Date: 2005-09-23
From: ravens rocks

To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.1

I had just planned on going to ensign cowall shelter however....that water thing got me. I couldn't find water at the shelter so abck a tenth of a mile was water but it was so nasty that I wanted nothing to do with it. SO, I picked up my phone and ordered a calzone and root beer. LOL! Now, actually I didn't know the water was bad until after the calzone. Otherwise I would have ordered some water. The calzone was jsut what I needed. It tasted good and was filling and took away my sick feeling. Well, besides no water it was just too early to stay at the shelter and the shelter was close to road and it was Friday night. I don't really like staying near the road by myself. So, I started hiking not knowing exactly where I would end up. And no water but I did have rootbeer. If I saw someone carrying a two liter of soda I would laugh my butt off.....but here I was! So, I am hiking about 20 minutes ...going up and I decide to take a little break on this big rock. I sit down and about three feet in front of me was this black snake. not huge but big enough to make me shake in my boots. about three feet long I am guessing. After I calmed down I got a picture of it and them ran as fast as I could. I calm down about ten minutes later and there is a copperhead silthering across the trail. Now, I am shaking again and just plain terrified. I really hate snakes. Now every root and stick looks like a snake. And about 20 minutes later another black snake was on the side of the trail....I was too scared to go around him so I stood there for maybe 8 minutes while he decided to cross the trail....and then I waited some more so he was far enough away that I was half way ok. I have to tell you...I guess I am a wuss cause that ruined my hiking the rest of the day. I went through these dark woods and rocks and I was jsut scared the rest of the day. Now, I was tired from being scared and just plain tired but no water yet. I finally found some water....not the best but it was wet. I would have camped there but besides the no camping sign it was too close to a road again and it was still Friday night. I figure local boys are more likely to camp and down some beers on friday night. So I went straight up some hill and I am exhausted now...just lookign for a camp site. Nothing. So, I keep hiking....nothing that down't look snake infested anyway. Up and down and up and down and I am burning up and I don't want to waste my water trying to cool off. It was around 6:30 and I know it is going to get dark soon so I know I HAVE to find a spot. I climb up these god forsaken rocks....I don't know if was really that steep or I was jsut so tired. I went up to these cliffs and there was not a good tent site. Usually by kindof touristy places there is SOMEWHERE to put up a tent....but no such luck. But I couldn't go any further. So I slept wedged between a couple of rocks. And don't think for a moment that I wasn't thinking about snakes! I would have slept really well however except for these crickets or cicadas or something that was up this tree really close and would NOT shut up. All in all a long day. And after the snakes I kept thinking.."what is fun abotu this?". Why do I like this? No good answer on this evening.sparepocket