I’d worn it yesterday on our sunny 30 and it had felt great. I’d picked one up at my storage unit in tucson and I dunno- it just felt good on my skin after six weeks wearing synthetic. How it startedĪnd here’s the part I’m really embarrassed about- I was wearing a cotton t-shirt. SP had a real rain jacket and wasn’t slackpacking (he had all his gear), and planned to take it a bit slower- he wasn’t sure he wanted to reach the monument today, as his girlfriend wasn’t picking him up until the next morning. Spacemaker was in the same situation, except his puffy was synthetic, so it would provide a bit more warmth when wet. By the time my pack, with two liters of water and a day’s worth of snacks, was clipped onto my back, I was already soaked from the rain, and my hands were already too cold to use my poles, which I kept stashed in my side pockets. I did have a warm hat at least, and at the last minute Alan lent me the golite windpants he was carrying, which billowed hugely on me. I put on my running shorts, my ultralight down jacket that’s greasy and flat from use, my outdoor research helium rain jacket that’s been through so much brush over the years that it’s not the slightest bit waterproof anymore, and is functionally just a windbreaker. I left my shelter, sleeping bag and stove in the trunk of the rental car for slackpacking (Alan is meeting us 18 miles in, at the trailhead before the final 2 miles to the terminus) and put on the only clothes I had, having sent away all my extra layers. The day called for a five thousand foot climb, up to nine thousand feet, where we’d stay for five miles before slowly dropping down again. You can’t go back and make different choices right now, but you can control whether or not you panic. How did I end up here? I know better than this! I know I know better than this! Just don’t panic, I say to myself. This is one of the dumbest situations I’ve gotten myself into in a long time.

Thru hiking will break your heart