Date: 2018-07-08
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

I woke up about 5:30 this morning.  Mulberry was already cooking his breakfast.  I met him last night.  He¢s from Vegas(I think) but he knows Galesburg well.  He¢s gotten off of the train there for a layover several times when traveling to visit his brother. I chose not to climb out of my sleeping bag at 5:30 though. It was really cold, 45 degrees cold in July!?!  I took 3 Advil on an empty belly and went back to sleep for another hour.  I still really wasn¢t feeling it this morning.  When I finally did rise the sun was a good ways up and it had warmed by 10 degrees at least.  I made coffee and ate a cinnamon pop tart.  I¢ve only had strawberry pop tarts out here so Big Kahuna gifted me with something different.  It was delicious with my Starbucks instant coffee.  Starbucks really knows how to make an instant that tastes like fresh brewed.  It was during my delicious breakfast when Big Kahuna said ¢uh-oh¢. I looked over to see a plastic bag in his back pack had been chewed through...and the peanuts in another bag had been chewed on.  We had a mouse visit us last night!  We all hang our packs in the shelters, but those things climb up the rafters and jump on in!  I cautiously checked my pack.  I had gotten lucky! Between the coffee and words of encouragement from everyone around me, and from Papa Big Swig via text, I mustered up some energy and left camp first.  I still had to pray for strength. Slowly but surely it came.  This was absolutely divine intervention.  I started repeating out loud ¢I am not a quitter¢ & ¢ I can do this¢.  Before long I was doing it, and loving it!  The idea of quitting is a past memory.  I hiked alone pretty much all morning.  The crows were ruling a small part of the forest this morning.  One would caw then another would caw, and so on.  They were flying all around talking to each other.  Whatever was going on, it was a community effort! Right about then I started going UP. My tramily had agreed to meet at a shelter only 4.4 miles away.  It was UP the Whole way!  After yesterday my glutes were already sore, and by 10am this morning they were ON FIRE!  I don¢t care how cool it was this morning, I was still sweating a whole lot on this UP. I finally came to a false summit which was a nice reprieve.  The trail split right there, I kept going straight.  Spy Rock is a blue blaze at this point, so that¢s why the trail splits. At the split was a Ridge Runner( Logan).  Spy Rock draws a lot of local day hikers during this time of year, so a Ridge Runner is helpful.  He watched me walk past the split and up the trail a good little distance before he asked me if I was a thru-hiker.  After I said yes he pointed me back the other direction.  He totally could have done that a long time ago. The trail is not clearly marked right there. Nonetheless I was grateful that I didn¢t hike all the way up to Spy Rock!  I got myself back on trail and headed north up to Priest Mountain. There¢s a waterfall near this area of the trail too, and several locals were out enjoying this beautiful day.  I met a couple of them who were possibly mother and son.(not sure). We spoke briefly and I asked if they would mind packing out my trash. I¢ve got two more days left in the woods and my odor-proof bag was getting full.  They were super kind and gladly took the trash. I am so grateful!  We said goodbye and I hiked on. About 2 miles later I found myself in a very peaceful part of the forest.  It was just me. So when I came upon a good log about butt high,  I decided to sit on it.  I waited there for my tramily. It was so peaceful and calming just sitting there!  It felt so nice that I was compelled to take a picture of the trail right there.  It¢s today¢s photo. I sat on that log about 25 minutes listening to forest sounds and watching wildlife. Squirrels were out in abundance today. There must have been nut  trees  in that area because these are the fattest grey squirrels I have ever seen!   Hugs arrived first to my log. She told me they also went the wrong way at Spy Rock.  Only this time the Trail Runner let Big Kahuna go all the way up without correcting him.  He must have warned Hugs.  In talking with Logan the trail runner she learned that sometimes he doesn¢t help the thru-hikers basically for giggles.  What a jerk!  If we decide to blue blaze on our own that¢s one thing, but unintentional extra UP miles with a full pack is another.  As soon as Big Kahuna arrived we continued UP to Priest Mountain Shelter.  That was a blue blaze we planned on taking. The cool thing about Priest Mountain Shelter is that everyone writes their confessions in that shelter¢s log book.  This is why we planned our lunch break there, so we can read the confessions.  Some of them were hilarious, and some were just disgusting. I chose to do some selective reading. On the way up I had planned to write my confession, but I did not write it because my friend Honey Bear had written exactly what I would have said! And she said it so much better than I could have.  This is not verbatim but basically she asked forgiveness for her sins of not digging deep enough holes when she needs to poop. She said they are more like a scratch on the earth, then she covers it with sticks and leaves when she¢s done. She also pees pretty much right on the trail, and she clearly sees these things as only getting worse.  I laughed so hard because I do the same things!  I mean I try to dig, but rocks and tree roots make it impossible to dig a 6 or 8 inch hole....especially when you need to go right then! Now that the grass and weeds are grown up tall on both sides of the path I just pick a tree right on the trail when I need to pee.  Why? Because there are snakes everywhere in the grass!  The struggle is real! Speaking of ¢going¢...the privy at Priest Mountain Shelter was made of stainless steel.  That¢s a first!  I took the lead after our lunch break.  The terrain started out pretty good but quickly became rocky.  I couldn¢t look up at all for fear of falling, but lots of butterflies kept flying around me. They were mostly the royal blue & black butterflies, but I saw some new light violet colored ones too.  I kept going down for literally miles. I think nearly 5 miles total.  My left big toe started hurting on the way down. I checked it out tonight and it looks like the start of an ingrown toenail. Ouch! Anyway as I continued down I stepped on a spot with loose rocks and sure enough...down went McGinney!  No real damage done, but falling is not fun!  We arrived at camp about 7pm. That¢s late for us. The shelter was full so we came down here by Harpers Creek and pitched our tents.  I had a Chicken and Rice Mountain House meal for supper.  It¢s my new favorite!  Me and Big Kahuna split a Zero bar for dessert.  I¢m full, fat and happy.  I¢ll be lulled to sleep tonight by the sound of rushing water. Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?