Date: 2012-04-26
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Prabudau labai anksti. Tyliai, kad nepa34adinciau mieganciu, susidejau savo daikciukus ir ¡e¡ta ryto jau 34ingsniavau u34tvankos link. Pute ¡iltas dregnas vejas ir tamsus debesys ritosi dangumi ir nieko gero ne34adedami.Ma34daug ties pusiaukeliu iki  iukstako kalno pradejo griaudeti, o netrukus prapliupo lietus, vietomis pereinantis i kru¡a. Jautesi kad mane kabino tik debesies kra¡tas, nes kai u34lipau ant kalno prie¡gaisrinio bok¡telio, ¡iek tiek prasigiedrijo ir nebelijo. Padariau keleta nuotrauku su 34emai tyvuliuojanciu Fontana e34eru ir u34tvanka.U34sipyliau vandens ties Molies Ridge ¡elteriu, kuriame a¡ ir D34ord34as sutikome ¡iuos Naujuosius Metus. Pusantros mylios iki Spence Field mane pavijo didelis audros debesis, sakyciau netgi labai didelis.. Na ir dave! Liutis, kru¡a ir vejas. Ledai vienu metu taip skaud34iai pradejo kapoti plikas kojas, kad nieko nebeliko kai sustoti ir pasislepti u34 didelio med34io kamieno. Takas greitai virto i¡tisine bala, kurios vir¡uje plauke ledo i34as. Cia mane pasivijo Blue Sky. Tokie abudu, su¡lape lyg ciuciai, ta¡kydami iki kulniuku ledini vandeni, pasiekeme Spence Field ¡elteri. Cia jau buvo keletas haikeriu ir reind34eris, kuri dar buvau sutikes ryte belipant i  iukstaka.  elterio stogas kaip leido vandeni prie¡ ¡e¡is metus taip ir dabar leid34ia. Ka34kas tikrai niekada nesikeicia...Reind34eris gudrus: u34sieme pacia sausiausia vieta antrame auk¡te, o man beliko improvizuoti tar dvieju ¡lapiu baleliu. Chebryte 34idinyje ugni kureno, bet lau34iukas labiau dumijo ir smardino visa ¡elterio vidu negu ¡ilde. Prie¡ gulant miegot, nebeliko nieko, kaip, paskelbus ultimatuma (su reid34eriu sudareme pasiprie¡inimo dumams aljansa) , u34gesinti ugni ir i¡trenkti nuodegulius laukan. Vienas toks jaunas burbeti pradejo, tai pasiuliau jam i¡sijungti savo ¢aipoda¢, t.y. mandagia forma u34siciaupti.Naktis praejo ramiai. ---|---I woke up very early. Quietly gathered my stuff and at sixth morning went toward the dam. Blew warm and moist wind and dark clouds were rolling the sky, nothing promising.At the midway up to the Shuckstack began roar the thunder, and soon I hiked under pouring rain, sometimes turning into the hail. I felt that I was touched only with the edge of cloud, because once went up to the fire tower, rain stopped, and some clearings in the sky allow to have a panoramic view. I did a few shots with below lying Fontana Lake and Dam.At Mollies Ridge Shelter, where George and I met 2012 New Year Eve, took a break. One and half miles to Spence Field I was caught up with storm cloud, even enormous cloud, I would say. Well, this thunderstorm was not ordinary storm. It produced heavy rain, dime size hail and wind knocking from feet. At one time, hail began pounding bare legs so painfully, that I stopped walking and was forced to hide behind a large tree trunk. The trail quickly turned into a raged stream, with ice slush on top. Here, I caught up with Blue Sky. We both, wet like dogs, splashing icy water reached the Spence Field Shelter. There have been several hikers and Ranger, which I met in the morning on my way to Shuckstack.Shelter's roof leaked water about six years ago and leaks today. Sometime something never changes... Ranger was smart ¢ took the driest place on the second floor, and I have to improvise between pools of water.Folks burned fire in the fireplace, but the bonfire smoked and stunk more than warmed. Before going to sleep, me and ranger created a resistance alliance against smoke, had extinguished the fire and had thrwn out cinders.One, such a young hiker, began to grumble, but I suggested him to turn off his ¢ipod¢, i.e. in a polite form to shut up.Night passed quietly.