[at-l] 2 years...ago...today

well, I'm cuttin' and pastin' last year's 'year ago today'
and renaming it '2 years...ago...today'. Hope that is
alright. Everything is still true:  (I have a fiction
version of this somewhere, if you want it.)

Dec 4th, 1998 I hiked from Jenkins S. to Knot Maul S.
Jenkins was the
first night of the trip that I had stayed alone. The day was
pretty much

uneventful and I saw no other human. (None that I remember,
anyway). I
had forgotten how tough the climb to Chestnut Knob S. is. I
won't forget

next time, though. I'll also not forget hiking through the
open areas
south of CK, along the farmroad. I was using my ski-pole
hiking sticks
to play air-drums on "Smalltown" (Mellencamp), "Beautiful
Loser" (Seger)

and "Shook Me All Night Long" (AC/DC). I hope no one was
watching. I
remember the last few miles being very nice Rhododendron and
stream
filled. I got water under the huge new bridge. I got to the
shelter just

before sunset. That is where, and when, the strangest thing
of the hike
happened. Here it is:

I got as much stuff done as I could, wanting to use the last
of the
daylight. As the sun was sitting, I stood on top the picnic
table to get

a better view. The sky was brilliant orange and red and
incredible. I
could only see a small window through the Rhodies and trees,
and that
made
it even more beautiful. Then, I turned around to witness an
incredible
moon rise. If it wasn't full, it was within a day (one way
or the other.

I think it was full, though). So, I stood and watched the
moon climb
above its mountain hiding place. Really nice. THEN, it
happened. There
was this huge "Z" in the sky. It seemed to be a cloud-like
material
(gaseous?) It was between me and the moon. It was roughly
the same
heighth as the moon, and a long way away (from me). As the
moon rose,
the "Z" pretty much stayed the same place. I listened to AM
radio to
see if I could hear someone say what it was. Radio
promotion? Something.

I heard nothing. The next day I hiked in to Atkins. That is
where I met
Pilot. I asked her about the "Z". She had witnessed no "Z".
She thought
I was crazy (for a lot of reasons, including the "Z"). Now,
here is the
long-awaited kicker: I spoke to Pilot 6 months later. SHE
SAW THE "Z"!!!

Yep, she spent the night at Knot Maul on her way through
(several days
later. I'll 'splain this in a day or two). And, there it
was...the "Z".

Footnote: If anyone has any idea what the damned "Z" was,
I'll buy half
of your lunch for tellin' me.




--
Felix Navidad
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/



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To:            "Orange Bug" <orangebug74@yahoo.com>, <at-l@backcountry.net>