Date: 2014-09-09
From: Little Rock Pond shelter

To: Peru Peak shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

September 9--Little Rock Pond shelter to Peru Peak shelter--10+ milesYou may ask why today's mileagehas a plus. When one is lost, it's difficult to gauge how many extra miles one has gone. My guess is that I trekked 13 miles today. We awoke to another perfect morning. I went out to the pond to take in the morning view. Mist rose above the pond as the sunlight hit the tops of the trees. It was almost as exquisite as the full moon and the cry ofthe loon from the night before.We were ready and out on the trail by 7:20, eagerly looking forward to a swim at Griffith Lake. The trail gently ascended 1,000 feet in four miles until we reached Baker Peak. Mica schist stood in sharp layers, a challenge to walk upon. However, I found a perfect spot to sit and enjoyed the view with my lunch. Siva and I spent about an hour, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the view of the peaks we had yet to climb. They always look so intimidating from afar but are always conquered. As we left the sunshine and dropped back into the woods, I had to focus on my feet. The footing was rough and a shoelace caught in a root or a slip of the boot on a gravel covered rock could result in a hike-ending injury. Apparently, I missed a turn in the trail and continued straight ahead. The trail dropped to the foot of Baker Mountain while the AT slabbed the side of the mountain over to Griffith Lake. My ankles and knees were aching from the steep descent, but little did I know what lay ahead for me. When I reached the end of the trail, a signpost pointed one way to Rt 7 and the other way to Griffith Lake. My guide said that I would reach a junction with the Old Job trail and the Griffith Lake trail and that the tenting sites were .3 mile beyond. So, I blithely headed in the direction of Griffith Lake. But when I looked for a blaze on that trail, the only blaze I saw was blue, not white (the color of AT blazes). I crossed a river on slippery rocks and followed the trail to Rt 7, which I assumed was the Old Job trail. There were no blazes on that trail. So I walked back over the river and stood at the junction, pizzled. Pizzled, you ask. That's pissing in my pants and puzzled at the same time. And then, I looked up the trail I had just come down, always a wise move when pizzled. To my horror, the blaze on that trail was blue! I was not on the AT and had no idea how far I was from it. To reclimb that steep trail is what is advised. Retrace your steps until you find where you erred. Well, I'd been going for hours and could not fathom going back up the mountain. After all, the sign pointed to Griffith Lake. Maybe I was close to it but just on a different path. So I continued on the blue-blazed trail in hopes that Griffith Lake would soon appear. That trail began to climb and I kept on going. After an hour or do, I began to worry that Siva might backtrack looking for me. I tried to call her but could get no cell signal. I kept my phone on in case she tried to call. As I walked further and further, I started to wonder if I was going to have to spend the night in these woods,alone and lost. I had very littlefood because the plan was to resupply in Manchester the following day. The trail leveled off and became quite walkable. I sped up and strained my eyes in search of an opening in the trees that might indicate a lake. Finally, I came upon a "You are here" sign. Incongruous as that may seem--I have never seen a "you are here"sign in the woods--I was relieved. And under that sign was a snow white blaze! I had found the AT!Ahead of me were puncheons which mad the walking quite nice. Soon, I saw the lake to my left. I could feel my stress level dropping. But I was still worried about where Siva might be, hoping that she hadn't gone looking for me. I came upon a pair of shoes with red socks sitting at the edge of the trail. I recognized them as Siva's and laughed to myself. Where would Siva be without her shoes? Siva? I called. Yeeeessss! She replied. She was sitting in the sun at the water's edge. I picked up her shoes and followed a side trail to the water. "You won't believe what happened to me!" I exclaimed, so happy to see her. I proceeded to tell her all about my harrowing adventure as I stripped down to my swimsuit. We breathed a sigh of relief and slowly slipped into the cool lake water. As I swam in the clear water, all my stress left my body, leaving me relaxed and invigorated at the same time. We sat in the rocks in the warm sunshine before dressing again and hoisting our packs. The shelter was only a half mile away, and we strolled along together, happy that all was well. I'm in the shelter for the night, and Siva is in her hammock. Darkness has fallen and it's time for bed. I am so thankful that I am not out in the woods tonight, alone and lost. Life is good.