At about 7:30, the winds and rains kicked in and I spent the next 14 hours in soaking misery. My 'waterproof and breathable' bivysack was neither, though it had performed a remarkable service of keeping water in once it had seeped through the fabric. It was like spending 14 hours in a warm bathtub.

With pruny hands, I snatched up my gear in the early morning and moved to the lighthouse's visitor's center, where I hung them up to dry. I spent the day playing with rope, staring at birds, and waited with barely controlled impatience.

Finally, in the afternoon, the storm blew itself out, and my gear dried.