[at-l] pittsburgh 700am 03/29/02

[hike-usa@pocketmail.com (hike-usa@pocketmail.com)]

pittsburgh 700am 03/29/02

it is friday.  today is a zero day.  the last two days were spent hiking northbound from rockfish gap.  wednesday was not a good day.  i had not gotten much sleep the night before, in the motel.  i had a headache.  it was one of those days.  i trudged along, and was cussing everything.  one thing went rght - the two springs near jarman gap are running - so i was able to fill up.  i had been conserving water just in case.  then another thing went right - about 1.3 miles north of jarman gap, atop an anonymous peak, i found a wonderful campsite...

others had camped there before, and i could see why.  the trail formed a small horseshoe around a rock strewn summit.  next to the summit is a small clearing with flat land.  ah, home for the night.  i pulled out my tent and ground cloth, found them to be damp, and laid them out to dry under the still blazing sun.  meanwhile, i investigated a couple of rock outcroppings that offered views to the east.  the first offered no place to sit.  while standing on the second, i heard a low growl below me.  i peered over the edge and saw a buzzard pacing along a small flat area in front of an indentaion into the rocks.  i guessed it was protecting a nest...

i opted to sit on a rock that was at the apex of the summit. this spot offered views east and west.  after soaking up the beauty of my new home, i pitched my tent and crawled in.  my headache had never gone away, so i was happy the day was done, and that i was resting.  the temps dropped significantly overnight...

thursday i was to hike north until meeting dr. dick, who would be hiking south, then we would hike north together to his truck, then he would run me to rockfish gap, where my vehicle was parked.  i got an early (for me) start, and enjoyed some fairly sedate trail.  my headache was still with me, and now my nose was running, and i had a phlemy cough.  i had tried to medicate away my headache overnight, so my stomach was in some distress also.  but, i was having a good day...

i rested occasionallly, one time just shy of the riprap parking area.  when i got going again, i hiked maybe 100 steps, and there was dr. dick.  he had hiked south to the parking area, and had decided that this was his turn around point.  he had been waiting there for a while.  so i took another break, eating some lunch, and yakking...

dr. dick and i have different hiking speeds.  he is much quicker.  we decided to meet about three miles up, and headed out seperately.  i had indicated that trudy (the schnauzer), and her humans (cesar and maud) may be in the area, and it would be nice to bump into them...

the trail became a washboard - up and down and up and down.  after a couple of miles, this got the better of me, and i rested.  about 200 steps after i got going again, there was dr. dick, trudy, cesar and maud.  a pattern of resting just short of bumping into people iritating.  anyway, we had nice visit, then moved off in our respective directions...

i was fatigued, and decided that i could not make the last couple of miles to dr. dicks truck.  he left me at blacrock gap - where i caught a nice nap atop a picnic table - and hiked on to get his truck.  he and his truck showed up in due time, and we headed for rockfish gap.  he recounted a bear sighting near the park a few days earlier.  i guess i need to sart bear bagging<g>...

i'm at the comfort inn in waynesboro, and i'm not feeling well.  the headache has never left, and i couldn't sleep last night.  it is one of those crappy situations wer all you want to do is get better and get on with your life.  if i was in a work-a-day situation, i'd be taking a sick day.  so, i'm going to have a good breakfasrt, read the usa today newspaper, watch some golf on tv, and get some sleep if i can...

i'd rather be hiking...

pittsburgh

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