[at-l] Trip Report - long

[KarenS62@aol.com]

A while back I said the reason I carry a c*** p**** while going on short 
hikes is because of the ride to and from the trail head. While I didn't 
actually carry the phone on my weekend hike, I was really glad I brought it 
this weekend.  I had a tire blow out and shred on the trip north and got run 
off the road on the trip south (yes, I'm okay although a bit sore tonight). 
To say I was glad I had it would be an understatement. Next hike, I'm not 
driving - my brother is coming here!

That said, there will be a 'next hike'.  My brother and I were dropped off by 
my sister-in-law and nephews north of Thunder Hill shelter late Saturday 
afternoon. Brian and I had decided to hike 16 miles in what was essentially 
two days of hiking since we would be picked up at 1pm on Saturday.  My 11 yr. 
old nephew and I went to scout out the white blazes. When we found one,  I 
explained that if you followed them "that way" they went all the way to 
Georgia and if you followed them "that way" they went to Maine.  I then told 
him that Datto (who he had met a few weeks ago) was hiking all the way from 
Georgia to Maine this summer. Lee looked at me and said, "Wow, what a great 
way to travel."  My brother is doing something right with that kid. 

Brian and I headed south, stopping for a photo op at Guillotine Rock and then 
again at Thunder Hill shelter for a snack and water refill at the 
well-running spring. Coming over Apple Orchard Mountain, it was clear and we 
could see for miles. A nice breeze was blowing and made it a nice day to be 
hanging out on the rocks looking at the world below us. 

After admiring the view we headed down the trail and a few minutes later saw 
a thruhiker hiking up the trail - lo and behold, it was my buddy Jorge 
(E.G.H.M.) !  What a great pleasure to see him. I had forgotten to bring any 
special treats so I just emptied my snack bag into his hands and offered him 
some wine. He refused the wine, but accepted the snack graciously. After a 
long talk and an update on everyone we could think of on the trail, he headed 
north for another eight miles before dark and we headed south again. 

Brian and I started singing the stupid songs our dad sang to us when we were 
little. Our normal reaction was always to ask Dad to turn up the radio but 
now there was no radio - sheer torture. I think we were both happy to see the 
shelter with some really nice campsites. After a system failure of the 
Whisperlight he insisted we bring, I pulled out my Esbit tabs, constructed a 
platform out of rocks and promptly cooked out dinner. I love Esbit. A quick 
dinner and off to bed we went.

The next morning dawned dry and clear with no dew to dampen our gear. We set 
off on our 5 mile hike to the next shelter, taking time along the way to 
harvest the plentiful blueberries and to count the snails - escargot anyone? 
We ate so many berries, the gorp pretty much went untouched. A few hundred 
yards before reaching the shelter, we spotted a raspberry bush with a bunch 
of plump red berries. Off came the packs and we gorged.  

We arrived at Bryant Ridge Shelter at about 1 - what a gorgeous place! All 
that was needed was a rocking chair on the porch and I would have moved right 
in!  As we were sitting enjoying the view, thru-hiker June Bug showed up. 
Having done her "almost 13" miles for the day, she decided to stay for the 
night as well.  I wonder if the promise of a wine and cheese party persuaded 
her? After chatting with a couple out for the weekend, it was nap time! 
Apparently I had forgotten to inform Brian that the Thermarest Lite needs a 
bit of extra inflation after you open the valve and he pretty much 'slept' 
without a pad the night before. While I read, he snored. Now I remember why 
we were carrying separate tents.

Waking fully refreshed, we gathered wood, then settled down in front of a 
nice fire for the wine, cheese and salami Brian had carried for the past day 
and a half. JuneBug enjoyed the refreshments as only a thruhiker can. On her 
part, she entertained us with her stories of life in western Tennessee. What 
a really neat and fun woman. The fact that she is 61 and embarking on this 
journey seemed to make the biggest impression on Brian. 

About 7am, I woke to find the couple from the day before eating breakfast in 
the shelter - where the heck did they come from? Turned out they were woken 
at 2am by a low pitched growling and scratching around the tent.  The hole 
they had dug and filled in after emptying waste water had been dug up by 
"something". Neither of them slept for the rest of the night and packed up at 
the first sign of light after stopping to check out the good sized prints 
around the tent. 

We had a fun breakfast reliving their night - I think they were just happy to 
find someone to share the story with!  They left for their truck and we 
packed up leisurely knowing we had only a few miles left of our short 
adventure. At the top of Fork Mountain, we found our new friends and enjoyed 
a short break and some more laughs. A quick walk down to the bottom of the 
mountain to a wonderful creek with a perfect swimming hole. After our friends 
arrived, I decided a swim was required. It was wonderful! It was cool, it was 
 refreshing and after changing into 'clean' clothes, I felt I could actually 
sit in a car for the ride home. Our ride arrived right on time and we went 
home for showers and lunch!

A truly fun weekend. The miles weren't huge, but that wasn't the point of 
this weekend. It was just nice to find that siblings can relate as adults, 
but that some of the fun routines come back.  "I'm an old 
cowhaaand........from Ethiopia"  (I told you Dad sings weird songs.)

POG
Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower.
                                         Shigenori Kameoka

                                                              
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