Today was my Appalachian Trail baptism–the first day I was so soaked from head to toe that my skin felt like it was starting to peel off. Hey, the AT is in a temperate rainforest climate after all!
I’ve found over my years of backpacking that making light of the rain goes a long ways towards making miles pass less painfully. Exhibit 1: pretending to be a T-Rex in Jurassic Park fog all morning.
I eventually arrived in the small town of Port Clinton and was desperate for a place to get out of the rain while I waited for the Cabela’s van to get me. I figured that as a tax-paying US citizen I couldn’t technically get kicked off of the US Post Office steps during business hours. 
After several hours of drying out/charging/washing socks in the sink (this is what we call being hiker trash) in the world’s largest outfitter (7 acres under roof!), it was back to the trail with an amazing trail angel named Eddie. Check out his 9 year old daughter’s website www.goalexandriago.com as she prepares to thru hike next season!I bid thee a very soggy goodnight…