Date: 2011-07-05
From: Tba

To: Rausch Gap Campsite
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: broken clouds

I'm in for the night at the Rausch Gap campsite which is situated beside Rausch Creek - very pretty location. I love hearing the water. Just need to remember it is more humid ND be certain to being everything under cover.Very pretty day. Cooler today. Nice breezes this morning and I was making good time till I fell. Yep! This was a real fall. Not too long after crossing PA 325 there was a spring to cross. The ground was mushier than I expected and the mud was orange. I didn't wang my feet to get wet so I was attempting to step up on the rock and ended up falling on that rock and the one beside it. I have a cut and 'goose egg' on my right forearm and my right hip has a big bruise. I fell on my arm, knocked the wind out of me - a big 'ugh!' came out then a loud OUCH. I laid there for half a minute assessing how I felt then rolled over on my back - another ouch. De died nothing was damaged - just hurt - so i got up, took off my pack after crossing the spring and proceeded to wash myself off. My hip hurts as does my right knee. I was probably walking funny and strained it. I'll be fine.So, excellent trail today. Looked good, walked good. MA few steep ups; PA may not have high mountains ut they want to get you to the top the steepest way. Got decents to match.A beautiful broad creek, Clark's Creek, which I wod have called a river, was a nice surprise especly with the rhodos in full bloom. The forest after was dense with ferns and evergreens; moss covered rocks and downed trees. Reminded me of the Smokied, which I love. Further in was a smaller creek surrounded by blooming rhodos and mountain laurel bushes. Very nice!I haven't seen many critters recently. Today I saw 2 bucks; 1 was huge - I thought it was a horse at first seeing just the hind quarters. He took off like the wind.Cooler tonight. As I was finishing up supper I was getting chilled. I like to set the tent with all the flies open to get good breezes - I took pics tonight of what the tent looks let set that wT and what it looks like from in the tent looking up at the sky. Pretty with the dappled evening sun. Anyway, after dinner I hung my food, brought in my clothes, washed my pot and spark and put the flies down for the night. Warmer now and I can still hear the water flowing. I saw part of sunset last night. I has a really good spot. I heard the fireworks but couldn't see any.This morning I was so hungry...made me crave the Cafe 101 in Boiling Springs. I miss StRvuckd! Good thing there aren't cares along the way, talk about getting sucked into the town vortex. No one would ever hike. We were talking about getting sucked in yesterday that's the main reason I wNted to hike on. When too many folks I know are in town it's too easy to get caught up in what everyone is doing.Today ended up being very much about reminiscing. Mnot sure how it happened but I was thinking about the church bells I heard on Sunday: first I heard them about 8:30 when I was walking across a wheat field then I heard them right around Noon - playing an entire hymn. Reminded me of Germany first, then of my childhood when the church bells rang all the time. Mead we don't ring them more often. I'm glad BUMC rings ours on Sundays.Then I was thinking about all the rocks and that made me think about how all those 4' high rock walls along LL the fields and roads got there - men. Leading those fixs needed. Place to put the rocks, this stone walls.And, that made me think of the growing and building of the US and places like the Doyle which was one of the original Anheiser Busch hotels. It still has some of it's glory, albeit faded, in the grand staircases, beautiful railings and massive wooden doors.Tonight I'm thankful I don't have to be ready for the real world.Hike on!Scribbles