Date: 2014-10-21
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

It was chilly and foggy as we woke. I got cold waiting for our group to pack up their things. I had brought two pairs of fleece gloves and gave one pair to Tracy. As we hiked northern exposures, the wind blew fiercely. The wind was blocked when we hiked southern exposures. The day alternated between fierce, cold wind and chilly in the sun. I told Tracy, "Remember Warren Doyle talking about bad weather rest days? This is what he was talking about."   Linda's feet were bothering her. She had made arrangements with my husband before we left, that she might stop at Newfound Gap where he was going to meet us to restock. I offered to take some weight of her pack. She said she carried it in and she was going to carry it out.   Years ago, my husband and I hiked from Newfound Gap to Icewater Springs Shelter. I had read in the shelter log of a woman who celebrated her birthday with a sunrise at Charlies Bunion. I told Tracy and Linda I wanted to see Charlies Bunion so I was going to hike ahead and meet up with them at the intersection. I hiked ahead. At Charlies Bunion, which is a rock outcrop with a northern exposure, the wind was fiercer than ever. I stayed only long enough to take pictures.   I got back to the intersection of the AT to Charlies Bunion. The wind was fierce and I put on more layers. Some hikers came from the north toward the Icewater Springs Shelter. I asked them if they had seen Tracy and Linda. They said they were moving and coming along. I started hiking toward Tracy and Linda. I thought about carrying Linda's pack. Then I realized I could not do that if I was carrying my pack. I waited a few minutes and started shivering. I realized my getting hypothermia was not going to help anyone. I decided to go to the shelter that was only one mile away, eat warm food and if they had not shown up, to go back for them, leaving my pack at the shelter.   I arrived at an almost packed shelter. There were only three spaces left, one upper bunk and two lower bunks. I told them Tracy and Linda were going to be tired when they came in, so I would take the upper bunk. I fixed dinner at the bar/shelf, in the wind. I was trying to obey the Park rules. I shivered as I waited for my dinner to be ready. The woman next to me said that she was trying to imagine something warm like her blood boiling. I said I was imagining laying on the beach on one of those sweltering days that there is sweat pooling in my navel. She said she could picture a drop of sweat dripping off her nose. It did help some.   A young strapping man asked me if Linda would let him carry her pack. I said I had offered to carry some weight earlier in the day and she said no, but she would probably say yes now. I said PLEASE go get them. He left and was back in a minute. He had forgotten his hiking poles. Off he want again. He came back in 15 minutes or less, wearing Linda's backpack with Linda and Tracy. My food was ready, so I offered it to Linda. She asked what I would eat. My thought was I would eat whatever she had planned to eat. The precautions by CDC for norovirus say to not share food. Linda declined. The people in the shelter made room for Linda and Tracy by the fireplace. I ate. Tracy and Linda fixed their dinners. I boiled water and put it in my empty Gatorade bottle. I put the bottle at my feet in my sleeping bag. I went to get in my sleeping bag. I asked if there was a ladder. "No" I used my caving experience to climb to the upper bunk.