Date: 2014-04-10
From: Campsite (~Mountaineer Shelter)

To: Shook Branch Recreation Area
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

Although I was the first one up at the campsite it took me forever to get my things in order today and I left after everyone. While I do enjoy starting cold and hiking into a comfortable temperature this morning was perhaps a little too cold to start in shorts and a t-shirt and it was a few miles before I was comfortable. About that time I passed Trix and stopped to get the story of yesterdays events. It turned out that after deciding to spend the day in the shelter she had stopped to get water, realized that it wouldn't be any better at the shelter, and turned around again. A stop in Roan Mountain hadn't been on our agenda and so she hadn't hitched in and instead had passed us while we gorged on burgers. Thinking we were still ahead of her she had pressed on until dark while we came along behind her.Trix was just beginning to pack up when I came through so I left her to that, intent on getting my own breakfast going. I met up with Listen, Squirrel, and Chef at the scenic bench. We sat watching the shadows run before the sun in the valley below us while munching on oatmeal. Trix just after everyone had headed out and we hiked the rest of the morning together.After the falls yesterday I was pretty excited for Hardcore Cascades, but it wasn't quite deserving of that name. We stopped there for a snack before continuing on to the next shelter. There we found Moose and Flipper just beginning to get up at noon. They had night hiked without headlamps until 3am clocking a solid 37 miles - putting in work to catch up with the rest of The Herd.From the shelter Trix and I hiked loosely with Rabbit until the road Kincora Hostel is on. Listen, Squirrel, and Chef were planning on staying there as friends had given it rave reviews. We met Chef briefly before he caught a shuttle into town. We also met The Princess Tour at their car. They had just gotten their latest resupply and the unused portions of their previous boxes were set out as impromptu hiker boxes. We stopped to chat with them while we figured out what our plans for the night were. At some point in there they offered to slackpack us the next 8 miles and pick up some dinner for us - how can you refuse that offer?We loaded up two day packs they lent us and set off on what felt like clouds. Pretty crazy how it feels to hike without 40 pounds on your back - Trix (and her moccasin-worn feet) were particularly excited about it and set off down the trail running. We hit Laurel Falls, stopped for a few pictures, got a little lost finding the trail again, but eventually found our way along the river until we caught up with Flipper and Moose at the base of the mountain. They were camping at the top and Moose, not to be stood up by some slackpackers, set off up mountain, pack and all, at a pace we were hard pressed to match. He had stop about 3/4 of the way up though and we continued on just in time to catch a bright red sunset through the still-bare trees at the summit.Dusk matched our descent down the other side and it was dark before we had reached the meeting point. I had given the headlamp to Trix so she didn't screw her feet up even more and it was the first time I had night hiked with just the moon. I stopped at one point thinking Trix was right behind me but realized after some silence that the shadow I was seeing wasn't from the headlamp but instead from the moon.Flash and Valley Girl pulled up right as I was getting off the trail and before long we were seated with Noodle and Rabbit at the pavilion with a big old bag of Micky D's and a box of pizza hut. They stayed with us while we ate before retiring to their campground across the lake but not before extending an offer to bring Trix into town for real shoes the next day. Many thanks were given and we said good night before setting about illegally staking our tents on the pavilion lawn - what badass hikers we were.