Morning at Camp

or, A Long Trail Ahead
The Pinchot Trail Chronicle, Part 10
Monday June 28, 2010

I awoke for good around 5:30am and took stock of my situation. No water anywhere inside the tent. Tent still battened down tightly. No sounds of rain. I put on my camp shoes and made my way out of my cocoon. It was gray in the early morning, but there were patches of blue in the overcast which was a good sign. Nobody else seemed to be up yet. The only sounds were water dripping from the trees, a multitude of bird sounds, and the distant knocking of a woodpecker somewhere off to the north. It was very nice to be the first one up and out even though I am not a morning person by nature.

My backpack is still hanging where it should be, as were the food bags. I couldn't tell their condition at this point, and the curiosity was killing me, but I didn't want to make a lot of noise finding out until the others were up.

The others are up shortly after 6am. Dave didn't have his rain fly completely on when the rain started, and he got a little water into his tent. Nothing too bad, but he does have some wetness in the tent and around the bottom of his sleeping bag. He lays his stuff out as best he can in hopes that it will dry a little before we have to pack up and go, but in the damp humid air I don't think it does much good.

We pull down the food and I get my backpack, and am delighted to find that everything is bone dry. We have breakfast. I brought along some Starbucks Via instant coffee which I have not tried before, but it turns out to be the best instant coffee I have ever had. I don't have a big appetite, as I am anxious to get going, and a little nervous about how far we have to go today to get to the next camp site. I have never done anything even remotely like this before.

Journal, 8:15am - About ready to go. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast. Allowed a little extra time at camp to dry the tents. Don't know that it did much good. Excited but nervous. 14 miles or so to Choke Creek.

After a leisurely morning, we are packed and on the trail at 8:45am.

Next...the North Loop