Cameron Loop,  Olympic National Park,  Sep 11, 2006 - Sep 14, 2006     page 67 / 76

I fell asleep quickly, but awoke around 11:30 PM to the sound of rain on the tarp. The shower was brief, perhaps lasting fifteen minutes. A few others came, too. One began sometime after midnight, but the sound was different. This was not just rain. I turned on the flashlight and peered out from my sleeping bag to find the precipitation was mixed rain and ice pellets. They were small pellets, no more than 2 mm in diameter. This shower lasted for a half hour or so. A few other light showers came and went, with the last of them ending around 2:30 AM. As I lay there, trying to go back to sleep, I was relieved that I had not spent the night in the pass. I would have been miserable up there! I slept poorly the rest of the night. I rose before dawn. The clouds were still present, but there was no rain. I gathered my gear and made a quick breakfast. I suspected more showers were on their way and preferred not to hike in them. I hit the trail by sunrise, but not before checking the hillsides. I found a fresh layer of snow (or perhaps ice pellets). My choice to camp in the basin was reaffirmed.