The day began much as the previous had ended, cold and wet. When I awoke, some had already departed the shelter area, but Fancy Feet, Kinder, Squatch, Yeti, and Spam remained. I made coffee and ate some energy bars, and as I waited for Spam to emerge from his hammock, I conversed with Fancy Feet and Kinder.
The morning hike brought us through a cow pasture. Approaching the area, I noticed a horned bovine staring, almost glaring, at us. I may have walked a bit too close to said bovine to snap a photo, and it began to posture, as if it were about to charge. Slowly, I backed away...as Spam laughed at me, photographing the whole incident.
We paused at Double Spring Shelter for lunch and met up with Bismarck and Hopper.
As we continued to hike, rain fell lightly upon us. However, when Spam and I were several miles from Abingdon Gap Shelter, the rain intensified and completely drenched Spam, who was hiking without a shell. We took refuge in McQueens Knob Shelter, an old emergency shelter a couple miles from Abingdon Gap Shelter.
Of note, McQueens Knob Shelter is one of the oldest on the Appalachian Trail. The Companion states that this shelter can accommodate four people, but it didn't appear to sleep more than two. As Iced Tea, Honey Badger, and Berkeley were already there, we managed to fit five inside. Though, as the rain subsided, we set up our tents for sleeping.
(Crack ninja mission of the night: trail running a mile in the downpour to secure water...then carrying 8 liters back.)
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