GG and I are up early but Tigger is still sleeping so we pack up as quietly as possible. And surprise! it's raining.
Rain is forecast for the entire day, so I prepare accordingly. I'm wearing my raincoat in my top half, and gaiters on my lower legs covered by oversized frog toggs over my shorts, the bottoms cut off to save weight. My gaiters stick out from under my rain pants and GG says I look like the Gorden's fisherman.
I have a rain cover for my pack, and it helps marginally with the rain; it certainly doesn't keep my pack dry, because a lot of water still gets in from the smallest exposed piece of the pack. I'm sure by the end of the day I'll be carrying an extra pound of water weight.
I strap on my umbrella and leave the shelter at 6:37. Tigger is still fast asleep on her stomach. I'm really impressed; I didn't know people can sleep on their stomach on these hard floors.
I'm very familiar with this next section of trail; I've hiked it at least 15 or 20 times over the years. The trail ascends a decent-sized hill on a very well manicured trail to Annapolis Rocks.
Just before the blue blaze trail leading to the popular lookout, I stop and talk to a couple of young men wearing day packs heading south. They are doing the "Maryland Challenge," where a hiker starts from either Pennsylvania or West Virginia and travels through the state of Maryland until the hiker reaches the next state.
I ask them which version of the challenge they are doing. The three-state challeng or the four-state challenge, which adds the 9 miles in West Virginia and finishes at the Virginia state line. They said they're not sure; they're going to wait and see how they feel once they get to Harper's Ferry.
I admire them for attempting this in this kind of weather, but I guess it's better than being really hot.
I wait for GG to catch up. I don't feel like taking the side trail to Annapolis Rocks because there won't be any views today, and I've been there fifty-eleven times, but if she wants to go I'm happy to defer.
She catches up and says she's happy to skip the side trip to Annapolis Rocks, so we stay on the trail and hike together for quite some time on the ridge. We go up and down frequently but the hike is not strenuous, and with this much rain today, we don't need to stop and get water because the trail is one big stream.
When we get to our last ascent before we drop to the Cowall Shelter, I wait for her to catch up because this is a super rocky section on the ridge. I can't remember the name, and it isn't labeled in FarOut, but I think it's called The Devil's Race Course.
She catches up and we cross the rocks together. We agree to meet at the Cowall Shelter. I pass a group of about 10 young men, and they look less than happy. I can't really blame them.
I cross a road and hike up a hill and find myself alone at the shelter shortly thereafter. I pull everything out of my bag and I am man-spreading my stuff all over the picnic table when three men come in to escape the downpour. I corral up my belongings and push them to one side of the table to make room for the men, but the geoup bypass the picnic table and collapse on the shelter floor. We chat for a moment and then GG comes in. And then another hiker comes in, and then four more appear. This place is getting really crowded!
We all talk for 15 or 20 minutes. The three men said the stream crossings to the north are really bad.
The rain is still continuing to come down steadily when we leave, but we can't stay here all day. We've done over eight miles, but we have another six miles or so to go to the next shelter which will be our destination for the night.
We go up and over a couple hills and then I hike down to cross the first stream. There's a sign next to the stream that says "if you think this is dangerous then you should go around with a two-mile road walk because the next stream is even worse."
I don't think it's too dangerous. I can actually see the bottom in a couple places, and I know how to use my poles to gauge the depth of the water.
I cross the stream fairly easily. One foot gets wet over my ankle but nothing crazy. I wait for GG on the other side of the stream and she comes across shortly thereafter.
She does a great job going across because she walks straight across the stream, not even trying to keep dry. We laugh a little bit, since the men at the shelter made it sound so bad.
We are both feeling good and we only have a few miles left to go today. The rain stopped and it's warm with humidity so we take off all our rain gear
We go up and over another hill and then get to another stream that's not any wider than the last one that we crossed but it is deeper. At least we can see the rock stepping stones that traverse the creek.
I go first, stepping gingerly and making sure that my poles are planted before i step out. I am doing well and halfway across when I get on a rock that wobbles and just as I do that my downstream pole shifts and for a second I'm balancing on one leg. I almost lose my balance but quickly regain it. I then cross the remainder of the stream without incident. After seeing my performance, GG just decides to raw dog it once again and go straight across the stream. She is one tough cookie!
We emerge immediately onto a road. As we cross the road we can see that the sky is literally black in front of us. We are shortly going to be dumped on, and we have none of our raingear on. We only have a mile to go to the shelter but we have to climb up a pretty steep trail for the about 600 feet. I don't think we're going to make it before the rain sets in
Sure enough, we are maybe 100 yards up the trail before the first raindrops start. I don't get out my umbrella right away, but I ask GG to stay together.
We hike only another 50 feet up the steep stone steps when the patter of rain drops turns to deluge within minutes. I stop so I can grab GG's umbrella for her and she does the same for me. I'm not getting out my rain gear, though.
Rain gear really doesn't keep one dry. Rain gear serves to conserve body heat because it serves as a vapor barrier. Even with the most expensive "breathable" raincoat, you sweat like crazy inside of it. You're going to be wet without the stuff, but you'll be cold. At least with the rain gear on you'll still be wet from sweat but you'll be warm.
Halfway up the hill our progress is halted: a very large tree has fallen down across a switch back. It's too large to go over, especially on this steep hill, and especially on this tight turn. I decide to cut across the switchback and climb inside of the turn next to the tree then scramble straight up some wet leaves and rocks.
My legs are a little longer than GG's however, so I wait for her and she tries to come up the same way I did but she starts to fall backward and has to hold onto a nearby tree for dear life.
A short time later we emerge onto the top of the ridge, the crazy climb behind us. The rain is still pouring and I tell GG it seems like Mother Nature has saved the best for last between the water crossings and the rain and we both laugh.
The top of the ridge is beautiful. Ferns spread out both directions. The rain makes the green stand out in stark contrast to the dark brown of the tree trunks and ground.
We get to a trail intersection. The shelter lay to the left and the water lay to the right, three tenths of a mile down the hill. We both need water, but we're uncertain of what to do. GG says that maybe we should go to the shelter first and worry about water second. I think that's a splendid plan because none of the rain today has lasted for much more than an hour or two and it's only 3:30. We have plenty of daylight to wait for the rain to stop and then go get water.
We get to the shelter and find there is one inhabitant. His name is Monster and he is doing a flash from north of here all the way to Springer in Georgia. His belongings are spread out over the top half of the two-story shelter, which is fine because we don't need a lot of room. GG and I prefer the downstairs so that if we have to get up in the middle of the night to water the leaves we don't have to worry about tripping down the stairs.
My first order of business is to get warm and dry. I pull out dry clothes and stand on the porch on the other side of the wall from where monster is sleeping. Under the shelter of the porch overhang I strip off all my clothes and put on my sleeping clothes and thick wool socks. We set up our sleeping places and we both curl up into our down to wait out the weather.
A short time later a gentlemen rolls in with a long beard and a huge pack. GG and I sit at the picnic table with him and talk. I realize I have just enough water to make my dinner, as does GG. We heat up our water and enjoy an early dinner while talking to the gentleman.
He's gregarious and very interesting and fun to talk to as he tells us about his hiking adventures. His name is Renaissance Man and he thru hiked in '21. Now he's out here doing a section to Harpers Ferry with a friend who hasn't backpacked in his adult life. He's an amateur treasure hunter, and he's looking for some treasure that's supposed to be buried along the Appalachian Trail.
The rain finally stops so GG and I prepare to go get water. I take off my nice warm and fluffy wool socks and put my wet socks and sopping wet shoes back, but GG says she's staying in her camp shoes.
We start the hike to the water source and the sun is actually coming out, but everything is soaking wet, so I try to avoid brushing against the foliage next to the trail.
The way down to the water is very steep and GG complains that her feet are killing her. I offer to take her water bag and go the rest of the way down the hill. The hill down is ridiculously steep and long. This must be one of the longest water carries I have ever done. Had I known, I would have definitely carried my water from the last stream crossing. I make a mental note to start reading the comment section in FarOut about the water before arriving at the shelter. I think I've made this note to myself many times before and I keep forgetting to do it!
So after what seems like an interminable amount of time, I get to the spring. I collect about four liters between the two water bags and head back up the hill. I'm just looking at the ground and hating my life when I hear GG hollar that she sees me.
We meet and I give her a water bag to carry. I have a little bit of cell service so I call home for a second and then lose the call.
As soon as ilI get back to the shelter, I put my fuzzy wool socks back on and filter water for tomorrow.
Over the next hour three more hikers come in. They are thru-hiking and started in mid-March. One hiker says he talked to me earlier but I think he has me confused with another lady, possibly Tigger.
GG and I are in our beds and I am out by 7:20 pm.
Today's Stats: 13.3 miles, 2,500 feet gain, 2,080 feet loss
Trail Stats: 1062 miles, 232K feet gain, 237K feet loss
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