(written 07/95)
Well, the next day greeted us with torrents of rain; at least this is what we were prepared for. We began the hike in two groups, a fast group and slow group. The two girls started off in the slow group, but soon they left them behind and caught up to us in no time. It was pouring down rain and the trail was a mess. Huge puddles and creek crossings meant that even with those who had Gortex boots were getting wet feet. Did I mention that it was raining? Anyway, we went about 7 miles to our first stop, a small 6 man cabin. Of course we couldn't all fit in there, but at least it had a log stove, which meant that we could dry our stuff off. It’s amazing how boring it can get when it is pouring rain out and you’re stuck in a cabin playing cards. You know it’s bad when you start playing go-fish and you enjoy it! At this cabin we caught our first glimpse of the Alaskan wildlife; besides the mosquitoes I mean. We saw some really big king salmon, which we tried to catch with our hammocks, since we didn't have rods and reels, but to no avail. They were just waiting to die anyway for they had already spawned and were already starting to rot.
The next day we hiked to the next cabin, it rained. More cards, more wet feet, and more wet people. At least we kept ourselves amused, those who could whistle whistled rounds of A Partrige in a Pear Tree. However I was not one of them. I have a whistling deficiency, meaning to say that I couldn't carry a tune to save my life. The next day we didn't have a cabin, and this was the day that it was coldest and it rained the most. Does anyone realize how hard it is to start a fire with soaked wood? Damn hard! Suffice it to say; white gas. But it wasn't all bad that day; we did see a black bear and a bunch of badgers.
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