Date: 2012-05-15
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Big Meadows ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Campsite - Tented
Miles today: 29.0

Day 51 - Tuesday, May 15thHiking Days 38 / Nero Days 9 /  Zero Days 4Start Location: Pinefield HutMile Marker: 889.5Ending Location: Overall, I slept well.  The heavy rain made a lot if noise as it hit the tin roof of the shelter.  There seemed to be. No sign of the mice or copperhead that were listed in the shelter journal.  Everything was very wet.  Went to the privy where others had indicated that the pile was to the top and the smell was horrible.  Actually there have been worse on both fronts and I did not find it much different then others. Hit the trail at 7:00.  Good start for a day that I know is going to be made up of wet rocks and muddy trail.  Also not sure but I think the rain is supposed to start again. As I hiked, I find the trail to be poorly maintained.  It is a great deal of hard work to maintain these trails.  All if the work is also voluntary.  But still, if your trail club accepts the responsibility, then it should be done.  The trails are so overgrown, it's like they ate being reclaimed by mother nature. Just after I left I came across my second rattler.  A two foot timber.  Right in the middle of the trail.  Nearly stepped on it. Was able to move my foot at the last second and missed it by about 4".  Stopped to take its picture.  It never moved an inch.  Later I talked with Dundee and he saw it as well. He said he poked it with a stick to try to get it to rattle and it wouldn't.  Just flickered its tongue.  My goal was to get to the Big Meadow shower and laundry before it closes.  I wanted to make sure that if I went to Skyland for breakfast the next morning., I would at least be clean and have clean cloths. So I started thinking that I would stop at the campgrounds closer and then would not have to be rushed getting into Big Meadows. So I did stop.  Showered, did laundry and ate a lot.  Frozen burger, lasagna dinner, and other items.  Dundee, Stinger and a few other hikers stopped in as well.  The odd guy who I met earlier also stopped.  He was such a moucher.  He wanted to dry his wet socks in the dryer with my clean cloths. Really?  That wasn't going to happen.  He was going into town tomorrow to try to get to trail days.  He had so many stories that all ended with him asking for something.  It got old fast.  He bummed cigarettes, a ride, change and bla bla bla.  What a loser.   The rain started again.  We talked at decided to head to the next shelter and make it only a 20 mile day.  I wanted to move forward but, again, I felt this would be the last time I see Dundee since he is going to Luray to pick up his new shoes and boots.  And with Stinger you just never know.  He could move forward so quickly that when he decides to move, he'll be gone.  They cut out a few minutes ahead of me.  When I arrived at the shelter, they were not there.  I asked the hiker in the shelter if he had seen them and he said no.  Those dirty dogs.  So I went back to the trail. It remained raining for a bit.  Scattered storms.  Great lightning show everywhere with rumbles of thunder but once the rain stopped and we did not get hit by another system.  I was following Dundee's shoe prints in the mud.  Not hard to spot a size 14.  In about three miles I came across a south bounder.  I asked him if he saw two hikers and he said he did.  That they were on top of the hill looking for someplace to tent.  I looked around as I got up there but couldn't see them.  The footprints stopped. I decided that it was only about 4 more miles to where I wanted to go so I kept going.  On the way, it was getting to be twilight.  The animals were coming out.  Saw a near cub and the deer where everywhere.  They were on the trail and moved just enough to let you by.  Arrived at Big Meadow Campground just as it was getting dark.  Set up.  Only one other tenter in the tenting area. Was about to put my food bag in the bear box when the other tenter came over and started apologizing for putting his stuff in the box.  It was not a big deal.  The box was huge and my food bag was tiny.  He remained very weird about the whole thing.  I went over to the box, put my food bag in it and left.  I heard him go over and fussed in the box for awhile.  Just didn't get it.  There was something odd going on with it.  No biggy.  Don't really care.  The various storm systems were around.  They gave quite the show.  But no real rain until later.  My light was pretty much dead but that little pack light was working out just fine. I always felt it would be a great light and now I'm proving that my method had worked out perfectly.  Two lights, just over one once combined and works great.