10-7-12

We went to the Port Clinton Hotel to do laundry and we each bought a $5 shower. We split a large basket of hand cut fries and Ed, the bartender, was reserved but very nice to us and let us plug in our cell phones while we hung out and waited for our laundry. We went to the candy store and I spent the last of my cash ($3) on candy.

It was so cold night last night, that I pulled my tent over my sleeping bag to get warmer. I have a 15 degree down bag and a silk liner and I was still shivering in all my clothes, including my rain jacket. We debated heading out of town at 2:30, into the predicted rain, up a hill on this cold. I argued for just making it a zero day so I could catch up with family and friends and try to raise some money to finish my hike. So we stayed at the hotel, warm and dry, newly showered with clean clothes and finally walked in the now falling rain back to the pavilion before dark. We would have been caught in the rain. I know I "should" be tough and dedicated enough to hike in the rain, and I do often hike in the rain, but I find myself a bit of a fair weather hiker when presented with hiking in the rain and then freezing for the rest of the night. If I know I can get warm, I don't mind getting wet, but it was so cold last night that I didn't want to try that while wet.

So I set up my tent inside the pavilion tonight, because my sleeping bad was wet with condensation after I covered it with my tent last night. It did keep me warmer that way, but I hung out the sleeping bag to dry and now will be warmer plus have privacy. Eagle Eye's tent is freestanding, unlike mine, so hers is much easier to set up on platforms and shelters. It is possibly ten degrees warmer inside my tent than outside, so it was worth the hassle of setting it up.