Date: 2008-05-29
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: 1 mile N. of Cornelius Creek shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

A wood thrush is performing a major work of modern music, with the surrounding woods as silent as a concert hall between notes. Its 8 PM, and in this small area of tent sites V8 and I are set up, as are three other NOBOS. The air is cooling off, as I needed my tights, rain pants, long sleeve jersey and insulated jacket to be warm enough to cook supper. It should be great sleeping weather tonight.   Clear skies all day, we started out from Cove Mt. and ascended into somefog. It was forming shafts of sunlight through the trees, and I think I got some good shots of that effect. Today's challenge was Floyd Mt., innocent enough in name, but long, steep and only partially switched-back.    We set out to do 8 miles to Bryant Ridge shelter for a lunch stop,and took advantage of a few sunny spots to hang our sox and boot liners and footgear. My Keen boots were soaked through from yesterday's rain, and the wool sox I wore, too. I put them on wet this morning, as I wanted to keep my only other pair of sox dry. I am so glad I did! Both are closer to dry than they were this morning, but still damp and aromatic.   V8 was in the lead this morning when I heard a bird flush out of the bushes. As I looked ahead of V8, the ground in front of her looked funny, as if it were moving. Then we saw the camoflaged tiny turkey chicks, all busy trying to run for cover, peeping their little day old heads off. The hen had flown away from them and kept on going, trying to distract us from her brood. We walked on, trying to interfere as little as possible, in hopes that she would round up her family soon and proceed with whatever they were doing on the trail.    After lunch at the 20 person Bryant Ridge shelter, we struck off for the uphill part of the day, and from 12 to 3 pm, we climbed. I was hot and sticky, smelled bad from the soaked backpack pad, and just could not believe how many times we turned a corner and went up again. I wrestled with my attitude, and did a lot of thinking about managing hard things. I was bored, tired, and digging down deep for some positive conversation. We stopped at Cornelius Creek shelter for a snack and to see if we could do another few miles. The creek was barely running, a shallow, leaf clogged flowage. I filled a 20 oz bottle there and we moved on.   Not far from the shelter path we were about to cross the creek again, when V8 stopped and talked out loud, something like, "I guess you need to drink, too!" I peered around her and saw the only rattle snake I have ever seen in the wild, all black and gray diamond pattern, clattering softly like a rainstick as it moved toward the bushes. We were both in awe, as this was a rare and precious sighting for these northern hikers. Its middle was almost as big as my wrist, and it looked to be about 3 feet long. Maybe 4 rattles on its tail? After V8 went by, it was watching from the bushes, probably wanting to go finish its drink, and I tapped my pole lightly to see its response. It began a slow, quiet rattle, until I moved on up the path. Crazy Horse had talked about these snakes, telling us that they economize on venom, often bite without poison, and try to save their energy for food. Hence they tend to want to warn off animals they can't consume. He said they were not aggressive, and that certainly was my experience. What a powerful encounter!    When we came to the tent site we had heard about, it was next to another little creek that was even drier than the last. I dug out a trough in the sodden piles of leaves clogging the current, and a 3" channel formed after the silt settled. I had wished hard for a vigorous creek with enough water to bathe myself downstream, but that seems to be unrealistic this season. I brought my little cook pot over and my wash cloth, and by dipping and washing and rinsing, repeat X4, got some of the salt and grime off my limbs and face and neck. I threw the dirty wash water well into the weeds away from the creek, then took time to clean the pot itself. Tedious, but necessary. Later I scooped 2 liters by half cupfuls, and treated it for drinking and cooking.   We are still in between clusters of hikers, we saw Zach and Duncan pass us today, but still no Liberty and Helen, Barley and Rain or Yaz, Leaping Turtle, or Aqua Maria and Tailgate.    I do believe the animals we saw helped ameliorate that touch of loneliness.Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame