An open site across from us on the bank of the lake.
Day 3: The storms were to pester us all week. The good thing was that they usually came in
late afternoon to evening, and left the days sunny and clear. It was 9p.m. when I zipped the tent shut, and
there was an immediate terrible, and much too close, simultaneous blinding
flash and terrible crash of thunder. That
was the opening rangefinder shot, and once my position was bracketed, the fire
and rain and wind continued unabated until 4a.m. The storm’s method of the attack was
something I hadn’t seen before. The wind
came in waves as steady and regular as waves hitting a beach. The wind came in a rushing squall from behind
me. It rolled over the trees on top of
the hill, over me and across the adjoining field, down the hill and into the
trees to the south of us. Just then
another wave of wind could be heard approaching from the north, through the
trees and over the hill, across the field, and so on. It was a regular march that continued for an
hour or more.
The wind also had the tent kind of breathing as it
passed me. It would first come from the
west and mash the tent in. Immediately
after that the tent seemed to exhale as it puffed outward as though it had
suddenly been fully inflated. I know
this routine will sound familiar to those of you accustomed to living in
tornado country, but the tent and I stayed on the hill.
Obviously, since I was lying there noticing all of
this, I wasn’t getting any sleep. I was
very pleased and thankful that the tent was staying dry in spite of the
constant downpour. The other thing
keeping me awake was the forecast for golf ball-sized hail. With the car, truck, and RV sitting there, I
certainly didn’t relish waking in the morning to find them all sporting a new
hammered metal look. Every new wave of
intensity had me laying there cringing in dread. Of course as soon as you have one thought
fixed in your mind, everything changes.
Even though I had resealed all the tent’s seams, a couple stitches began
to weep and drip ice water on my left shoulder.
The next drip joined forces with its predecessor so they could then roll
down my chest and onto the sleeping bag.
I reached into the pack and pulled out my Cabela’s Guide foulweather
jacket and draped it over my upper body to shed the continuing drip, drip,
drip. My thought was then that trying to
sleep under a raincoat would be too hot and stuffy to make sleep possible.
With that thought, the wind picked up more and the
temperature suddenly dropped. That
seemed to herald the approach of the ice storm, but solved the problem of being
too hot. I waited in anticipation of the
hail, but it thankfully didn’t materialize.
With the colder air, I pulled the sleeping bag liner over my legs,
checked the time on my phone and saw that it was 4a.m., fluffed my pillow, and
dozed off until the birds started singing at 7a.m. in earnest and right
over my head.
The packing sack laying on the liner itself.
A word is needed about the Sea-to-Summit Thermolite
Reactor Extreme sleeping bag liner.
That’s a long name for something that only measures 3 X 5 inches in its
little stuff sack. I found it at a
national sporting goods store on my way to Old Forge, NY, last spring or winter
(unable to distinguish between the two).
I about choked on the $70 price tag for the little thing, but Jean
insisted I get it, or it would have stayed on the rack. Made of their insulating, Thermolite, hollow-core
moister-wicking polyester fiber, it opens up to a large 36 X 84 inch sack that
is supposed to add 25-degrees F (14-deg. C) to the warmth of a sleeping
bag. It is made in a mummy shape, but is
so stretchy, that it will envelope you no matter what size or style of sleeping
bag you are in. Besides adding warmth,
it can be used instead of the sleeping bag in those intervening temperatures
between being in a bag or not. It also
helps to keep the sleeping bag clean. I
did things backwards with this purchase, and read the reviews on it when I
returned home. Yes, it has received
great acclaim because of its comfort and warmth, but is pricey. Since it works well, and can almost disappear
in your pack, it’s a nice piece of gear to add, especially if you can find it
on sale.
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