T-T-T-Today was F-F-F-Frigid!

So after taking an extra day in Pasadena, I guess I had this coming.

Ken dropped me off at the trail around 7:30 this morning. It was chilly but nothing I hadn't experienced before. I figured that I'd get warmed up soon after I started my first and most significant climb of the day (about 1200'). Wrong. There was a remnant of the weather system I mentioned a couple blog posts back that wasn't quite done. I climbed right into a cloud that was half-drizzle, half-fog, and all cold. It was miserable. It wasn't really rain in the sense of rain, just mist, and no sun. And it was windy. Instead of removing layers, I was adding them! (I even had to wear my gloves a couple of times!) There were a few times when I thought the sun might poke through the clouds for more than a few seconds, but it never really happened. So this went on until finally I dropped below the clouds at around 5800'. So I was all good until I had lunch around 2:30. By then I had racked up 15 miles, mainly because I just wanted to keep moving to stay warm! At about 3:45, off I went again...another climb. My goal was to go about seven miles where there was a camp at about 5200' and therefore hopefully below the clouds. Well, after more hiking in damp and frigid conditions, I made it. In fact, I even made camp and ate dinner before it got dark. Not bad for 22 miles starting at 7:30!

Anyway, after breaking off a big chunk of my mileage to get to Agua Dulce where I'll pick up my resupply box, I'll be able to go a little slower if I want to. Since the elevation will be lower, I think it should at least be more comfortable. Fingers crossed!