Thursday, July 24

Thursday
Thursday morning
Steady rain since yesterday afternoon, with some stiff wind. I slept late (10:30) again. This is some tiring training. I'm pretty exhausted, but my legs are thoroughly enjoying the trails - they're definitely beginning to feel good. I'm sure it's also good for the heart. This would be a good day to rest up and give the trails a little rest. We'll see.

[Insert musical interlude of your choice]

Thursday night
The rain never stopped. In fact, it rained harder as the day went on. I even checked the weather and took note of the impending arrival of a long, thick band of storm frontage. There were thunderstorm warnings in maine, there was a tornado in Epson, but up here it just rained. and rained. and rained some more, but harder. I figured today for a 4 hour hike up to Madison hut and back, so I actually made it to trail by 4:00, though I skipped stretching for the second consecutive day. (note to self)

In addition to the driving rain, the wind was blowing pretty hard, and I don't think it was all that warm either. As I did yesterday, I brought along a thin, long-sleeved thermal shirt and my thick, lined windbreaker, rolled up and tied around the waist (great kidney protectors in case of a stupid fall, I guess). Yesterday I never unrolled them, because it was perfectly comfortable temperature for what I was doing, and it wasn't quite raining yet. Depending on weather, I always wear a Running School synthetic tee, usually short sleeve, like today. I was comfortable up to about 4000', because the Valley Way trail heads up Madison not atop a ridge, like air line and Howker's Ridge, but alongside the ridge in the valley. On nice days, air line is pretty quick, as is Howker's, and both have spectacular views, especially when you're following up the knife edge on air line, with steep ravines on either side. On a day like today, though, you'd be much more exposed to the wind and rain. Valley way is very sheltered, but for much of it, mostly on the top half, you're walking up stream beds. In today's case, with hyperactive streams still in them. Not that I mind, I don't at all. The water is cool on my feet and legs and washes the mud off my shoes. I stood in one for a couple minutes, letting the shower massage waterfall wash the mud off my calves. Almost all the mud is in the bottom half, so clean as my shoes might have been at the hut, they were muddy by the parking lot.

I made good time on the bottom, reaching the Watson trail before an hour had passed. The 22 hour soaking didn't really slow things down uphill - I made better time than yesterday, they just made it harder. I developed the practice of 10 breath rests on the steeper sections. I passed by 7 other hikers on the way up, and the same 7 on the way down. First I came up on a young strong father carrying two (light) backpacks, and his 12 or so year old son, overweight and not happy to be climbing a mountain. This was more than halfway up, but the hard climbing was still ahead. This was a little after five; they had been on the trail since one. Not good. Next, about a minute or two ahead of them were an older couple, as it turns out, Dad's parents. They're trying not to get too far ahead. They're in good shape. Finally, about 5 minutes ahead of them, were a young mom and her two daughters, 5 and 8! They were picking their way through a steep section, and seemed to be doing OK. There was still a long way to go at the pace they all were going, and the last third of a mile is exposed.

I felt good. Most of the soreness in my knee from Sunday's fall is gone, both uphill and downhill. About a half mile before the hut it began to feel cold, so I put the thermal long sleeve on over the tee. I took it as easy as I could, maintaining a steady uphill tempo, resting every 20 minutes for 60 seconds, or for ten breaths if I needed it, which wasn't often. I reached the Madison hut at 5:48, for 1:48 going up, 5 minutes faster than Sunday, but feeling a lot better than I did then. I rested 12 minutes, talking to various hikers, then headed back down promptly at 6. At 6 they serve dinner at the hut. It smelled powerful good. I thought of food all the way down.

I put everything on, and was glad to have brought warm clothes. Saw mom and the kids within 8 minutes of leaving. The little girl was crying. She was wearing little girl sneakers with little girl socks. As she tried to wade across an icy stream at 4500 feet. Mom and big sister were trying hard to keep her spirits up. I assured them they were within minutes of warmth and dryness and food. This is no trail for kids, especially not today. Next I passed by Mom and Dad about 15 minutes down. They said to say hi to their son. His son was having a lot of trouble, with his own son. Hard to tell if he was whiny, unathletic or both, but he was sure struggling. I figure they still had at least an hour before they reached the hut, and some real rough climbing and water traverses, too. I hope they save them food. I told Dad his Pa said "Hi." I had the bottom half of the mountain to myself and took it very, very easy (it was quite slick). I also did a little sightseeing at the more torrential waterfalls and rapids, as I switched over to the brookside trail for part of the way back. The trip down took 1:53, a little longer than the trip up. Some running on the way up, none down. It was pretty dark, and not quite 8 yet. No fall, no slip, no blood. No exhaustion.

I feel good. I hope the weather is nice tomorrow. This is fun. Maybe I'll take some pitchers.