[at-l] Hike Report DWG->HR Day 3

[orangebug74@yahoo.com (Orange Bug)]

Monday April 29

After no help finding a shuttle or a taxi from the motel manager or the
Yellow House Deli across the street, I tried hitching up to the gap. I
walked a few hundred yards and was picked up by a hiker wannabe. He saw
my stop in the gap before I did, remembering numerous backpackers in
the area.

Worthington's Bakery was closed and there was no handle on the spigot.
I knocked on his home door and irritated him, but he got me a liter
from the store. He has a new well and not all is connected, such as the
spigot. He is still open only on weekends.

I saw police watching me from the AT parking lot. I can see why this is
an unpopular isolated lot near residences. The AT is on some valuable
property, and the parking lot creates some hazards for the locals. 

It is windy and cold but clear today. As I recheck gear and sign the
register at the firetower, a big red fire truck arrives and two guys
headed up the tower. With the wind, there was no chance to talk. I see
a "Dot.Com" trail name has signed in ahead of me. I do not recall the
name as it violated all trail name rules: too many syllables and no
easy connection to a hiker quality.

Cloudy and windy as the day progresses, but a good walk. The woods are
wet with few other boot prints. I passed up Glen Anderson Shelter and
stopped after 2PM at Mashipacong Shelter. This place has a solar
powered, handicapped accessible, composting privy! I decided to nap
about and hour and try for Rutherford Shelter after a memorable visit
to this fabulous privy.

The "Dot.Com" guy walks up and awakens me. He is on a leisurely stroll.
I passed on Glen Anderson but he had visited it and enjoyed a long
lunch. He is to meet friends May 1st at High Point and has no time
pressure. We chatted, and I repacked and left as the wind began to
abate.

There is no water pump or "elephants" at Deckertown Turnpike, but
plenty of streams running. The three miles to Rutherford Shelter are
fast. I finish my dried mangoes along the way, knowing that these were
something that I will have to include on future hikes. The rock climbs
are fun on this section. 

The Iris trail is obviously an old AT. PapaBear took it and never found
the shelter a couple of weeks ago. I stay on trail and find a blue
blaze trail down an escarpment. The recent rains have washed away the
dirt that had been a tread. It is very short to the shelter, much
shorter than the 0.4 miles the guide advises. There is good water, but
no privy. There is a huge pile of bear scat in front of the bear box
(the box is a place to store food safe from animals, and scat is a four
letter word). 

Another hiker, Longhorn, is here in shelter preparing a fire after he
ate. He is warming up for a walk or "pilgrimage" in Spain in a few
weeks. He is a retired journalist who travels world wide in search of
trails and stories, shaking out New Zealand sand from his sleeping bag.
He is just up from High Point and walking down to Culver Gap tomorrow.
He named his friend (going NOBO) "Mad Max" only to meet another NOBO
MadMax with a couple of older guys. Coincidence? Longhorn's friend is
training similarly with a brief walk. 

The fire is good. I tent to dry out some more, and understand there
will be a clear day in the AM.

This was a short 11 1/2 miles.

There was a brief snow flurry as I bedded down.

OrangeBug




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