Day 26: The White's Part 6 (8/18/2014)

The weather man sure messed up the forecast recently.  Yesterday I never saw the sun like the forecast said.  Last night it poured all night with really strong winds and this morning was insane wind on Moosilauke.  I didn't get out of the tent until 8:45 am I just did not want to get in the cold wet rain.  Right before I got up I turned on my phone real quick to check the weather and I had a very long message from a friend of mine that I only got to look at for 5 seconds before my phone turned off.  I dont know why it did that I had 30-40 percent battery.  I dont know why my battery pack died either because it still had 50 percent charge.  In the 5 seconds I saw the message all I got out were a few words and it looked really bad.  Bad enough that I couldn't stop thinking about that persons situation.  I couldn't focus on hiking at all.  I went over Moosilauke in 80mph winds and looked like a drunk guy walking across the mile long exposed summit in the clouds.  That wind was really howling and it was blowing broadside to me so it just grabbed my pack like a sail.  Somewhere before I summited though (still below treeline) I dropped my smartwool beanie which is a really nice piece of gear so I thought it was gone forever.  On the way down Moosilauke it was really easy trail but I couldn't focus or even think about food since I was going to go through a town.  I twisted my right ankle twice, fell and broke one of my trekking poles, fell again and my left leg got caught on a root uphill while I went downhill which strained it bad, and just beatdown after beatdown.  All on easy terrain.  I was so distraught over what little of the message I had seen I couldn't focus on the trail and I really wanted to get to Glencliff to charge my phone and read the rest of the message.  I never stopped hiking except to add/remove layers... i just kept moving.  After all these beatdowns and with my left ankle swollen I decided to stay at the hikers welcome hostel here in Glencliff.  I only did 8 miles today but I need a day to recoup myself and heal my left ankle as well as charge my electronics.  I pitched my tent here for 15 bucks, did laundry, took a shower, and resupplied on food.  I cleaned/dried my gear after it had gotten covered in clay after my falls and the rain last night.  Overall it was worth the stop and i saw the sun for the first time in days this afternoon.  A SOBO that came here to the hostel after me found my beanie on the trail and gave it back to me.  I read the rest of my friends message and it ended up being a Praise God story although it started on a bad note so I was relieved to see that.  My left ankle is still swollen on the rear part under the Achilles tendon attachment so I will see how that goes.  Thank you to the mens fellowship group on palm island for keeping me on your email list.  I have been praying for those of y'all undergoing health problems this summer and I hope you guys stay safe .  Thanks to everybody praying for me and for the comments you make on my blog i really enjoy reading them.