It's official: I'm a wimp. The rain was just pouring this morning, so I decided to take another zero and relax under a free roof. Besides, I don't think I'll have this opportunity again for the rest of the trip along the Pacific Northwest Trail, so I should make the best of it. Plus, the fact that all of my friends were staying, friends who I perhaps won't ever see again, made me want to stay even more.
Gear notes:
I've done some gear swapping to prepare for the onslaught of WA rain that should creep in at some point.
-Umbrella: I'm really excited to have my umbrealla back for the rains out on Olympic National Park.
-Rain Jacket: No more windshirt which was ok in a drizzle, but invited hypothermia when worn alone. After an insanely creepy storm on Sonora Pass in California, I realized that my poncho-tarp wasn't really any good on exposed, windy ridges. Now I've got a cheapo 5 oz cyclist jacket made by O2 that the legendary Disco swears by. I've already noticed that it's horrible at cutting the winds we experience when hanging out by the river here, but I'll have to deal now.
-Warmer quilt: The 45 degree quilt that EVERYONE made fun of out here finally had to be swapped out for the 20 degree Nunatak one which I love fondly. Since I got the warm quilt, I made the sketchy decision to get rid of my insulated Montbell jacket and smartwool bottoms. We'll see if I can stay warm enough at night with this setup in an attempt to shave some packweight that was gained by adding the umbrella.
We're all getting a ride back to the trail tomorrow at 6 am since the rain should be stopping sometime tomorrow afternoon. In a day or so, we enter what is said to be one of the 3 most scenic parts of the trail: the Glacier Peak Wilderness. This area has been rocked hard by floods and landlides in the past few years, and promises to have some tricky navigation as well as lots of blowdowns to contend with. At this point, we're all up for the challenge and not too intimidated by it.
Can't wait to make the next post at beautiful Glacier, WA.
1 comment:
If I may proffer up a suggestion, it would be to keep the Montbell jacket with you.
As you probably know I'm an ultralight backpacker but if there's one thing I don't skimp on it's insulation. Just my $0.02.
Oh, and calling yourself a wimp after telling us how you hiked a 70 mile day is just gonna make you sound like a liar. Enjoy your zero day - you earned it. Besides you've got some tough days ahead.
Post a Comment