I knew rain was predicted for most of this week, but I crossed my fingers that it would be light and fleeting, then struck out on the trail before 8 a.m., heading for Tennessee Pass. My biggest climb was right away, so I was glad to get that over.
Around 10 a.m. or so I ran into another hiker, who said it was supposed to rain on and off all day, starting … NOW. Suddenly, it began to rain heavily. I threw on my rain gear and plodded northbound, soon passing a guy hiking south on the Colorado Trail.
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Battling the Rain Heading
Within a half-hour (at most), I saw two guys huddled under a tree. I didn’t even realize one was the guy I’d just seen. He asked me if I was heading back. I was puzzled by that question. Heading back?
Turns out I had somehow gone in a circle and now was headed southbound instead of northbound. Thank goodness I ran into those guys! If I found myself back at Timberline Lake, I would have been so upset. I quickly righted myself and headed back north.
When the rain finally stopped, I was drenched. I put on a dry shirt, added a vest under my 
raincoat to insulte my core from the wet raincoat and swapped my hiking gloves for my sleeping mittens. Still, I felt I could quickly become hypothermic, as it was cloudy and cool out. Plus, there was no way my wet clothing would dry in this cold, damp weather.
So I texted Mike and asked if he could pick me up at the trailhead at the end of the day. He could. Phew!
Hurrying Toward Tennessee Pass
During the afternoon the sun poked out here and there, and some of my clothing started to dry. I thought about cancelling my shuttle, figuring I could camp in these conditions. But I kept passing hikers who said rain was coming again at 3 p.m., and/or that the next two days were supposed to be very rainy. While my pants had dried, my shoes and socks were still soaked, along with the shirt and gloves I’d taken off this morning. With more rain almost guaranteed, I decided to play it safe.
Mike got me at the trailhead at 5 p.m. and took me to Copper Mountain, where I checked into my motel two days early. I was able to take a hot shower and wash my clothes. I’m definitely glad I made this move. It’s disappointing, of course, but I can’t risk hypothermia. And I can hike backwards on the trail in the next day or two to pick up the section I missed.
Snowshoe
Today’s Miles: 13.1 (21.1 km)
CDT Miles to Date: 906.3 (1,458.6 km)
CDT Miles to Go: 2,193.7 (3,530.4 km)
My favorite place today: The Cambria Hotel in Copper Mountain. It’s not too pricey, is clean and comfy, and has laundry. It’s also just steps from the CDT.
