Date: 2022-10-10
From: Uncle JohnnyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hostel (Exit at Spivey Gap 19W) Mile 333.9

To: Established Site by Sugarloaf Branch Mile 312
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: clear sky

We had arranged for a 7AM shuttle this morning to get back to the trail head. The hostel has a microwave and toaster but not a kitchen so breakfast was a hodgepodge of leftovers and remaining town food from the grocery store. We got shuttled back to Spivey Gap which of course meant we had to climb out. Definitely noticed the added weight in the pack compared to yesterday on the climb out. On one of the first peaks we came across the Blue Ridge Bird Observatory Big Bald Banding Station run by the US Dept of the Interior and US Geological Survey. Here they catch, count, band and release unharmed migratory birds to monitor bird population health. There are lots of nets hung from poles and a monitoring blind just off the trail. They ask hikers to ¢hike without delay¢ through the area. I didn¢t see any birds and it looked like the blind was empty. Eventually after walking through several meadows we came out on top of Big Bald. From here we gad 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. The trees are getting closer to their peak. Most of the mountains are somewhat far away so we¢re getting somewhat muted colors compared to some of the closer mountain views. We ended up eating a snack and soaking in the views and sun on top. It¢s interesting to compare the difference in how the mountains pop between hillsides that are close by where you can see individual trees vs further mountains where the colors blend together. Eventually we headed down and worked our way through the woods until we came out on a narrow sunny meadow. We picked this spot to eat to take advantage of the sun and the views back towards Big Bald. While eating lunch we debated the spot for tonight. The original option which would require carrying water uphill to a dry camp spot. The alternative is to go further and camp by a stream in a smaller area. Eventually we chose to push on to the further site along Sugarloaf Branch. After lunch I was a ways behind Coach and Orchid when they saw a bear. It came scampering down from a tree as they passed and then quickly ran away. As we were descending along Sugarloaf Branch there was a different type of low ground cover I don¢t remember seeing before. The understory was filled with this. Just before camp there was a switchback that had an odd lighting effect. The late afternoon sun was shining on the hillside which glowed yellowish orange with the changing leaves. However looking back to the hill we just descended it was in shadow and appearing blueish green. It was quite a stark contrast between the two. We found a site but it only held two tents. Orchid and I setup here while Coach went 200m down trail to another spot. We all ate dinner together at our camp site. The wind is starting to pick up and even though it¢s not that cold out it feels chilly. We didn¢t last long after dinner before we went our separate ways to bed. There is another camp or house nearby as I can hear dogs barking and occasionally people as well. Steps 40300Weather Forecast: 61/42 sunny