Date: 2003-06-21
From: Harper Creek Shelter

To: Paul Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: broken clouds

Five of us were up by 5.30 am and were on our way out of the shelter an hour later. There are two ways of getting to the next shelter from here - the official AT route up to Three Ridges Overlook which is slightly over 6 miles, and the Mau-Har-Trail which is more direct at 3.8 miles but much steeper and rugged. I chose the Mau-Har-Trail, the others the official route. It was a very fine morning, sunny but cold, perfect for hiking. I reached the Maupin Field Shelter at 8.45, about 20 minutes before "Two Speeds" marched in stark naked apart from a strategically placed bandana to the front. Today is the summer solstice which, by AT tradition, means that it is Hike Naked Day. He continued like this for much of the morning and certainly caught the attention of a number of southbound weekend hikers. Progress through the morning was good and around midday I was passing along Cedar Cliffs. Any number of points here gave outstanding views to the west and the Alleghenies. At one of these I met "Ladybug" who was settled in a rocky outcrop preparing her lunch. She was de-stoning an avocado as I arrived. I marvelled at the ingenuity and trouble she takes to create interesting meals, as I had at the shelter last night when she added fresh tomato, peppers and spices to enliven a pasta dish she was making. Most of us prepare the most   light-weight, easily made suppers, especially after five days of hiking and camping. The idea of preparing something with "ingredients" seems absurdly difficult and sophisticated. But "Ladybug" has inspired me to try harder than just reaching for the Mac'n'cheese and Ramen the next time I re-supply. Apart from the cliff views, there really has been little to look at today. There are very few flowers in this area, and you have to work harder to find your pleasures as we pound out the miles. For me, it's often the sound of a creek's cascading waters long before I am able to see them. This morning, in a gloomy section of woods, I looked up just as a single patch of sunlight broke through and transformed a small warefall in the creek up ahead into a score of shimmering, silver threads of water. Moments of magic like that make the pain and discomfort of the day's hike easier to bear.   And pain and discomfort there has certainly been today. In the afternoon, the terrain over Humpback Mountain was terrible. A succession of maybe a dozen boulder/rock paths that slow you to half normal speed, turn your ankles and hammer your feet. Tiring mentally too, because you plan and execute every step. You daren't look up. With each new boulder path, my mood worsened. At the end of the day, I apologised to "Foxie" who had been the main recipient of my grumpiness. Mercifully, we came clear of this tortuous path, and the last three miles to the Paul Wolfe Shelter were very easy. This is a very fine shelter, on two levels, with a large covered area at front for preparing food. The creek, thirty yards away at the bottom of the hill, is magnificent. I'm sleeping in the lower deck against a wall with a small window from which I can see the full moon tonight.