Slowly and barely perceptively, my spirits were running low. It took a while, but eventually I realized what has happening.
At that moment I decide to kick out my negative thoughts and keep moving. I decided to power my way through the mental funk that was creeping in.
From that point on everything I did became a game. I made a challenge to see how fast I could filter water, how soon I could reach the shelter, how quickly I could set up my tent in the rain, how dry I could keep my gear before I got it all in my tent.
I was determined and the game became fun.
When I reached the brook that crossed the trail I stopped to filter two liters of water and drink as much as I could.
It was getting dark when I arrived at the shelter. The shelter was full, so there was no option for me to sleep there.
I found a flat spot about forty yards away from the shelter, and in 15 minutes I was sitting dry inside my tent.
A couple problems remained that I needed to solve. For one, I hadn’t had anything to eat in a while. What should I eat? A few trail bars or cook a hot meal? The other problem was I was now warm in my tent, but so was my food. Should I go back out and hang a bear bag?
The decisions I made might be considered risky, but I thought them through and felt my risks were low.
First, I set up my stove in my vestibule. Because of the type of stove I use, the flame is not exposed. And because the tent is well ventilated, there was no risk of carbon monoxide.
This allowed me to eat some hot food, which at this point was essential to my physical and mental state.
Next, I decided to keep my food in my tent. I had hung a food bag every night on the trail so far, but in this case, I reasoned, the weather was so bad and there were so many people camped in the area, the risk of a bear coming to my tent tonight was very low.
I was now warm and dry, well fed and in good spirits. After hiking 20 miles in miserable weather, that made for a very satisfying end to a difficult day.