Hailstorm Maelstrom

Day 53 8/4

Mileage 23

Camped by Thielsen Creek

What an exciting day today turned out to be! It began like the previous day, very Oregon-like. Trees, not as much dust, fortunately, some views of more trees. We saw an enormous group of Nobos, maybe a dozen, and had lunch with them. We reached the Oregon/WA "high point", which I'm pretty sure is lower than Goat Rocks. We had about a mile or so left before camp when the thunder that had been rumbling in the distance all day came a lot closer. We got a couple drops of rain, which stopped soon after it started. Then, a hailstone. Not a big one. Maybe a small pea. Then another couple hailstones, a little bigger. Before long, we were in a maelstrom of a hailstorm with marble-sized hail giving us welts all over, as if it were being launched down out of the sky at us, rather than simply falling. The ground was white within minutes. It was awesome. The sombrero, it turns out, is perfect hail attire. Who knew? The storm has abated now, and we are left with distant thunder to remind us that Mother Nature could still kick the tar out of us if she wanted to.

Yes, it really is this orange. hashtagnofilter.