Today was one of the thru-hike defining days. We ended up not being alone at the shelter last night – Hotshot showed up after I wrote my journal. She’s a PCT veteran and doing about 25 a day here on the AT. Her name comes from working as a hot shot firefighter out west, mostly in Caliornia. We had just heard about the 19 firefighters who died in Arizona so she was trying to get in touch with some old friends. We all left the shelter around 8:30 hoping that the rain would stay at bay for another day.
Instead, it was the wettest day yet, and I walked 19.9 miles. At first it was sprinkling but it quickly turned to a full on downpour. Normally the best thing to do in the rain is to just keep walking, moving keeps me warm, but today I got to the first shelter and there was already a huge gathering under the roof. Hotshot was there, Strider was there, Lauren and Elliot were there with Lauren’s mom who is visiting for a few days, and there were a few other new faces. Actually it was well timed, what seemed like the worst of the downpour passed and I was moving again in about 30 minutes. Light rain continued and the next five miles were quite enjoyable, cool and downhill. At the halfway point I bumped into another bit of trail magic. Another slackpack support vehicle, this one carrying cold mountain dews. Strider, Hotshot, and I were all there within five minutes of each other; we sat on a wet long enjoying the soda.
It wasn’t long after starting the last 10 miles that the downpour began with renewed fury. Before long the trail was more of a flowing stream than a trail. Shoes were soaked, socks were soaked, clothes were soaked, nothing mattered; I just kept splashing my way forward, probably walking even faster than normal. It was both annoying to be so wet, and completely refreshing being covered in rain water instead of sweat.
The final rendezvous point of the day for our trio from Cornelius was Matt’s Creek Shelter. The place was just feet from the creek and the water was roaring as it carried all the rain water downstream. The trail actually crossed the creek, and I had to walk across thigh deep water. It was only about 10 feet across but it was much more serious than any other water crossing so far. The rain slowed up a bit, Strider and I went onward pushing the last two miles to the road into Glasgow; Hotshot was cooking dinner then going on to the next shelter. The last mile of the day featured the James River and the longest foot traffic only bridge on the AT. We made it into the small town of Glasgow via a hitch – the wind from riding in the back of a truck felt amazing – and got a hot meal and resupply. Unfortunately there’s no hotel, we’re staying at a town shelter, pretty much like a trail shelter just at a town park. It’s still raining, with more on the way for tomorrow. I kind of want to just take another zero and not hike another 20 rain soaked miles