Date: 2004-05-22
From: Sheeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Humback Campsite
Miles today: 28.5

Day 82Start: Sheeley-Woodworth ShelterDest.: Humback CampsiteMiles: 28.5Total: 834.5Early morning start after the night of thunderstorms. All the weekend hikers I saw today asked if I was caught in it. I caught up to Willow, Mc and Sweet Cheeks at the Tye River. I almost passed them because they were down on the river soaking their feet and I was above starting to cross the river on a suspension bridge. We had a good conversation, catching up on where everyone else is on the trail and talking about Wolf Cookie's feet. They will be in Waynesboro tomorrow because they are meeting someone. They are also thinking about skipping ahead to CT. This would put them 4 days ahead of their schedule since Sweet Cheek has to be done by Mid August. I pushed some miles today. The hardest park of the day was climbing the Three Ridges. The climb wasn't that hard it was just the HOT, HOT Sun. The sweat just pours off me. By the time I was halfway up the mountain I looked like I had been caught in a rain storm, I was completely soaked with sweat. For some reason I seem to be good at timing the long, steep climbs with the sun's highest point for the day. On each of the last four days I have climbed the hardest parts at the hottest point in the day. I am going to have to work on the timing a little bit.I have been drinking lots of water but it doesn't seem to quench my growing thirst. I will have to start carrying powdered gatorade again. Its kind of hard to find in these little towns though. As I was reaching the Maupin Field Shelter I met some trail workers who were out for the weekend to do trail work on the Three Ridges part of the trail. They offered me an ice cold coca cola...it tasted so very good. Before I left to start hiking again they offered me another one to take with me. When I declined citing the weight on the can one of the guys said, "You'll regret not taking it." Well he was right. At 6pm I decided to push on another 7 miles from the Maupin Shelter to Laurel Springs camping area. Selma was planning to push on too, so we walked together for the first 1.7 miles to where the trail crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway. Selma got off the trail there to hitch into Waynesboro for the night. This isn't the closest spot to hitch into Waynesboro from but he wanted to get to town to meet some friends ahead of him. I kept going as the sun set. I got to watch the sun set from Cedar Cliffs which was really great. As darkness was setting in I humped it up to the Dripping Rock parking area where the A.T. crosses the Blue Ridge again. I tore my pack apart trying to dig out my headlamp since it was getting dark and I still had .4 to go. Well, needless to say I passed up the spring at the road because the area I was planning to camp in has a spring. I then passed up a nice camping spot about .1 from the road, while it was still farely light out. I then walked right past another large camping area where only one other tent was. I thought this was close to the Laurel Springs area I wanted to camp in. Then I got to the springs. No good places to set up the hammock, mostly due to the large amount of chest level vegetation growing in the area. So, on the map I saw Humback Picnic Area and thought there would probably be good camping near there. Well, the book I have doesn't list the campsite but the elevation profile shows it. So on I pushed in total darkness now, having passed up two water sources and two campsites. As I climbed I lost site of the white blazes and I think I wondered off on a side trail for about .1 miles. As I was thinking about turning back I saw a fire ring and decided to stay put for the night and look for the trail in the morning. Since I am not exactly sure where I am I decided I didn't have enough water to cook with and get me the 3 miles to the next water source from my last known trail location. So it was peanut butter on fajita shells for dinner. Man would that coke have tasted good right now! There were no thunderstorms today which was realy nice. However the wind is really picking up so one might blow in before morning. Hopefully it will be nice tomorrow as I hike the last 12 miles into Waynesboro.~Dances with Wolf Cookie