Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Day 4 Lake Desor

Thursday, May 18, 2017
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No stats for today. 
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This may (I hope) turn out to be the worst day in my backpacking history. 

I awoke to the rain around 6:00. It was still going strong and everything was still wet. I ate part of a Clif Builder's bar and then put on minimal clothes and rain gear to hit the privy.  It was cold!

After getting back, I decided to get a premium (hourly) weather forecast on my inReach Explorer.  It said the rain wouldn't stop till 7:00 pm, that tomorrow (Friday) would be sunny, but that it would rain every day after on my trip. 

This was bad. I didn't want to start a day hiking in the rain with already wet clothes. And if I made it to Windigo, I would have long day hikes back to Rock Harbor the length of the island--most days likely in the rain. 

I decided to alter my plans. Wait the rain out here at Lake Desor today, then try to make it to McCargoe (18.2 mi) or Moskey Basin (20.5 mi), where there are shelters, during sunny, dry Friday. Before the next rain would hit. 

But the forecast was a little off. The rain was hard until 11:00 am, then it quit. I got out to take a leak and do some slight mods on the drainage. The water was getting near the tarp. 

Unfortunately, it was too late to head for either McCargoe or Moskey. Instead, I laid under the quilt and one at a time dried my merino shirt, my pants and my wind shirt with body heat. The rain coat and pants were on their own. 

The sun came out and the black top of the bivy actually got hot. The cuben tarp is milky white and let through a lot of sun. I felt like a fool laying there. 

I did find out that the Sansa music player has a very long battery life--as advertised.  

By nighttime I was bored stiff and tired from laying down all day. I set up the tarp low for the storm. Before evening it got cold again.  The way it stayed for the rest of the trip.

I didn't take any photos today.

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