Rain at Last

Rain and Questions

It was still raining – just drizzling – when I went for my morning hike. So I got to try out my new rain jacket. Or more properly, a cagoule – a sort of long, lightweight affair from Sierra Designs, along with rain chaps. The temperature was about 55 degrees and there was plenty of wet vegetation to swipe against. I stayed comfortable and dry. But, questions, questions, questions! Will the cagoule cover me enough when I am in town doing laundry? Or will I need rain pants instead of the chaps – or even a rain kilt? And what’s the best way to shorten the chaps which are way too long?

I also got to try new trail running shoes in the rain to see whether they will work for hiking. The Altra Lone Peak 2.5’s were super comfy, even when I deliberately walked through streams and mud to see whether I could tolerate hiking with very wet feet. Now to see how they’ll hold up. I saw some online reviews – for the 2.0s – which said the tread doesn’t last. So far I have hiked a total of 18 miles in them over the last 3 days. And the tread is fine.

A Question Answered

One thing to obsess about – will my dog behave in the ferry if/when we reach the Kennebec River in Maine? The last time he was in a canoe was as a puppy 7 years ago. It was the fastest that I have ever gotten wet and filthy – he capsized the canoe within minutes and dumped me into a muddy stream. But a few emails back and forth to the ferry operator, Dave, have reassured me we will do OK.

Mystery White Blaze

I hope it is a good omen. I found a log with a white blaze on the trail at my usual morning hiking location, the Skaneateles Conservation Area.  Since the trails there are marked with with round trail markers (red, blue, or yellow but no white), not blazes, I have to wonder. How did it get there? And why? Hmmmmm.