Date: 2012-07-24
From: stealth camp

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 11.1

Note from future Magpie:Apologies for the long gap between updates but alas lack of signal, pace, location, deadlines, family and life obligations conspired to absorb all my time and journaling got the short end of the stick. But I¢m back posting and catching up with transcribing my written journal to this online one. By now most of you can guess the ending to this tale but I¢ll remain silent and let it unfold in updates as it should have. To my trail friends I have enjoyed following along whenever I got the chance and seeing you all moving toward completion. Thank you so much for keeping me updated with your texts and congratulations! Cheers.Onward to the trail journaling:I¢ve decided that this is a most amazing day looking back at all the things that happened. Last night as I lay in my hammock listening to the distant roll of thunder moving steadily closer, I debated the need to get up and string out my tarp into storm setup. Lightening started to brighten the sky to the point where there was almost constant light to work from and I grumbled but climbed out of the bag anyway. Boy am I glad I did since almost as soon as I was done, someone turned on the water hose. Man I think that was the most intense rainfall I¢ve had on this whole trip. The wind was going crazy and the thunder resounding, magnified as it bounced off mountain peaks. So glad I turned back yesterday afternoon to find this little protective hollow I am in. It is a rather disconcerting feeling being rocked to sleep by your hammock, knowing that it¢s only happening because the tree you¢ve hung on is being whipped about. I lay secure, warm, safely dry and thankful again for my tarp. The storm continued all night and in the morning I found that all was well except for my boots which had been hung too close to the tarp opening and served as lovely water collection buckets. Ugh. Oh well, would have been wet anyway given all the residual effects of last night¢s rain and today¢s fresh batch. I admit that I lounged an extra 30 minutes resenting the thought of putting my feet in those cold wet boots and continuing into the bad weather. But weather is not something to be debated unless it is unsafe, so eventually I rolled out and did the never fun wet pack up. Another fast climb over wolf mountain listening intently to the thunder surrounding the nearby mountains and making my way slowly on the slick rocks. Another day of white out and no views for most of the morning. I came into the whites prepared for bad weather but am finding that while lightening may be the ultimate danger, it¢s all the wet rocks that are the deadly, hike ending hazard. And those you cannot escape those giant slabs that serve as perfect slides. Slip, slip, fall, curse, get up and do it again. Because by now, we¢ve learned to just accept the obstacles before you and steadily move through them.After only 2 miles of hiking I had resigned myself to a short day of only 7 miles or so since I had no intentions of continuing over the exposed Kinsmen ridgeline in a thunderstorm. But then the sun came out, and the thunder went away. I saw T and hiked with her some, but she was slackpacking and needed to make 16 miles regardless of weather, so we parted quite soon. At the next shelter I stopped for lunch where chicken feathers and the lion killers were all drying out and eating. Many of us stayed for a long break watching the sky and deciding if it was worth pushing on the last two miles and making it over Kinsmen. Eventually I was up for it and took off. Here the whites once again showed how they got their reputation as the trail turned into a rock climb up a cliff. And just when I started to get to an area hinting at magnificent views, a dark cloud started to come over the ridgeline summit of the Kinsman peaks. It looked like searching fingers of mist curling themselves over the mountain and sliding down the side I was on. Very cool looking but also foreboding and warning me that things were about to be bad. I was still climbing up the slippery, challenging rock faces when the sky opened up once more and downpoured on me. I had a little sob that lasted 2 seconds before I pulled it together, reined in the self pity and frustration, put on the full rain gear, and kept climbing. There was nowhere else to go but up and over at this point. This already difficult climb was made harder by the fresh wash of rain. The trail was pretty much a creek/waterfall and I¢m not ashamed to admit that the climb was punctuated the occasional sob or frightened cry out every time I felt my grip slipping or had a bad fall. Over and over again I fell and tried to calm my mind as it steadily went to work creating image after image of worse case scenarios. Did you know that helicopters can¢t rescue people in fog/white out? I do. Also bodies are harder to find after they fall off the path a few hundred feet. Okay stupid brain, happier thoughts please. Finally made it to the top and was nearly blown over by the wind coming fast over the wide rock slab that was the first peaks summit. No views, complete white out again, but I was once again mostly concerned with getting off the exposed mountain top. From here on out it wasn¢t very difficult and I was back in the realm of trail I consider hiking trail rather than climbing. I faced a similarly hard descent down the other side though and went back to slips, fall, and the occasional tumble. Near the bottom of the mountain I ran into a group of thruhikers making camp and was invited to join them. Yep sounds good. Once again thankful for the hammock as all the flat, non marsh ground was taken. Only downside of the site was the non buried turd someone had left there. Didn¢t notice that one until I was almost all the way set up, but luckily I had missed it and was able to cover it. Thanks to whomever decided to leave their business there. This side of the mountain was so much colder than the others. We could see our breath hanging in the air and I was reminded of the start of the hike way back in march. But hey hauling all my winter gear around paid off and I was soon toasty warm bundled up and ready for a good rest.