Date: 2018-07-07
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Seeley-Woolworth
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We were up at 5:30 this morning and hit the trail by 7am.  It was a glorious morning!  Cooler than yesterday, and no humidity!  A perfect day for hiking right?!?Wrong!  Our hike started UP.  It went up and up and up for 3 hours.  I was dragging the entire way.  Eventually I did reach the summit of Bald Knob at 4045 ft elevation. I was the last one there.  Actually I was the last one everywhere today.  The view was nice from the top though, and it turned out that Bald Knob wasn¢t a bald at all!  I really just wasn¢t feeling it today.  At one point I texted Papa Big Swig and told him I¢m getting off at Harpers Ferry.  I don¢t really think it was the climb that got to me.  Maybe the climb plus my nearly 40 pound pack.  I don¢t know exactly why, but I struggled today.  Mentally far more than physically.  I decided to focus on my dad.  After all he¢s the reason I¢m out here.  As a child I spent a lot of time with him in the woods.  He was a hunter, and he took me with him often. I have such great memories of hunting with my childhood bestie, Rose. She and I would both go hunting with dad quite a bit. We always had a good time, and we are still friends to this day.  We all had agreed to meet up at the next shelter for lunch.  When I finally caught up with Hugs and Big Kahuna they were sitting at the top of the blue blaze leading to the shelter. It was 0.5 miles down, and of course 0.5 miles back. I really needed water and the privy, so I dropped pack and made my way down. This turned into an extra mile that I don¢t get credit for today.  Hugs and Big Kahuna left ahead of me.  I grabbed a snack and started out again. My pack is heavy right now.  I have a full supply of food.  I¢m guessing with two liters of water on board it probably weighs close to 40 pounds.  I sat down again about 1/4 mile up the trail.  I have not had a day like this since Georgia.  Once I made myself get moving I saw another nice view, and shortly after that I came out of the woods onto a bald.  A real bald! The sun was shining and the views were amazing!  There were a couple of balds and as I walked on I could see one had a beautiful field of Morning Glory¢s.  That¢s today¢s photo.  Because it¢s a weekend there were lots of locals today.  Two ladies talked with me about thru-hiking and made me feel like I was a celebrity!  My mood significantly improved for the moment.  Still no energy, but I had a smile on my face. Coming down off the balds I caught up with my tramily.  They were getting water and sitting for a few minutes.  By the time I sat down they were ready to hit the trail again. I sat there alone for a few minutes. Sitting alone has its perks.  A little red breasted bird(not a robin) landed very close beside me and started chirping up a storm.  It was so cute!  I got a photo and hope to figure out what kind it is. I had to say goodbye to my new little friend if I was ever going to finish my day.  About two miles later I caught my tramily again. They were at a Gap so I joined them. We all sat down for a snack. I had salmon. Believe it or not, I was the first one up and out of there.  As I was leaving Big Kahuna said ¢ you know where we are?¢  I said where?  He said at a Gap...and GapIs short for UP! True words! I started UP.  Not far up the trail one of those red birds I had seen back in Atkins flew in front of me again.  I wish I knew what they were too.  They¢re a brilliant red color. They may have other colors on them, I don¢t know. They fly so quickly I have never gotten a good look.  It was there at the tree of the red bird where first Hugs then Big Kahuna caught and passed me for the last time.  I had about 4 miles left to go.  I stopped every 15 minutes to rest my feet.  I¢ve never been so lethargic!   About 5:45pm I slothed my way up to the shelter where my tramily waited.  I couldn¢t wait to drop my pack and hit the hay!  Tomorrow¢s a new day!  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?