Date: 2011-05-20
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Sarvar Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: light rain

Sarvar hollow shelter shelter 24.9Another longest day, but good weather and oh so close to new shoes. Two twenty mile days and a 9 into town and out.So this morning I got up and had cereal for breakfast, that is my favorite when I have the dehydrated milk. Started the trail around 7 and was hoping for a good day. Little cloudy in the beginning and after the first major climb I was in the clouds. It gets cold and very damp in there. At the top was the first shelter only 3.8 from the one I started at, I had a quick snack and headed out. The trail was pretty rocky for a bit which makes walking a lot slower. By the time the next shelter came up though the weather cleared and we started having some sun shining. During the second major climb to the third shelter about halfway up there was trail magic. There was a tupeware box full of cokes and orange sodas. I am not going to lie but I had three of them, the first was gone in about 5 seconds then I sipped the second over about three minutes, then I grabbed a third and carried it to the next shelter to have with lunch. Was a good day! Just before this shelter I started contemplating staying there at 18.5 miles for the day. Sat around a bit and decided I still had plenty of time in the day so started walking again. Twenty yards from the shelter I thought I heard the wind really picking up and again started having second thoughts about going on, until I realized it was the near by stream making all the noise. So off I went and shortly later was so glad I did. I got to some fields that I know tomorrow will be covered in dew and I would of had to walk through. Shortly later I found a three piece section of a z lite pad which is enough to fit in my pack where my missing padding is that I left somewhere a while back, it doubles as my sit pad. Walking though open areas when dry are the best parts of the trail, but that didn't stay that way. The field went into a low area that was a swampy mess and got a little wet anyways. A few miles later I came to the Keiffer Oak which is the second largest Oak on the trail at 18' foot diameter. Its huge and over 300 years old, pretty cool to see. After that highlight came the third major climb which is probably the steepest I have climbed so far. Near the end of a long day it is nomally a killer, but it wasn't so high and I made some good time up it. After a short ridge walk I made it to the shelter trail, unfortunately the shelter is .4 miles off the trail down the hill. Made it down though and was greeted with plenty of space and a great shelter for the evening. Immediately started getting ready for the evening as I didn't arrive until 7. Started cooking dinner and my stove wouldn't light. Still has fuel but has apparently been to cold recently so the butane propane mixture just burned off one of the fuels and the other won't burn without the other. Basically I didn't have fuel, another guy here offered to let me use his canister but I just opted to cook over the fire since they had started it and it has a grill grate over it. So finished my chores quickly and off to bed to journal. While writing I can see the mice running around on the porch area in front of me.Tomorrow I keep hearing we are supposed to continue with the good weather so maybe I will be able to put in some good miles again. Ok I have to sleep, I keep passing out writing.