Day 22 - Somewhere near mile 321

As I mentioned, yesterday was a long haul. Add to the miles was a growing disquiet due to gathering and darkening clouds overhead. I was happy to find a very small spot to plant myself for the night and once dark the rain began to tap on the tent roof. First gently then with vigour. I finally had to put ear plugs in order to sleep. Two good things were the tent worked like a champ and secondly it wasn't as cold due to the cloud cover, as well as being lower in elevation. 

In the morning everything outside was wet! As well as the outside of the tent from rain and the inside from condensation. But no harm done and I was able to dry it out easily during the day today. What was super wet and  cold, were the grasses along the trail. They overhung the trail and walking through them was like having ice tossed on my legs and feet. Soon my toes were numb and I was wet from the waist down but it didn't matter...I just kept walking and everything eventually warmed up. 

Later today I spoke with a guy who is section hiking the PCT and he told me there had been snow this morning on the first bridge in Deep Creek. Dang I guess this weather pattern we are having is a big'un. As we were walking out of the canyon I could see it had snowed in the San Gabrials last night! Yikes, I'll be there in less than a week. Hope it melts some. 

It's still windy tonight but it doesn't appear as though it will rain any more this evening. I am hoping the typical weather pattern of wind dying down after dark holds true here. This flapping of the tent is off putting. 

I only managed 17 miles today. Mostly because if we'd gone further there wouldn't be places to camp out of this wild wind we are having. So if we are indeed going to get to the Best Western tomorrow night it will need to be a 23 mile day. I don't know that I have it in me but I'm starting at 5:30 am, or as soon as it is light enough to see the trail. Time will tell!