I got there around 10:15. I went inside and ordered a couple dollar menu items. I sat inside and focused on getting my journals done. It was freezing cold inside. I was so cold I went outside to my cart and grabbed my jacket. I usually leave my cart right outside the window where I sit.
The weather was 30% chance of rain all day and it was only about 90 degrees out. After a few triple digit days that was nice. So I stayed there until about 3pm. Then I was all caught up. I went in the bathroom and washed up a little. And then was ready and hit the road. It hadn't rained all day so I figured I would just go for it.
I started walking northwest on the 287. It was perfect temperature. The breeze felt good too. Just about a mile in the breeze suddenly got cool. Then all of a sudden it started sprinkling and the wind picked up. I pulled off at a rest stop ahead and that was the only thing around.
I sat there a while and waited for the weather to pass. It cleared up a little and I continued walking down the highway. I walked about 2 miles when I could see a cloud north of me coming my way that was raining down. It was one of those clouds that you could see the downpour.
It was moving fast and all I saw ahead in sight for cover was an exit where there was a bridge under the highway. So I picked up the pace to made it there as soon as I could. The cloud was coming faster than I could get to the exit.
So It started raining again. It was getting heavier and heavier. I finally made it to the exit and it was pouring! I ran from the exit all the way off and under the bridge. When I made it there my stuff was pretty wet but no damage was done.
I put my cart under the bridge and behind a column. But the wind was pushing the rain right under the bridge. So I took my tarp out and covered my cart. Then I walked up to the top of the cement incline and sat right under the bridge bottom. I sat there and watched the storm. The rain was possible through the night and I was starting to think I might have to stay there. If I left from the bridge I might get caught in the open in the rain. So I was thinking with the amount of daylight left, and the weather, I would have to stay there.
So I laid down on the sloped concrete under the bridge. I ended up napping a little there before the sun went down. When I woke up it was still raining so I made the decision to stay there. The exit was very slow and only a few cars came by there, so I thought it might be ok.
I put my sleeping bag out on a concrete slope right next to the road. It was the flattest spot that was out of the rain. I laid down and after a few minutes felt the cool wind that was stronger down on the ground compared to up under the bridge where I napped. So I put on my jacket and used a small towel as a pillow.
So the night was very rough. I was extremely uncomfortable and every car passing on the highway above (on the bridge) made a loud noise that would keep me awake. And every big rig was that much louder and shook the ground I was laying on. And about 5 or 6 cars passed through the night on the road that was about 10 feet away from me. I was worried I would get the cops called on me by someone driving by. But I lucked out.
So through the night I had a combined maybe 1 hour of sleep and don't think I was ever fully asleep. It was very tough. My hips hurt, my knees hurt, and my shoulder and head also throbbed.
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