A Living Magazine - Day 293 - Homecoming - Ruther Glen to Ladysmith

The Ruther Glen sleep spot had worked out quite nicely. I had only three days to get to Fredericksburg before the rain set in again. I didn't see it as a huge rush, but I had to make sure to pace myself. I packed up and headed west along 207 back to Route 1, where I bought a sub at the Food Lion and a Krispy Kreme donut (something I'd never had before--pretty good). Then it was off for a relatively short walk to Ladysmith... 

By the time I made it to Ladysmith, the temperature was nose diving. I went to McDonald's to work and checked the weather forecast. It was due to sink well below freezing that night. This prospect didn't bother me. When it got close to sundown, I went out to search for a sleep spot.

At first I scouted one of the clover leafs of I-95, but it looked fairly exposed--I was unconvinced... There was a nice thick leave cover though--something I'd wish I'd stuck with later that night.

But I got greedy, and wanted to see if I could pick up the McDonald's Wi-Fi. So I went back across the street, slipped and slid down a large hill into the swampy area behind McDonalds. The ground was wet everywhere, and I underestimated just how much of that moisture would soak up through the tarp and tent floor.

I set up the tent and stood around on my blue tarp, to shield my legs from crawling critters. It probably wasn't an issue anyway since freezing temperatures set in quickly...

Eventually, I wasn't able to stand there without shivering, so I climbed into the tent. After pulling out the sleeping bag and slipping into it, I realized just how cold the wet leaves under me were going to be all night. And, checking for Wi-Fi, I got absolutely no signal. Wi-Fi is broadcast by line-of-sight, and I was well below that range. I'd made my "bed" in a crappy place, and now I literally had to sleep in it.

The ground was cold all night, and I would turn over from one side to allow it some warmth by being out of contact with the ground, then turn to the other side. I did discover the value of friction for heating, as I rubbed my legs, shoulders and feet furiously. Once warm, the inside of the sleeping bag would reflect that heat back. But, turning over again would mean repeating the process from scratch. It was uncomfortable, but I still slept most of the night.

Ladysmith Sleep Spot.