Date: 2004-06-08
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Back in the Rinse Cycle
Miles today: 19.0

At the shelter this morning, Kato said that he was carrying too much food and gave me one packet each of pre cooked spaghetti and beef stew. After hiking a short distance, I stopped to rest prior to beginning a four mile ascent. I was hungry and ate cold the spaghetti and stew. The ascent was a hard one, but the reward was some nice scenery during the upper couple of miles. There the trail passed through some large pastures with lush grasses, crimson colored sedges, swaths of dandelions, grasshoppers galore, and butterflies fluttering about. Like many of the delights on the Appalachian Trail, there were some less than delightful aspects to contend with. There was one field in particular that was spectacular with scenery, but was inundated with flies. When I stopped to snap a photo, they landed in large numbers upon my clothing and bare arms. Another aggravation was that the grasses were still soaked from dew. My shoes and socks became wet.At the top of the mountain, Zip Off, Kato, and I ate lunch in a stone shelter. Unlike most shelters, this one did not have an open side; it was a single room building with four walls, a door, and windows.During lunch, the sun shined over the shelter but the surrounding skies were dark. The rumblings of thunder became frequent and closer. It was probable that a thunder storm would overtake the area. This expectation posed a dilemma: whether to hike on to the next shelter, a distance of ten miles, or remain at the stone shelter, a perfect haven from the storm. But it would mean spending the entire day and night at this place.Zip Off, Kato, and I decided to push on to the next shelter. After one mile of hiking, the rain arrived. At the same spot on the trail, the three of us prepared for the onslaught. I had my umbrella but did not put on a rain jacket; this system enables me to better ventilate my sweat. Zip Off placed a poncho over himself and his backpack; this was a traditional batten down the hatches approach. Kato bent over and stripped off his shirt, preferring to ride out the storm with nothing on his upper body except for his backpack.It rained for about 3/4 of an hour then petered out. My system of an umbrella and no rain jacket worked fine, although my legs and feet were wet. Then the trail became narrow and passed through some belts of rhododendron shrubs. The thick green leaves were dripping wet with cold water. As I passed through them, they rubbed against my body and soaked me. What a cold and miserable sensation that was. It became necessary to put on my rain jacket, even though the rain was not actually stopped.A second thunderstorm moved in with heavier rains then the previous one. This time, I had to wear a rain jacket because the downpour was a hard one. It rained for the rest of the hike. I became wet, chilled, and felt miserable.As a further torment, the terrain on a long, wooded ridge became exceedingly rocky. Each step among these wet and slippery rocks had to be carefully selected. Late in the afternoon, a rock gave way under my feet and I felt myself falling to the ground. Just before I landed, I gently tossed the umbrella ahead; I did not want to wreck it upon my landing. I was uninjured from the fall.I reached the Jenkins Shelter during the evening. It was a small shelter and was occupied by four hikers¢a thru hiker named Slow Barbara, a long section hiker named Susan, and a middle aged couple hiking a few days; their names elude me. I could sense that they were not happy that another hiker had arrived. Within the cramped quarters, there was wet clothing and gear hanging all over the place. I announced to these people that two more hikers¢Zip Off and Kato¢would also be staying in the shelter. I could sense that these people were not happy to hear this, and I don't blame them. For me, the thought of cramming myself into this dank and crowded interior was unpleasant, especially after hiking for so long in the rain.Soon, Zip Off and Kato arrived. Kato was wearing his rain gear. They were not happy to observe this slum like condition.I ate supper in the shelter and prepared to clean out my pot. Typically, I pour water into it, and then reach for some leaves to scrub it out with. Then I rinse it with some more water and dry it with a bandana. When I next boil water, it sterilizes the pot. The system is effective. On this evening, with little ambient light remaining, I walked down a side path with the cleaning water in the pot. I bent down and prepared to pick up some leaves for scrubbing with. At the last second, with my fingers just about to touch the ground, I realized that what appeared in the darkness as leaves was actually decaying human feces. What a close call!The rain tapered off and I strung out my hammock between some trees in the vicinity of the shelter. I will hopefully sleep better in the privacy of my hammock. My bailing out of the slum, err shelter, will open up some room for Zip Off and Kato.