The forecast called for rain showers in the afternoon but it was already raining shortly after I left camp at 9 am, calling for the first real use of the rain gear. The rain stopped and started a few times before it committed to raining for the rest of the day.
The trail was uncharacteristically easy with a lot of gentle inclines, which I didn’t fail to appreciate. I got to my planned campsite but, still feeling good, I decided to keep going. There was one hard climb up Albert Mountain to the fire tower where there was even an optional bypass trail for bad weather. I decided to make the climb, even though it was raining steadily. There were a lot of crazy steep rocks to scramble up complicated by the fact that it was wet and slippery. I made it to the top without twisting or breaking anything and the view was amazing.
Camp was another 1.3 miles down Albert Mountain into Big Spring Gap and I wandered in shortly before 5 pm. The rain was still going with no sign of letting up, so I decided to stay in the shelter tonight. I was a bit cold while hiking but once I put on dry clothes at the shelter and had a hot dinner, I was comfortable again. The overnight low is only 40 deg, another “warm” one as long as I can stay dry.
There’s about 8 of us sharing the shelter tonight and I think all of us are planning to stay in Franklin at the hostel tomorrow. Today marked 3 big firsts; first 100 miles, first 15+ mile day, and first day in the rain. I think I can justify splurging for a little celebrating and I’m looking forward to a hot shower, a cold beer, and a warm bed.
Day 11 Mileage: 16.3 mi [Standing Indian Shelter -> Long Branch Shelter]
Total Mileage: 110.5 mi