Testing Gear.

I don't know what it is about cold rainy weather, it always seems to make me want to sleep. But just like riding a bike, or doing anything else outside on horrific days like we had this past weekend, once you get your foot out the door, your just fine. A quick look into a closet with expensive gear that sees little use and my conscious was getting the best of me.
It takes a bit of work to stay warm on those days,...zipping, unzipping,...hat on, hat off,...jacket wrapped around waste going up and thrown back on for the descents,.. but with a non pressured pace, it was actually pretty comfortable out there.
The hike was really cool, an intricate system of shelves with either scree or tall outcrops for walls and barely seen ramps of deep green moss that secretly take you up or down a level. But then there were some steep Virginia like gullies cutting straight through the contours and down the mountain. I haven't really see anything like this in Michaux before and combined with the fall colors of orange and yellow, it made for a pretty spectacular site. But then there was a bit of a saddle, sitting right between two knobs of scree and nasty grades on all sides,.. a huge playing field of old (at least older) growth hardwoods with minimal under story, and believe it or not, smooth terrain, softened with a centuries worth of fall foliage. Amazing.
Back at the car, hours later, soak and wet, no matter how expensive the gear. The fire was warmer, the beer tasted better then ever, and shoulders lifted and weightless.