Date: 2003-05-14
From: Wise Shelter

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: broken clouds

This was an unusual day - for starters this is the furthest I've hiked with a full pack in one day, and secondly this is the first night so far that Dad and I have camped in different locations.I always wake earlier in a shelter than a tent, so when some people started moving about just after 7am I got up too. Chafe and Two Speeds, who were on either side of me last night, both were using their new summer sleeping bags but were totally chilled all night - it got down to 40 degrees!! Chafe was up and out by 7.45 just to try and warm up, but Two Speeds was trying to curl up with enough heat to sleep some more. I eventually put my sleeping bag over him when I got up.It was a slow morning. Everyone in our group left at different times - the girls and Dad were away before Two Speeds was even out of bed, and the two of us were away by 9.30. We were held up many times along the way, either when we ran into more north-bound friends (who weren't having any of it when we tried to convince them they were going the wrong way), or when we came across two ponies grazing on the trail and fed them a couple of sugar cubes given to us by Ben and Tyler (Rif-Raf) when we bumped into them earlier, or just when we stopped to take in the wonderful scenery around us - we were still up in the Highlands for most of the morning, so the views of these mountains are very different from what we've seen on the trail so far. When we were actually walking it was difficult to move quickly, since it's been very stony and rocky underfoot. After our lunch break at Thomas Knob Shelter (with it's solar-powered privy!), the terrain did get easier.Our group were reunited by the road at Elk Garden when we stopped for a break. Most were hoping to reach Lost Mountain Shelter another 8 miles south, but Dad knew he wasn't up for such a long hike. I was thinking for a while, and grew curious to see if I could manage a 17-miler before dark, and also to see how Dad and I would cope with a day apart. I don't think he was too keen on the idea at first, but after another 3 miles he stopped tp camp and accepted I would keep going and see him again in Damascus.I was surprised how well I managed the miles - when I arrived at camp I felt I could even have gone further, and there are no aches and pains (for now at least). I managed to squeeze into the shelter (this was my main concern since Dad has the tent), then sorted myself for a cold dinner (I also made sure he has the complete stove). It wasn't to be though - everyone here tonight wouldn't accept I wasn't having a hot meal, and one very nice chap, Irish, insisted on cooking me a dinner since that would both feed me and lighten his pack! I was very touched by his kindness, and this is the sort of thing that makes me realised how special the hiking community is - whether they know each other or not, hikers do anything they can to take care of one another. This trip hasn't only been an experience as far as hiking is concerned, it's also given me a great deal of insight into human nature. The people out here are some of the loveliest I've ever met in my life, and it's amazing to see how these hikers, with the most basic of possessions and lifestyles, can give so much.