[at-l] Ready's Journal June 26 Tuesday TD 21

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley)]

And now fpr some traditional AT-L fare..........

Ready's Rights <g>

It was up and into a real kitchen at Ironmaster's hostel. I prepared
  "Eggs in a hole," a favorite of mine, traditional breakfast for trailwork
projects. I also enjoyed a cup of brewed coffee. Delicious.
Spur took care of making travel arrangements for his daughter,
Molly, who'd be joining us on the trail around the 10th of July.
After chatting with Shawn, the shelter manager, we were off hiking. It was 
9:20.
They were easy miles due to the even and level terrain. It was less
humid, but hotter than the previus day. There were plenty of cool
breezes to punctuate the heat.
We encountered a unique rock pile. The boulders were huge and
  piled high. It was hand over hand climbing. At one spot I found myself
needing to hoist myself up to the top of a rock well above my head.
In my first attempt to climb, I'd found that I hadn't used enough leg power.
Determined, I placed my poles on top of the boulder I was climbing
so I could use my hands for a better grip.
I powered my legs to raise me up then engaged all the strength
  I had in my upper body to hoist me the remaining distance to
the top of the huge boulder. Spur ws busy photographing this maneuver,
no doubt for "blackmailing" purposes sometime down the line, I suspected.
As I cleared the boulder, one knee resting on top of it; I pulled my
other knee all the way up and attempted to stand. It was then that I saw 
the 4-footlong snake.
"Eeek!" - but then I realized it was only a black snake, not a rattler or 
copperhead.
"Eek!" I realized that it was nevertheless only about one and a half feet 
away from my face.
"Eek!" I jumped to my feet and realized that there was nowhere on
this now seemingly tiny bouldertop to move in order to give the snake
more room. There was only a millimeter between the edge of the boulder
top on which I was standing and the sheer dropoff.
The snake was totally unperturbed by any of this. It simply continued
its slow progress across the boulder. Reassured that this escapade
was going to end well, I tried to get Spur's attention. He was standing
behind me, below the boulder, laughing!
 From his vantage point, he could see no snake. He apparently thought
my little shrieks had been about his photographing my ungainly climb.
When he did finally see the snake, h was quick to ascend and take
photos of it What a marvelous experience!
We encountered a lengthy sidecut trail, and commented on how
infrequently we get to experience this pleasure. It was also amazingly
quiet along this ridge - an almost deaf-like silence that somehow makes
you feel an like integral part of the environs.