Date: 2006-06-22
From: Punchbowl Mtn

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

by RightyLefty let us sleep till 8am this morning because we didn't get back to camp till after 11pm last night. It is already hot and humid at 10am.We started hiking at 11am. It was much like yesterday, the first 8 miles to the first shelter were mostly flat or downhill. Then we hiked many miles along creeks and around a mountain lake. Lefty stopped and took a dip. From the shelter we had a 3000 foot elevation gain in 3 1/2 miles. It was really tough. I tried to make deals with myself to keep me moving forward. Things like, OK, you can rest at the next switchback. Then the switchbacks ended and it was just straight up. Then I would try to keep walking to the count of 100; but that was too long; so I'd change it to 50 steps before stopping. Still too far. Finally, I just stopped whenever I had to. It was either that or puke. It was just too HOT to even be moing. It took 2 1/2 hours to get to the top of the first peak. No pay off either - there were no views. The second peak was another 1000 foot elevation gain; but seemed a little easier than the first. There were beautiful views from here. We crossed a beautiful meadow on top of the mountain that had a 360 degree view. I tried to wait for Lefty here but the bugs were eating me alive. Lefty was able to get a great photo of the sunset when she came across a little later.Saw no wildlife worth noting today. They were all too smart to be out and about in this record breaking heat.Let me take this opportunity to tell you about another type of wildlife that is the hiker's constant conpanion. I'm talking about insects.Let's look at the gnat first. WHAT are they?? and WHY?? They are nothing but a nuisance. They never travel alone. They are always in swarms. And it's like they are on a suicide mission around your head. They fly into your nose and ears and you can't get them out. If you stick your finger in there, you're liable to kill them and then they are stuck in there. So, you have to hope that they figure out how to get out. If you dare to take a deep breath or sometimes even breathe, they fly into your mouth and down your throat. You can't get themm out. You can cough, clear your throat, spit, drink water, but they hang on and won't leave. Some take a wrong turn and end up down your windpipe and they're stuck in there indefinitely. And I hate it when they fly into your eyes, especially the ones that drown because they are hard to get out with no mirror.OK, next are the no-see-ums. Maybe they have a real name, I don't know. You may think they don't exist, but they do.... and the little suckers bite. You can barely see them but you definitely feel them. They seem to like the really sweaty parts of your body and then if they make contact they get stuck there.Now, one of everybody's favorites, the mosquito. You know how annoying it is when you go to bed and there is one mosquito in the room flying around your head and making that noise. You keep slapping at it trying to kill it but a few seconds later, you hear it again. Well, multiply that 10 fold. Out here they congregate around you and no matter how many you slap, more come. They love to buzz around your ears, and yes, fool that I am; I do slap at them and end up with very sore ears.Now, my favorite of the day. Last but not least. The fly. I'm talking about the big old heavy noisey ones that circle your head. Usually they come around you and buzz your head a dozen times or so then go on their way. Today, I had one circle around me as I was getting ready to hike and it stayed with me all day. That's for real and I KNOW it was the same fly. I finally decided to give it a nickname. I called it "Buzz" and I found myself talking to it occasionally. It flew around me for 9 hours. He'll probably show up tomorrow morning!!!