Day 120 - Saddleback Mountains (August 6)

I made a decision today that I will not ever question. I will never go above tree line unless I know what the weather is going to be. I heard that there was going to be rain. I heard nothing about winds. The trails are completely flooded. I slipped on my way up the mountains and cut up my left leg. No one has been able to walk without falling. The trail conditions are often so bad that you fall hard several times a day.

The winds were at least 40 miles an hour. They were faster than they were on Mount Washington. I had a good rain jacket. However, rain would fall on my hands, and then run into my sleeves. When ever I lifted my arms, water would run down my shirt. I knew that if I kept moving, I would be ok. If I stopped moving, I would have hypothermia before very long. There was no way to completely get out of the weather until you made it to a shelter. The ground is saturated. If you set up a tent, you would be sleeping in a puddle.

The real danger was not the wind and the rain. Nor was it the really bad trail conditions. The real danger was the combination of both the wind and rain, and the trail conditions. The trail conditions are so bad that if you break a leg or sprain an ankle, you will likely die of exposure. This is danger way beyond what I and most others on the trail think is reasonable.

I made it to the Poplar Ridge shelter by early afternoon. Stripe was already there. A couple (Zak and Barbara and their dog) from Baltimore was there as was a Southbounder whose name I did not get. Later Loafy and Cricket came in. I met both on my way to the shelter. I was really worried about Cricket. He was wet coming up Saddleback Mountain. He came in very late. I was hoping he turned around, but he came in safe. We were all packed in very tight for the night.

It poured all night long. I stayed in my sleeping bag almost the entire time I was at the shelter. I just ate a few snacks and never made dinner. A guy with a dog showed up late. We offered to make room, but it would have been hard with his dog. He decided to tent.