As I approached Augusta, the skies looked ugly, and the standing water on the road indicated that it had JUST been raining, rather hard. This was around 7:30pm, when the earlier forecasts suggested that we’d be done with the rain. In a sense it was good that I’d waited as long as I did to get started, and that I “wasted” time with my stops along the way (as if such a thing were possible). A small storm system that I’d been warily watching slide down from the northeast… didn’t miss Fort Custer after all.
The conversation with the attendant at Fort Custer was not the same as at Yankee Springs. He phoned his boss, who figured they should sell me the same sticker they sell to registered motorcyclists. Which is only $5 and good for entry (but not camping) at any state park or rec area. So that’ll settle the question at the parks up ahead.
My timing for arrival was actually not so good, because the rain was still lingering. If I’d gotten there earlier, I could’ve set up the tent in peace. If I’d gotten there later, after the rain had fully stopped, the same thing would be true. Setting up the tent in the rain is tricky. As soon as you unpack it, it becomes vulnerable to getting wet. It’s only weatherproof when it’s fully set up. Fortunately the rain at that point was light, so I managed it.
One thing that didn’t help is that my main tent pole has lost its spring. One of the great technological innovations of the latter 20th century was the Collapsible Spring-Loaded Tent Pole. They fold up into little segments but then practically assemble themselves, thanks to a bungee cord down the middle. This one doesn’t do that anymore. It still works as a pole, but it’s not as easy to throw together. This, people, is why you always check your gear before every trip. :/
The same kind of paranoia also applies to setting up camp: if there’s any chance of rain at all, you stow everything assuming it will rain. And realistically, with a shady site that’s been poured on, it will continue to drip on you all night.
The next order of business (since I was running pretty late in the day) was supper. Fort Custer is right outside of Augusta, so it was a short ride into town, where I found the Barking Frog Bar & Grill. I always give preference to local establishments, and a beer with dinner sounded appealing. Unfortunately it turns out that the grill was shut down, but the fryer was working, so I ordered deep-fried shrimp and onion rings with a glass of Rolling Rock. Not the healthiest meal, but it came with a side of apple sauce. 🙂 And it provided a dry place to sit as the sun set, rather than my choice of a rain-soaked and mosquito-swarmed picnic table, or the interior of a tiny tent back at the campground. Exploring Fort Custer itself will wait for the morning.
