Sleeping in the shelter was nice. There was a curtain-type thing to block the entrance and that, surprisingly, kept the cold wind out. Critters didn’t find their way inside either, at least none big enough to wake me or chew on my gear. It was still a bit cold overall and I used my emergency blanket for some additional warmth. This had the unfortunate side effect of collecting moisture though and caused my quilt to retain moisture. I’ll need to dry it out at some point today.

The cold last night was relentless and I slept in my thermals, socks, and a fleece sleeping bag liner. The wind also picked up at some point, in which I took a mental note to position my tent better to block wind from the coast, which only increased the chilliness. I woke up at 5am to the sound of hundreds of birds! It was a beautiful, magical thing to wake up to and made suffering through the cold worth it. Fort Stevens park is packed with old trees and these birds remained hidden in the canopy, though they echoed throughout the park.