Date: 2018-06-13
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept great in my tent last night. My eyes opened up at 5:48am to the sounds of other hikers getting ready to start their day. I guess I wasn¢t quite ready to start mine, because the next time I looked at my watch it was 6:40am! Breakfast was a high calorie cliff bar with some cheese. I washed that down with some tang. Tang has become my drink of choice lately.  There was a SOBO getting her gear together at the same time I was. We were both a little behind and a little disorganized, but our conversation was great!  She is from England and she¢s here to hike the southern half of the A.T. From Harpers Ferry to Springer. She¢s already hiked the PCT and part of the CDT. She¢s also done the Camino. That¢s what really got my attention. Papa Big Swig and I are looking into that as a 2020 adventure.  It¢s a 500+ miles hike, but every night you stay in a hostel or a church. It¢s really a pilgrimage that starts in France and ends in Spain at St.James Cathedral. I¢m looking forward to it! The rest of my tramily is coming too! It will be a 2020 Tramily reunion.  We all said our goodbyes and the pleasantries ended there. The trail said...Good morning Blue Raccoon, you will now begin your straight up climb for 2.5 hours up to 3730ft elevation to Kelly Knob. No switchbacks, and plenty of rocks.  Wowzers!  I was feeling the burn! My gluteus Maximus was on fire!!!  Don¢t get me wrong, there were some beautiful sections. I saw an area of small white pines. Their needles were so soft and fragile. New growth always makes me smile. And of course my Mountain Laurel!  I hiked the whole way up alone. I really like hiking alone. It gives me time to think. I bet I have a hundred different conversations with myself everyday. Today I was thinking about food. I¢m on day 4 with only trail food and right now I want some of Papa Big Swig ¢s spaghetti with a fresh salad. He makes the best spaghetti sauce, and the best salads.  I took a break after Kelly Knob at the next shelter. My tramily met me there.  We hiked the next mile or two together. In the woods it was dark and dreary all day. Clouds were looming overhead. The humidity was a force to be reckoned with too. To be fair we were ALL pretty uncomfortable. But then suddenly in true Trail fashion, we popped out of the woods into a beautiful sunny open pasture! Hugs had to look back in amazement. She said ¢It¢s hard to believe we were just in there, and now it¢s like this!¢  The next mile or so was all pasture with cows in the distance. There were a lot of orange and brown butterflies flitting around. I really enjoy watching them dance from flower to flower. Eventually the pasture hiking ended on a road past an old barn. I loved the smell of wet straw and fresh round hay bales as I hiked past the barn. It reminded me of my horse racing days. The niceties ended again. Another UP just as difficult as the first one. Thunder was beginning to get close and I knew this was going to be tough. Tough wasn¢t the word. It was grueling!  My hike did take me past a 300 year old oak tree. It was truly a grand thing to see. Not only was the trunk big and round, the limbs were too. Just as I left the Oak tree a red bird flew right in front of me. I thought it was a cardinal, but Hugs had one fly in front of her too and it was not. So many times I wanted to just stop and pitch my tent right there on the rocks, but I could here my dad say ¢c¢mon Sis you can do this¢. So I did. I could even envision his face and he was smiling.  That was the best part of my day.  The rain showers came. They were light showers and it made the air feel heavier. I was hoping it would cool things down. Nonetheless I trudged on all the way to Sarver Hollow Shelter. I had consumed 4 liters of water today, and probably sweat every ounce of it back out.  Dinner was chicken & dumplings Mountain House meal and another liter of water. I think I¢m finally rehydrated.  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?