A year ago last Thursday had me and Groovin' Moose sayin' goodbye and
good luck to
Pilot. She headed north on what had to be an incredible journey. He
and I headed to Trimpi Shelter. We hiked for quite a while after dark that
night. There is a section of Trail that crosses a pasture (possibly having
an old bus or something in it). Very difficult to navigate a pasture after
dark. Blazes on distant fence posts are hard to spot with a Petzl beam.
That night, in the shelter, we were forced to be part of what we assume
was a coon hunt. We were in bed listening to the barking of a bunch of
coon dogs off in the distance. Slowly, ever-so-slowly, the distance became
less and less. The shelter was crawling with coon-type dogs. There were
6 or 8 dogs sniffing around us and such. It was kinda funny, and scary
at the same time. Fortunately, I speak a bit of coon dog. We got things
worked out and they left. I still have to send 'em a Christmas card, though.
The next day we headed to Thomas Knob. This was a wee bit eerie because of the stuff that had happened in my 'fiction' story. Kinda cool to see it again, though. I had a first happen at Wise shelter: I believe it was the first time I had ever left a shelter at dark, heading for the next shelter. It was a little after 5 when I got there. A quick trip for water and a few handfuls of M's and I was on my way. It was dark as I crossed Massie Gap and Rhodi Gap. It was snowing lightly and cold and windy. The countryside was dotted with little spots of light. It was really cool. I heard ponies, but only saw the one I walked into. When I got to Thomas Knob, I was thrilled to see Sundown again. He stayed down low and The Kid and I slept up top. (Who was that that came in through the night? And, why did he leave at 2:30?)
The next day we hiked to Damascus. This would turn out to be my biggest mileage day. 28. This day would also have my favorite animal sighting. "The Staredown at Dusk", starring Felix J. McGillicuddy as Felix. Bob Cat as the lovable bobcat. George Kennedy as Rex. Anyway, right as I got to the stream crossing near the Hwy 58 crossing, I had me a little 30 second staredown with my favorite animal (female humyns excluded) (well, some female humyns.) . That was a big adrenaline boost for the last 5 dark-time miles to town. I smoked a cigar as I walked along the river into town. I think it was a cigar.
We spent the night at the Place and had dinner at the restaurant on the highway. That's not Quincey's, is it? I had pizza with Tangent Man, Lucky Luke, Calamity Jane, Sundown, Groovin' Moose and a couple of section hikers that I can't remember the names of. The next morning, I bought a new shirt. This was the last time I would see Tangent Man and Oxymoron (and their K9s). Sundown bought a new tent. We left town around noon. Sundown struggled up the hill with the added weight of the new tent. When I got to the stateline sign, it started pouring. It rained hard from then to the shelter, and through the night. Sundown got to the shelter about an hour and a half after I did. I really felt sorry for him, but he pulls in just as cheery as ever. I loved that. That night was the last time our little group was together as such. Around 5 o'clock in the morning, I looked out of the shelter and saw a guy (?) walk past the shleter, with a pack on, heading toward town. It was still pouring and foggy and miserable out. I couldn't believe it. Lucky Luke says "Did you see that?" That was the only time we ever saw any sign of the guy. I'd love to know what he was doing. Or where he was coming from/going to.
That brings us to a year ago today. I hiked from Abingdon Gap to Iron
Mtn. At some point through the day, I was forced to the ground out of fear.
I was hiking along with my headphones on when all of the sudden BOOM!!!
There was a group of people (Men, womyn, chyldryn) not 30 yards from me
over a little levee-type berm. I hadn't heard or seen them. They were shooting
shotguns at something. Scared the shit out me. (Yes, I said shit.) First
shot and I hit the ground and covered my head. When I figgered out what
it was, I motored on out of there. (Not literally, I had no motor). They
never saw me. I never saw Sundown again. It rained ALL day. Was a pretty
miserable day. Sundown stopped at Double Spring that night. Groovin' Moose
(The Kid), Lucky Luke and Calamity Jane spent the night with me at Iron
Mtn. Life was good. (Hey, this is almost like a journal)
--
Felix Navidad
ME-->GA 98
"Your Move"
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/