[at-l] Trip Report -Tenacious Tanasi, Dawg and Peanut

[gadog430 at charter.net (Gadog430)]

Conditions: Rainy       Temperature: About 35-37        Skies: Completely cloudy

First of all, Shelly is out of jail. lol  JUST KIDDING!!!

We got up this morning and went to breakfast. The people at the restaurant where I work couldn't quite believe that I actually have friends that do not work there. Anyway, we ate a huge breakfast, and we headed to the Wally World in Seneca for Pringles...and footballs, since I couldn't find mine. 

But first we stopped in Clemson, S.C. to take a picture in our Georgia and Tennessee hats for Orange Bug in front of The Athletic Department. Orange Bug, look for mail. heheheheh

We are heading to the register in Wally World in Seneca, S.C. and the cashier looks at us with this "What the heck are you doing?" look. I had forgotten about the Blue Laws in S.C. I guess they haven't been repealed like I thought. Shelly had this dumbstruck look in her eyes and she cannot believe it. Well, we will have to wait until we get to Ga. to get the footballs. But I'll be damned if we are not leaving with the Pringles. I mean come on, you gotta have priorities. So we leave, Shelly and I had a discussion in the parking lot about what Blue Laws are and what a backwards state I live in. Shelly can't quite believe that we rank below TN in terms of stupid cwap. 

So we travel on to Clayton, Ga.....where we can get footballs. But first, on the 30 miles between Seneca and Clayton, we had to get behind this stupid red van that was going soooooooooo slow I was aging as I was driving. But we get the footballs, in a sane state, and we head to Franklin and on out to Winding Stair Gap. BIG PARKING LOT!!!!

Peanut was waiting for us with Mocha, and it was raining. Not a downpour, but steady. 

Shelly had Frogg Toggs for herself, and we had discussed that we were going rain or not, and that she had a packa of silnylon that I could borrow. We suited up and headed South. I had on four layers that soon went down to two and the packa, and Shelly had on four layers that quickly went to two. It's a bit of a steep climb for about 20 minutes, and then a really nice steady climb that rambles for as far as we traveled...about 2 1/2 miles. By the time we were walking along the ridge, we were in the clouds, and it was just gorgeous. 

It was raining steady small drops. Shelly in her Frogg Toggs bottoms, the top has come off by now. This woman needs to heat the world. Unbelievable. And she was still hot. I was in the packa and a wicking long sleeve shirt and a L.L. Bean Mountain Fleece, and I was fine. I was warm with one exception, which I'll mention in a moment. We stopped near the top for water and it was only then that I got cold. I put the packa and pack back on rather quickly and set off down the trail. I wanted to generate that heat that had been keeping me warm since I had not been cold. With that one exception. I did warm back up pretty quickly. 

The one part that got cold were my hands...because my gloves got wet. I had on leather gloves because Shelly didn't have any and I gave her my fleece. They were out from under the packa sleeves and got wet. Well, Shelly doesn't need damned gloves, so when we got to the top, I took the fleece ones that were dry, and I pulled the packa sleeves down and they stayed mostly dry. That was the only part that got cold on the way in. But it wasn't exceedingly comfortable to pull the sleeves down over the gloves. and they peek out a little under the sleeve. They were still a little wet when we got back. 

Someone on The List is going to have a suggestion or a solution on the glove issue, so feel free to dispense with the advice. 

Anyway, after 1 3/4 hours out, we headed back and made it back in a little over an hour. Mostly downhill, but carefully, slippery leaves and mud. 

We had talked about it on the ridgeline along the top, but it was confirmed when we got back to the cars...I was soaked. I wasn't cold, but I was completely wet from perspiration and condensation. Silnylon keeps the heat in, but it doesn't breathe, and the pits holes can only do so much. But I really wasn't cold. The shirt didn't feel that wet, but Shelly said the back was completely wet. The Fleece....it was so wet that beads of moisture were apparent...ON THE OUTSIDE. But I wasn't cold, I am still amazed.

What Shelly and I talked about that we learned or were curious about on this trip in the rain:

1. We did just fine in the adverse weather. But we were prepared. Shelly couldn't believe that I was surprised by this. I just thought we would be more uncomfortable, and both mentioned several times that we had extra dry layers in our packs. We were concerned for and looked out for each other, and we were prepared to take precautions if someone got into trouble. We talked about it beforehand, and looking back on it, we did keep an eye on each other for any signs of trouble. I worried Shelly a little bit when I suited up quickly at the top when we stopped, but I knew I was chilling and wanted to get moving again. 

2. Silnylon keeps the warmth in...there is ABSOLUTELY no wicking quality present. I was warm but soaked from the inside, not the outside. The rain beaded and shook off the exterior no problem. We talked about what might have been if we were not headed back to the cars. 

3. Sticking gloves under a packa is damned uncomfortable...leather gloves not the best. Look for glove advice for rain. 

4. One of Shelly's Lekis wouldn't lock, so she was stuck with one stick which was disappointing to her. She is trying to get used to two for her thru next year. I stuck with my one ancient Leki that my Daddy gave me. I can't bear to part with it. 

5. You will go out in the rain if it's been a long winter and you are stir crazy. 

6. Clouds on the ridge...beautiful. 

7. I love my boots even more now that I ever have...and that's a lot. My feet were totally dry. Yahoooo!!!! And I didn't have on gaiters. 

8. A packa would be hard to use if you were by yourself. Shelly helped my get it on and off...but I helped her too with the Frogg Toggs. So, we were partners. But I hate to think of trying to manage one alone. Ugghhh. It did keep me warm though, so I am very thankful. 

9. Wearing a packa...pain in the ass to get into the daypack. Impossible without taking it off. Ughhh. 

10. Peanut was fine. So was Mocha. 

Dawg