When we were maybe about half way, possibly a little more, heading up on Friday, it started misting a little bit. People with sense/knowledge to be prepared with 'pack covers', stopped to pull out colorful nylon watertight covers that look like oversized shower caps, edged with elastic or drawstrings they could use to cover up their backpacks so all their belongings would not get wet.
I'm sure I have heard about this clever little invention, but I was so involved in trying to figure out what to take vs. what not to take, it never occurred to me to add 'pack cover' to my list of necessities. I had been pondering for days, trying to think of everything that might be remotely useful, then reversing my thought patterns: eliminating everything that was not essential. I had these two plastic ponchos, made of out material that is nearly as light as dry-cleaning bags, but effective, covering enough to keep everything above the knees dry. Folded up to fit in a sandwich size bag, practically weightless. Yeah, take 'em. Smart move.
We stopped under trees while they dug out pack covers and rooted around for waterproof jackets. I whipped my see-through, light-as-air poncho out, put my pack back on and covered myself. Good idea: but my shoes got soaked, my socks were mushy, my feet were cold and clammy. Fortunately, I had made the take-it or not choice to haul a second pair of shoes up the mountain. So when we got to the top, I had dry socks and shoes to put on. Along with a sweatshirt and long p.j. pants to sleep in, when they warned me it would probably be much cooler up there when the sun went down, at an altitude of over 6000 feet. We were sleeping under wool blankets.
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