Date: 4/14/04
Starting Location: Dennis Cove Road
Destination: Iron Mt. Shelter
Miles: 24.3
Total Miles: 442.3
My first thought was: snowday. I think Mickey-One-Sock said it best when he walked out the door this morning before quickly returning to proclaim: "Did you look outside yet?" Sure enough, our second week of April snowstorm was here with snow already on the ground, and Lead Dog and I were lacing up to hit the snowy slopes for a 10-mile day that simply continued to morph by the hour.
At 1pm, 9 miles down, we hitched into town to dry out and have a hot lunch. By 6pm, we were at our "destination," only to move on away from the full shelter. By 9:30, we were at the next shelter north, and you guessed it, full again—in the shelter, on the ground underneath it, and tents all around. "On to the next?," you might ask. Why, sure. Midnight brought us into the next shelter, any why not, full to the brim again. The only redemption was that the snow had stopped since lunchtime, the sunset was beautiful, and I had an awesome time hiking through the night with my partner Lead Dog on snowy trail, with town lights glowing to the left and right of the ridge.
Pitched tents in the snow in front of the shelter after another long day on snowy trail, and finally was off to dreamland by 1am.
