Rain Man

July 22, 2010 11:58 pm Leave your thoughts

Location: Dry River Campground Crawford Notch State Park NH

I had heard of “massive storms” expected later on Wednesday. I do not do so well with rain hiking. I get very moody when I have to hike in the rain, and if I have to  put on wet clothes and hike in more rain the next morning, well let’s say I get down right pissy! But I know, you’ll never finish if you don’t hike in the rain.

Some people handle the rain out here a little better. Walker just moves right along singing and whistling despite any rain.

To be fair it only rained on me about 3 days for all of my time in Maine and that’s a state where you want it least. It has been quite the opposite in New Hampshire. I think it has rained 6 out of the last 8 days or so.

I had made 11 miles by 1pm and they weren’t too hard, I could have easily pressed on but instead made the decision to hitch hike to a state campground down the road from where the trail came out at Crawford Notch. Another hiker I had bunked with at Lake of the Clouds the previous night thought this was a little less than ambitious and was planning to press on another 5 miles to an AMC shelter.

I hitched a ride pretty easily, grabbed a tent site and set up my hammock. I tried to do a really good setup in anticipation of coming storms. John the parks employee had said of the weather “well those things are hit or miss”

I know most people tend to disagree but i have to say I think weather today is pretty darn accurate. Sure every day in summer on the east coast is “chance of thunder storms” It’s the humidity we have here. However if they say %60 or greater chance its a good bet there will be rain.

No sooner than I had set up and sat down to make lunch it started. Hard loud thunder and pouring rain. It rained for almost 12 hours straight.

I have to say my hammock held up incredibly! I did also put my rain poncho which doubles as a tarp over the top of the hammock rain fly. Not one drop I’d water in there though and damn did it rain hard at times, as hard as I had ever camped in.

It did continue with some rain the next morning as I headed out but boy am I glad I was not out or at altitude in those storms. I also had dry clean clothes and a shower I was able to take advantage of at the  campground:)

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