The bugs and heat woke me up early this morning, but I got a decent nights sleep at least. We had a rough climb ahead of us, so we ate big breakfasts, stretched, and started another days journey.
It was still hot, and 10 minutes in I had sweat pouring down my face. Again with no wind, the sweat does me no good. Once we got two thirds of the way up we were treated with a great view of the river below, a gentle breeze, and decent 3G signal. This was of course the place to take a break, even if we had only been moving for an hour. As we continued through the rest of the climb we kept checking signal strength and thinking of other things to do online. Anything to slow the hike down and entertain ourselves. Once I saw that the forecast called for thunderstorms at 5pm though, I got my ass in gear. Mr. Fantastic was chatting, so I gave him my leave and started walking my fastest pace toward the shelter.
Thanks to being up on the ridge line the wind had picked up, and that's all I needed to find my strength. I walked/jogged along a wonderfully smooth section of trail, headphones in and mood high. Another climb up, and steep decent lead me to the shelter.
It was 1pm when I started eating, only to be accosted by more of the vicious biting gnats. By the time I had eaten just one tortilla roll, my feet were covered in bloody smears and I was sitting in a haze of bugs. Mr. Fantastic caught up with me, and smartly left his socks on so they couldn't destroy his feet.
While eating we hatched a plan to turn our 18 mile day into a 20 miler, and hitch into town. Between the brutality of the bugs and the impending storm we were desperate for a 4th wall. We talked in length about bug genocide, and the pros/cons of enacting such a plan.
I gingerly slid my soggy shoes back on once Mr. F finished his lunch, and we took off for greener pastures. We started out moving a little slowly, as Mr. Fantastic's boot tread had worn off just like mine. Every rock was causing him pain, and he realized he had a purchase to make, or this terrible trend would continue. After a while I took the lead though, because our timing was going to make getting into town a challenge. It's easier to keep a fast pace when your shoes protect your feet. We wanted to avoid the rain, and spent a portion of our journey just shy of running. It was rough on Mr. F, but I fared better thanks to the thick bouncy tread on my new shoes.
When we were about 4 miles out from the road we started hearing skull-cracking thunder echoing in the distance. It wasn't just occasional thunder either, it was pretty much a constant bombardment of electricity, and that's when we really started moving. We walked while listening to this and seeing the sky slowly get darker and darker for 2 miles. After a while it felt like it would never start raining, and it was so dark that it truly seemed like we were under water, hearing the sounds of a mighty war booming above us. But finally, as it always does, the sky opened up. We got our packs covered quickly, and hiked those last 2 miles through sheets of rain running into rivers down the trail. Shoes were quickly soaked through, but our spirits were still high, as we knew that town beckoned.
The rain let up shortly before we made it to the road, but it had cooled our day off so much that I found myself shivering in my rain jacket. Once at the road, looking like wet rats, we desperately tried to get a ride and were continually turned down. Eventually, after our spirits were finally beginning to falter, a kind gentleman stopped to pick us up. He told stories about the town, and how his morning 5 mile walks helped him beat cancer. He was a great guy, and even offered us a ride back to the trail in the morning if timing worked out.
We were dropped off at the Budget Inn, given the dirt cheap hiker rate, and made haste to each take a shower. Subway and Dominos were each in our near future, and having soft beds to sit on made the brutality of the day worthwhile.
The next few days forecast sun and cooler weather, but still plenty of sweating over mountains I'm sure. Laundry and resupply will take place tomorrow, and hopefully new boots for Mr. F.
I think I've said enough to feel like I'm being a good blogger, which is good, as this bed is quickly lulling me to sleep. I can't say lull without thinking of Mitch Hedberg, it really does have to many L's.
