Date: 2013-09-04
From: Bearded Woods Hostel

To: Mt. Algo Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: few clouds

I was moving SLOW today, probably because I got used to not hiking with a full pack on! It took us 12 hours to do 16 miles...not one of our greatest days today, but we did have a couple "Team D0C0" moments of entertainment. I caught up to Doc at a cool overlook 3 miles into our day. He had set his stuff down and gone off trail to presumably go to the bathroom. I sat and waited at the overloom which was not even 15 yards down trail and was visible from where he had set his pack. I assumed he would see me sitting there. I heard him come out of the woods and saw him return to his pack, then I turned back to the beautiful view, figuring he would come join. He didn't. I looked back and didn't see him, I stood up to see where he went and didn't see him so I figured he went back to the woods because maybe with all Big Lu's awesome food the last few days, maybe he was having some difficulties. So I waited patiently. And waited. And 25 minutes later , I decided to keep hiking, thinking he was constipated or something. I thought about yelling down to him so he'd know I'd gone on, but I didn't want to be intrusive. I tried to draw an arrow by his pack, but the dirt was too packdd, so that didn't work either. So, I just left, assuming there was no way he didn't see me earlier, so he'd catch up soon. 15 minutes down trail, I started thinking that 25 minutes, plus the time I'd sat at the view before I saw doc, plus however long he'd already been in the woods before I arrived was way too long to try to poop, so OBVIOUSLY something was wrong and I was a terrible hiking partner for not going to check on him. So I stopped for a snack break and decided if he didn't catch up in 20 mnutes, I'd ditch my stuff and run back to rescue him. About 17 minutes later, as I'm legitimately starting to worry and. develop my plan of action, Doc comes sprint-walking up and is sligtly out of breath. I informed him that he had me worried, then asked if everything had come out alright. He looked at me, incredulous, and couldn't believe that I was worried about HIM this whole time when he had just spent the last hour plus worryied that I was dead somewhere. Apparently he w as at that overlook for 25 minutes before taking his bathroom break, during which time I showed up. When he finished and returned to the trail, he didn't bother to look toward the obvious spot where I would be, and instead looked back the way we came waiting for me to appear and growing increasingly anxious because I shouldn't be that far behind after only three miles. Then he walked back north a little (which is probably around the time I had walked to his stuff to try to see where he went). After five minutes, he trail ran 1.5 miles back to Caesar Brook thinking I was injured. When he didn't find me, he assumed I'd accidentally taken a blue-blaze trail that loops back to the AT past the overlook we had stopped at. He thought maybe I was hurt, but most likely I was now ahead of him and confused. So he ran back to his pack, sent me a text (assuming I was hurt and had turned on my phone to call for help), then he sprint hiked continuing south on the AT until he caught up amd explained all this. Lots of worrying for nothing, and lots of extra work on Doc's part...for nothing. We were both relieved the other was fine and easily laughed about it for the rest of thd day. I wanted to be offended that he immediately assumed I had taken the blue nlaze trail at the intersection...but given my history when it comes to such matters, I really can't blame him! He then felt the need to hike directly behind me for the rest of the day. The next entertainment came at a river fording. Doc rock-hopped easily across. I had to go upstream to get across where it was more shallow and the rocks were closer together. It took me way longer than necessary, and I still ended up just walking through the water so my shoes and socks were soaked. I walked back downstream to the trail and Doc was starting to get antsy because he was already on edge from todaY's earlier mishap (sometimes he's worse than my mom about worrying!). I found it amusing! He did not =P He then ledus up the embankment and we learned that we shouldn't actually HIKE together because we both get distracted by the cnversation and don't pay attention to where the trail goes. Also, for the record, CT's blue blazes are very pale and look white in some lighting... So, when we got to the road, we roa-walked, following what we thought was the trail, but what was actually the high water bypass trail for the NOBOs to not ford the river. We figured that out when we got to a gas station .3 miles down the road. So, we made it worth it amd atopped there for first lunch. Doc was pretty frustrated, and we learned what I bring to the table in this partnership when I lightened the mood by giving him a hard time for taking a blue blaze trail =P that was helpful! The rest of the day was uneventful. It was a long day, but ultimately a good one. Go Team D0C0! =)