Date: 2004-03-16
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

Last night was no fun whatsoever. The shelter was very crowdedand lots of folks had to tent. It rained heavy most the nightand we had a smoker .... smoked sardines. He got angry with thesnorer in the shelter so he exclaimed, I give up! This was atabout 5 A.M. The funny thing was, the only person he didn't wake-upwith his ranting and smoking 5 consecutive cigarettes, was thesnorer. The general mood was sour, and I hurried to leave. I was on thetrail at 8:15 with the intent to pull off a 12.5 mile day. I arrived at the shelter at 3:15. It was still raining when I headed out and through the heavy mist I could only see about 60 feet. Soon my glasses were fogged againand I employed my automatic intermittant wiper system again. Around noon the sun finally broke through and it's about 60degrees now.The walk was beautiful per usual, going from groves ofdeciduous trees then into rhododendron tunnels and then acrossridge lines where the fog prevented any view. I felt strangelooking into the nothingness, knowing there were valleys belowand distant mountains hidden in the mist.There were Juncos at the Muskrat Creek Shelter. They are a lotDifferent than the Juncos in our yard. They are a pretty blue grayin color and they like to come into the shelter and forage. Later, as I walked the trail a junco flew to the ground and didthe injured bird routine. Its white under tail feathers weresplayed out making it very visible on the dark forest floor. Here at the shelter its tent city again as so many hikers haveconverged and it seems we are traveling at the same speed. The walk was beautiful per usual, going from groves ofdeciduous trees then into rhododendron tunnels and then acrossridge lines where the fog prevented any view. I felt strangelooking into the nothingness, knowing there were valleys belowand distant mountains hidden in the mist.There were Juncos at the Muskrat Creek Shelter. They are a lotDifferent than the Juncos in our yard. They are a pretty blue grayin color and they like to come into the shelter and forage. Later, as I walked the trail a junco flew to the ground and didthe injured bird routine. Its white under tail feathers weresplayed out making it very visible on the dark forest floor. Here at the shelter its tent city again as so many hikers haveconverged and it seems we are traveling at the same speed. The walk was beautiful per usual, going from groves ofdeciduous trees then into rhododendron tunnels and then acrossridge lines where the fog prevented any view. I felt strangelooking into the nothingness, knowing there were valleys belowand distant mountains hidden in the mist.There were Juncos at the Muskrat Creek Shelter. They are a lotDifferent than the Juncos in our yard. They are a pretty blue grayin color and they like to come into the shelter and forage. Later, as I walked the trail a junco flew to the ground and didthe injured bird routine. Its white under tail feathers weresplayed out making it very visible on the dark forest floor. Here at the shelter its tent city again as so many hikers haveconverged and it seems we are traveling at the same speed.