Magic in the Mountains

March 28, 2021 (11.7 miles)

Rocky Mountain Campsite – Deep Gap Shelter

Writing this right now I am warm, dry, and happy- that is not how I felt a majority of the day. Today was our first rain day on trail and damn did it rain! Last night was pretty gnarly on top of the mountain, thankfully no lightning but tons of wind and rain. Thankfully my tent held up great with a little condensation.

The morning started with a chilly descent, but as soon as I started climbing Trey Mountain the sky opened up and it came a huge thunderstorm! Dave (now “Party Dave” or PD) and I booked it across the summit and cruised right past the shelter (where it would have been smart to ride out the storm) and just kept trucking. I have no idea how long it rained, but I felt like I jumped in a swimming pool with all my clothes on. Thankfully I never really got cold, but I had to keep moving.

Dave and I yo-yoed all day in the rain, we only stopped for a quick snack/moving lunch. The last climb of the day up Kelly Knob was a real bitch and lasted forever, but I booked it into the shelter around 2:30pm. It took a while to dry off and snack, but the gang all eventually got here along with Salamander, Grace, and Chloe.

We’ve all been hanging out in the shelter and it’s been so nice. Today was a challenging day and I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it.