Date: 2003-08-12
From: Carter Notch (3390') 

To: Imp Campsite (3300') 
Miles today: 7.2

Aloha! It's true that for the most part all we do out here is walk but I assure you, no two days are alike. Some slight resemblance to the previous maybe but never completely alike. You also can never tell how they're going to vary until they do either. There's always something to write home about. Today was no different.   First though, did you check out that meteor shower last night? Awesome, huh. I awoke around 2am and ventured forth to see the fireworks show. Phenomenal. Little silver glitters streaking through the sky everywhere! Thousands of them! Shooting...wait, those aren't meteors... those are raindrops! Yepper, big 'o raindrops. Not a meteor to be seen. Was back in my bunk and snoozing before the next meteor probably fell. Bummer.   After that the morning began much like every other morning with one exception - coffee. That's both Coffee with a capital "C" and coffee as in the drink. Coffee with the capital "C" was my angel this morning when he handed me a fresh hot cup of coffee as I walked into the community cabin. Now that's the way to start the day. Have a good looking 52 year old, that actually only looks 40, meet you with a cup of coffee upon waking and doesn't mind that you don't smell very ... sweet. What a way to start the day!   I don't know if it was the coffee or what but I certainly was ready to hike today. I had energy. Enough for two people actually. Don't know why and don't particularly care but I was glad I did. The hike out of the starting gate was a major umph - 1575' in 1.3 miles. Ugh! When I caught up with Gutsy she wasn't quite as energized about the mountain we were crawling UP so she told me to go on ahead. I was huffing in no time.   Strangely, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. That's probably the energy speaking though. Since I no longer have a watch (grrr...) I can't tell you how long it took me to get to the top but I'm not thinking it was all that long.   Not bad for me.   From there to here the trail did its roller coaster game but not badly. I actually enjoyed it. Under better conditions there would have been views as I crossed Carter Dome (4832'), Mt Hight (4675'), South Carter Mountain (4458'), Middle Carter (4600'), and North Carter (4530'). But as luck would have it, it rained over the Dome and Hight and was totally clouded over for the Carters. This was not the day for views. Bummer.   Not long after crossing Middle Carter I came across the caretaker for this campsite doing trail maintenance. We chatted for a few when he asked me if I would like to do a work-for-stay for the campsite. Huh? If I would be willing to give him an hour of my time he would consider my $8 campsite fee as having been paid. He is allowed two work-for-stays a day. Since I had so much energy, only two miles from the campsite and it was only 11am, I happily agreed. For the next 40 minutes I took the piles of trimmings he had cut to clear the trail and disbursed them throughout the woods. Some were even used to cover a man-made pee trail. It was fun and it made me feel good to be giving a little something back. Pretty cool!   Old Corpus came along while I was finishing up the clearing and joined us for lunch. He was doing well but ready to get to the campsite. When asked about Gutsy, he hadn't seen her. Hummm... He took off and I continued to sit and chat with MindShatter, the caretaker, for another 40 minutes or so. When Gutsy hadn't shown at that point I knew she was being a good girl and taking a pack off lunch break. Probably with Coffee since he had yet to fly by me.   MindShatter had warned me about some of the vicious descents I had coming to the shelter. I didn't find them terribly vicious but will admit that many tested my patience. Large slabs of slick wet rock turned at precarious positions. Not horrible but still a little scary in the wet. I made it through them all without injury and then did my normal slip and sit on a bog bridge. Grr... No blood, just irritation.   Upon arriving here I searched out the tent platforms knowing that Gutsy had never stayed in a shelter because she preferred her tent. Rain or no rain, she tents. I found us both sites and headed for the shelter to chat with Corpus and await her arrival. It wasn't all that long afterwards that Coffee came in... without Gutsy. Hummm...   It turns out that Gutsy was not having a good day. Besides disliking the major UPs, her knees were hurting and she had missed a turn around Mt Hight which caused her to walk almost two miles out of her way with a major UP and down involved. By the time she found Coffee she had had enough. She was headed down an easier side trail and going to town. She was exhausted both mentally and physically. I was so sorry to hear this. Poor kid.   Thanks to Old Corpus and his cell phone we were able to confirm that she had gotten down off the mountain and reached the hotel safely. She sounded depressed but I'm sure she'll be better once she's settled in and had dinner. Since we already had reservations for the hotel tomorrow it was easy for her to get them for tonight also. That should help what ails her.   I personally feel somewhat like a heel for not being there to help her. When I asked her how she was doing this morning and she had mentioned her knee pain, I should have ignored her "go ahead" and stayed with her. What are hiking partners for if they're not there for each other? I'm still a little angry at myself for not being there when she needed me. That is not a good hiking partner. Grrr... Luckily all ended well enough. I'll be in town tomorrow to check on her. I'm sure she'll be feeling better and raring to get back to the trail. That's why she's called Gutsy!   Knowing that she was safe I spent the rest of the evening chatting with the various hikers here. It's a full house with two NOBOs, two SOBOs, one pick-up-the-pieces SOBO, and four other short-term hikers. That's in the shelter. On the tent platforms is a party of ten. It's a busy house tonight.   A quiet one too. All except for Corpus who's serenading us with intermittent snoring. It's a reminder to me that I need to close this down and get some sleep too. I'm headed to town again tomorrow. All is well throughout the lands... and I'm tired. You sleep well. I'm pretty sure I will too.BSandTs: nopeAandPs: heartache for Gutsy and her bad day.MandGs: slippery wet bog bridges...WAAH!Critter count: 1x red squirrel (boring)