Tuesday - 09/16 - 06:05am
- Standing on Painter Leetonia Road looking
back across the stream at my
camp site.
- Last night was a test of survival.
- I had planned to camp near 4 Mile Run to
ensure a water source for morning.
About 5:30PM and as I descended to 4 Mile Run thunder and lightening started and
heavy wind and rain was soon to follow.
- I was hearing Hey, Hey, My, My
by Neil Young - you know...Outta' The Blue and
into the Black... for some reason ( I guess my hyper state) I was hearing a hard
core version - maybe by The Bad Brains or somebody from that 80's skin head high
speed LA hard core scene - maybe The
Suicide Machine s- yeah a skate/ska version - heck I don't know - I was frantic to get my tent built.
- Got my tent up and kept the inside dry.
- Covered my pack and leaned it against a tree.
- Threw what I thought was essential into the tent and dove
in after.
- I wasn't inside but a few seconds and realized I hadn't grabbed a light from
my pack so the coming hours would be black.
- Lightening became constant and the sound of
falling trees seemed to follow each strike.
- At this point I needed a miracle - I've never prayed so hard in all my life. I
had no fear, but I needed the lightening to strike somewhere else and those
trees to fall elsewhere.
- I thought those were my only 2
concerns and then I felt moisture and realized my rain fly had come loose from a
stake. I had to go back out in the rain. Took off my shirt to keep it dry and I
went out and fixed it. - The rain felt like ice and I was quickly reminded that
I had camped next to a stream and with the rainfall rate I now had something new
to pray about - the rising stream. If I needed to move my camp it would be a
cold wet move in the dark. Now having no light has become a problem - I can't
see the stream. I did have my camera so I snapped a
photo and got a good idea
that the bank was deep enough to keep me safe ...hopefully.
- After a meal of granola bars ,
Tofurky
Jerky and trail mix, I decided to try to sleep. As I wrestled around for comfort
- Nick Cave singing
To Be By Your Side echoed in my head
.
- more than 12 hours prone in my shelter - I'm a little sore...
- Now I stand here as the sun rises and all
is well.
- The Eureka Solitaire kept me dry in a 3/4" downpour.
- I heard cars/trucks in the night and I wondered did any of them even notice me down
in that gully and if so what did they think? Crazy man? Lost person? Hmmm...
- Cowboy Junkies - Sun Comes Up It's Tuesday Morning
