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| They get a lot of rain in Ireland. I knew that going in... |
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| And overall I know I've been lucky that it hasn't been worse... |
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| But after another evening of walking in the chilly rain and camping on wet dirt, which stuck to everything it touched, I was starting to feel rain fatigue. |
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| The next morning, my route merged with the International Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Mountains are an ancient mountain range that actually formed during the time of the super-continent, Pangaea. This means that technically, the Appalachian Mountain range continues in Northern Ireland, so the International Appalachian Trail has recently been extended across the pond. I searched everywhere for a white blaze, but unfortunately, that doesn't mark the trail here. |
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| When I got to the northern coast, I could feel that rain was about to fall, so I started looking for camp, but I was being too picky. I wanted to find a perfect spot, so rather than being warm and dry in my tent, I found myself walking in a downpour with strong wind sucking the warmth out of my body. I tried to find some shelter in the trees, but I ended up in a bog, which is not unlike walking on a giant wet sponge. Finally, I saw an opening in a thick patch of trees near the road. |
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| Inside was a dark tunnel. The trees were so thick that light could barely get through, let alone drops of rain. I found my home for the night. I pulled off my rain hood and put on my headlamp. |
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| When a dark creepy tunnel full of spiders makes you smile like you've just discovering some wonderful secret hideaway, you know you are not living a normal life. |
