Date: 2009-05-28
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

It started raining at 6 in the morning, so I stayed in my hammock until it stopped sometime after 7:30. So much for an early start... I had to cross an overflowing creek in front of the shelter in order to get to the registry. It wasn't worth it. I got one foot wet. This was another day that began with a 2000 foot climb. I prefer climbing in the morning as I have the most energy then. I set off on the trail at 8:45. The plan was to get to the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter, 22 miles away.   I did a good job with the first big climb. Unfortunately, there were no views at the top. On one of the smaller summits later on, I saw the biggest bee that I've ever seen in my life! I looked at my guidebook later on to see a nearby mountain listed as "Bee Mountain!"   I was disappointed to read the ridge runner's warning in the Maupin Field Shelter registry about the danger of the slippery rocks along four miles of the trail ahead. I was hoping for some nice terrain to get some fast miles in, which I needed due to my late start. His note stressed that there had been many hiker falls on these rocks. My hopes for making it to the shelter faded. It had been very rainy recently, so the rocks were still wet. As I was moving across these dangers, the humidity in the atmosphere broke out into a full-out downpour. For an entire hour, it poured on me, soaking even the back of my shirt. It was too hot and humid to put on any raingear and I needed the use of both hands for my poles. It eventually stopped, but a couple of hours later, the downpour would repeat itself. I was able to get a little view from Cedar Cliffs during a break in the clouds late in the afternoon. From there, I still had 10 miles to go to get to the shelter. The terrain never got easier. There was a climb up to Humpback Mountain (I never figured out where the summit was) and a very steep and rocky section to 'Humpback Rocks'. There, I found an empty gallon of water, labeled, "thru-hikers, enjoy!". A day hiker informed me that some nice, level terrain was coming up. Perfect! Just what I needed! Unfortunately, it lasted for about 200 yards...   I stopped at Bear Spring to collect more water with four miles to go. I had been feeling sharp pain on my back and hip and realized that my wet shirt rubbing against my back had caused painful burns in my skin! It hurt so much that I almost couldn't bear the thought of putting my pack back on, but I pushed through it, and thought about how I could treat it when I got to the shelter. With all of the clouds, the sunlight was fading fast. On and on I went, until finally I came to a huge, rushing creek! I figured this must be the one in front of the shelter, but how was I supposed to cross it? I got half way across and realized I was going to have to turn around. Farther upstream, there was a tree trunk across the creek, but it was so high up that I could not get on top of it with my pack! Finally, I just had to get my feet wet. (They were wet anyway...) I was planning on setting up my hammock, but it was getting dark, I was so wiped out, and the shelter was so nice, that I decided to just sleep there. Stone Brown, Pudgie Pie, and Mudslide were the only ones there at that point. Just as I was about to change out of my wet clothes, Ewok and Minnesota IPA rolled in after a 30 mile day! I postponed changing and made some dinner. Colonel Mustard and his girlfriend next came in with no greeting, followed by Turtle. Someone said Veggie Steve was expected in at 1 am and that we would have to save him a place. He had run out of food and was no longer carrying a tent and we were warned he would be swearing up a storm as he set up (especially after trying to cross the raging water in the dark and trying to find the shelter hidden among the trees), but that he would eventually calm down. Great...   He never made it in that night. (Simple Man and Icy Fingers also did not make it.)