The Long Trail: Day 17 : Part 1 : 10/7/20 . It sprinkled through the night but we woke up to sunshine and a dry tent interior. After coffee and oatmeal we were ready to hike. The tentative plan was to hike to the next shelter and assess the weather. Avoiding being soaking wet by taking advantage of the fancy Long Trail shelters was high on our list of plans for the day. . The rain had just started when we arrived at Corliss Camp. We weren’t the only ones using the primitive cabin to seek refuge from the elements. We spent the next couple of hours talking with other thru hikers. It felt good to connect with actual human people, something we’d done very little of on this trail to this point. . The good conversation left me feeling rejuvenated and ready to keep hiking even if the weather turned sour. Sometimes it just takes a little hiker camaraderie to tip the scales of my perspective. Now, hiking in the rain sounded like fun instead of a miserable burden. . We laughed our way through the next 7 miles to the Spruce Ledge Camp battling giant puddles and bouts of intermittent downpour. We made it to the shelter a little before 5 pm and I even talked Dave into staying inside. He’s usually not one for communal sleeping arrangements but it was supposed to rain significantly through the night. . The other hikers were the perfect blend of eclectic, affectionately rude and sarcastic. We would fit in just fine. We enjoyed the evening eating, talking, laughing and trading teas like Pokémon cards. Swapping stories with people who value the same things we do was just what my heart needed. I went to bed listening to the wind howl and rain pitter patter on the roof over head. I was dry and warm and had never been happier to spend a night in a rustic cabin with Dave and three perfect strangers.