I just had to reply to your post on the 4C trail. Reading it was almost like reading about my own experience.
I have been getting into backpacking slowly having done a few 2 days trips around 20-30 miles each. I planned on doing the 4C in October of '06 as a three day trip in order to test myself for eventually tackeling the lone star trail. (A teenage dream of mine) Well I went and the forcast was for rain but I figured I might as well get used to it because that is part of backpacking. I hiked in and it began to drizzle within the 1st mile. I put on my rain gear by the 2nd mile and by the 4th mile it was a steady rain for the rest of the day. I hiked past the walnut creek shelter planning on going a few more miles. Well the rain got even harder, my shoes were soaked and I decided that sleeping under some sort of shelter was a good idea.
So I hiked back to the walnut creek shelter and set my tent up underneath it. My sleeping bag had gotten a little damp but all in all not to bad. But the RAIN pounding on the shelter was deafening all night long. I think a hurricaine must have gone through.
Well, anyways, the next day the rain was over but my shoes were still soaked and I was tired from lack of sleep and decided that I wanted to go back more then I wanted to go forward. On the way back I slipped on one of the bridges that was slippery from the rain and smacked my knee on the ground. It hurt for a month but at least I was still mobile. I was having 2nd thoughts about backpacking for a week or so but now have been planning for several months to go it again.
That trail is not going to defeat me. Actually in hindsight the trip served its purpose. I learned I needed better rain gear, the stuff I had was cheap wal-mart quality and I learned I needed some treking poles to help in areas like walking on slippery bridges. I am planning to go again in a few weeks so we will see what happens.