Date: 2004-06-28
From: Punchbowl Shelter, VA

To: Shelter Addiction?
Miles today: 17.2

Last night, in spite of the croaking frogs to my left, I managed to fall asleep. Then, precisely at midnight, I was woken up by a large party of hikers just arriving. A few of these people were pitching a large tarp only a few paces away from my hammock. Most of them were whispering, but a few of them were speaking in louder volumes. I considered telling them to quiet down, then decided against that and waited for them to go to sleep.In the meantime, the frogs were blasting away and I was becoming cool inside the hammock. It was another tough night on the Appalachian Trail.In the morning, I emerged from my hammock and took in the scene. A few teenagers were beginning to step out from under their large group sized tarps. They were whispering, lest they wake up their sleeping peers. I asked one of them for a description of their party and she replied that they were a Quaker sponsored youth group.In the pond, the frogs were silent.Back on the trail, I was perspiring heavily, so I took off my shirt, thinking that I might have to wear it for extra insulation while sleeping in the hammock. It is unpleasant to sleep in smelly clothes. In camp, I remove my hiking clothes and wear a long underwear top and bottom that is clean and dry; these camp clothes were adequate until I changed sleeping bags.During the middle of the day, I came upon a hiker who was swimming in a pool of water. I peeled off my clothes and took a dip; it felt great. I dried myself with a clean bandana. Then I endeavored to dry the bandana. This was accomplished by holding the cloth to one side, in the manner of a matador, and simply walking along the trail. The bandana rippled like a flag in a light breeze.I scaled a rock face called Spy Rock and came upon a group of teenagers. They were another Quaker sponsored youth group. I chatted with a few of them and they struck me as nice people. I kept mum about the behavior last night of some of their peers in that other group which had arrived late at the shelter. Here is what I was thinking about during the day:I seem to be arriving late at shelters and not having enough down time to relax before darkness. Part of the reason for this is my poor sleeps have required me to get up later in the morning in an effort to obtain some last ditch Z's. I am also hiking the distance of two shelters per day; this often means covering distances in excess of fourteen miles. When the mileage numbers creep up into the higher teens, or beyond, my body becomes fatigued and I arrive late in the day. Instead of relaxing at a shelter, I hurry to erect my hammock in the vicinity and perform chores before darkness falls.There are good reasons for camping near shelters. There is almost always a source of water¢a stream or a spring¢located close by. Water sources are often elusive on the Appalachian Trail, especially where it crosses along ridgelines. Shelters are a place to enjoy the fellowship of other hikers. During the day, it can get lonely along the trail. I don't have to camp around shelters. Another option is to make camp alone in the woods somewhere between the shelters. This approach enables me to stop hiking when I decide the time is right. It gives me additional time to perform chores, unwind, and compose my thoughts into my journal notebook. But finding a suitable place to camp is often difficult. The forest is often cluttered with brush or the ground is sloped. An absence of water sources can also be a problem. And when camping alone, there is nobody to converse with after having walked alone all day. Maybe I should be making my own camp more often, and spending less time pushing those extra few miles each day to reach that second shelter.Today, I camped with three other hikers on the periphery of a high elevation, savannah¢like meadow. The place is called Hog Camp Gap. The other hikers were Backdraft Bong Ramen, Dig Dug, and a hiker who is new. They pitched their tarps in the field and I strung out my hammock inside the nearby tree line. When I stepped into the tree line, the sun was glowing upon the lush moss on the ground. What a beautiful site.Before preparing supper, I hiked 1/4 mile through the meadow to a spring. The clarity of the water was incredible, clearer than any water I have ever seen or drank. On the way back, I dragged in some firewood.As darkness fell, we ate supper and conversed around the camp fire. A near full moon illuminated the meadow.Good weather, a blazing fire, and the companionship of other hikers; what better a way to end a day of hiking?