at 5am not wanting to crawl out of my warm tent. Fortunately, the rain had stopped and for the most part my tent was dry.  It wasn’t too cold either. So I packed up, put my wet socks, shorts and shoes on and was hiking down the trail at 5:50 am. I wanted to at least get 25 miles in if not 30.  I would spend the morning alone not even seeing another hiker until noon.

The trail wasn’t too bad after the rain and the elevation profile was nice enough that I could average right around 3 miles every hour which is fast for me. I stopped around 10 to dump the dirt out of my shoes and socks, have a snack and filter some water. Then it was a push until 12:30 where I stopped to take a proper break, laid my ground sheet out and relaxed against a tree as I ate lunch. Unfortunately, that’s when the thunder started, so I packed my bag up, put things on the inside that I didn’t want wet and started running away from the dark rain clouds. I’d do this all afternoon, just hiking as fast as I could to not be caught in the storm and get as many miles in as I possibly could.  By 4pm I’d already done 25 miles and kept on going. When I reached Ebbetts Pass, there was trail magic, these amazing guys had tents, tables and chairs set up, but I was a little late for the hot food, that’s ok I got ice cold coke and a bowl of captain crunch cereal. 

After eating I thanked them, signed the registry and kept on walking. About 3 miles later I caught up with Catch who had pitched her tent next to trail. As the thunder was getting worse, but the rain hadn’t started I decided I’d camp here too. So I put my tent up, put everything in it just in case it rained and then made dinner. Soon Huck would show up and we’d both did a 28.5 mile day to get here. After dinner the sprinkles started and then it down poured, so I crawled in my tent at 7pm and looks like it’ll be a dry night at least inside.