Tigger and Rain: Day 29

It was bright and sunny when I unzipped the tent this morning. Just like every morning, we were climbing. Except this morning it was a 6 mile climb. The never ending climb. We decided that since after those 6 miles were up, it was mostly flat or downhill we were going to go another 11 to a campsite for a 17 mile day. What we didn’t know was that the 6 mile climb was a horrific uphill experience and we were pooped by the time we did 6 miles. By the time I plopped down next to the water source for lunch, I was exhausted and better yet, storm clouds were rolling in. We wolfed down our food just in time to feel the first rain drops fall as we packed up and put on our rain covers. All 4 of us attached our umbrellas to our packs and hiked down the mountain. We looked like 4 silver mushrooms floating down the hill. It was a funny sight. I had never thought to buy an umbrella, but I was so glad I did because the heavens decided to dump buckets on us that day. The rain was so loud I could barely hear anything else. The trail in front of us quickly turned into 4 inch puddles. There were now two options. Hop the rocks to avoid getting our shoes wet, or accept the puddles and splash through. I chose the former while Kyle chose the ladder. I looked ahead as he tried to make the biggest splashes he possibly could. We then came to a sign that read “bad weather bypass” we now had the option of going up and over a rocky exposed cliff, or we could go a safer route that bypasses the view. Due to our current wetness, we decided to take the bypass. You could barely see 10 feet in front of you because of the clouds anyways. To our happy surprise, 300 was written on the ground in sticks. We had made it another 100 miles. This journey was going by faster than we knew it. When we reached our camp for the night, there was a shelter two miles ahead. “Well it’s only 6 o’clock we could do that” I said. The group agreed and we pushed. We were rewarded for our pushing by meeting a trail angel name Tigger at the shelter. He was providing trail magic to thruhikers and spending the night at the shelter. He had chips and ice cold cokes waiting for us which we devoured immediately. Tigger had hiked in 2018 and then worked in New Hampshire maintaining the trail since. He told stories of the White Mountains and the types of privies we were going to be lucky to get to see. We was named Tigger because of his ginger hair and beard and in his words “because I’m bouncy” he then proceeded to jump around camp whooping and hollering. You meet all sorts of people on the trail.