As I entered my tent to go to bed, noticed that the air mattress had deflated. Looked around for the air pump and it was dead. Oh well...will not be the first time that I sleep on a flatten air mattress. As you know I suffer from insomnia so I laid there for what seemed like hours until I finally fell asleep.
Looked at my watch and it was 6:00 a.m. but since the time changed tonight it was really 5:00 a.m. Heard the guys breaking camp and then the rain drops ceased. I went back to sleep knowing I had dodged a bullet.
Two hours later woke up again to the sound of rain drops that quickly turned into a full fledged shower. It was 7:00 a.m. or a little after and it was still dark. Heard people all around me breaking camp. I thought to myself...why oh why did I not listen to my gut feeling?
It kept on raining and water was beginning to sip in through the back window and front door...worthless mesh tent!!! I started packing up the stuff that I had inside as I mopped up the water with a towel. This continued for several hours as I waited for a lull so I could put my things in the car and then break camp.
That lull never came and I was beginning to get concerned because from reading accounts from several area blogs...I knew I could get stuck and never make it up the hill to exit CASI. If I did make it, there is a wash on the way to Study Butte that can easily flood the highway and there had already been flooding earlier in the week and it had not rained as hard as it was raining now.
Finally it ceased raining and a rainbow could be seen...then a double rainbow. Too bad my cheap camera could not capture it in its true glory.
Nothing went back in the car the way it came. I am so glad I did not bring half the things I usually bring or we would have had a problem. As I entered the tent to retrieve my things I dragged in tons of mud. Then it started raining again!!!
I was wearing a white sweat shirt that by the time I broke camp looked brown. My jacket luckily had a hood on it and it was totally drenched which in turn soaked my jeans. I was a soggy and dirty mess. I wanted to change but couldn't as my clothes were deep in the trunk and I had placed my shower as well as that cheap tent in big black trash bags hoping they did not break and spill it muddy waters.
As soon as I got in the car I turned on the heater on high hoping to keep from getting sick and hauled it out of there. Was hoping to stop and visit with area bloggers but not in the sorry state I was in...sorry guys :-(
It rained almost all the way home. I stopped at the Pecos River bridge rest area to dump the water from my tarps which unbelievably did not rupture as well as from the black bags. One thing I forgot to mention as a tip for future chili-heads...bring large strong garbage bags to throw in your wet camping gear.
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
I don't figure it rains all that often out there, but you had to be breaking camp on one of the few days that it does. If it wasn't for bad luck, you would have no luck at all, to steal a phrase from Hee-Haw.
ReplyDelete"If it wasn't for bad luck, you would have no luck at all"
DeleteSo true Dizzy :-(
Nothing worse than a flat mattress.
DeleteScott from WanderWheels
Hi Scott! What a nice surprise to read you in my blog :)
DeleteThought about Sarah and you on my way back home as I encountered a lot of cyclist from Alpine up to the Pecos River bridge. They too were wet and traveling in less than favorable conditions.
Take care guys and thank you for dropping by.