Date: 2018-05-13
From: Snowbird Mountain

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Unfortunately I set up my tent on a slope so kept rolling off my pad and waking up. Finally got up around 6 and grabbed everyone¢s bear bags since the tree was in a thicket. Double O and I took off before everyone else were really up. The first part was easy downhill and went quicker than I thought. Still trying to gauge my pace, especially since I didn¢t have the updated Guthook for GPS until town. The rest of the morning was a little tougher, but found humor in a sign warning of pooping with a snake present. Not a mile later, Double O (Who for a good reason was in front) stopped me because he heard a large rattle. A couple feet ahead, chilling on a log was a rattlesnake that must have been as wide as my arm! I tried to take a picture, but couldn¢t get a good angle. We put some signs up/laid out sticks and went about ten feet off the trail to go around. Luckily he didn¢t move. Ninja Turtle caught up at this point so we were glad to warn him.A few miles further was a parking lot for Max Patch, a popular destination. There was a woman getting out of her car with two dogs we started playing with. Turns out her name is Mama Goose because she was an Army Medic who hiked the AT and PCT and is currently a physical therapist looking to complete the CDT and thus the triple crown. She was dropping off Pathfinder, a 76 year old woman who fell and hit her head near the NOC. Sounds like they basically called Mama Goose who had been nursing her back. So cool! She gave us fresh water and crackerjacks too. Eventually we made the descent to Max Patch, which originally was called Mack¢s Patch for a guy that introduced cattle grazing there. So it was basically a big mowed area lots of people picnic, play frisbee, etc. with 360 degree views. Basically all sorts of ¢frolicking¢.We found a good spot and ate lunch, called our moms for Mother¢s Day, and took naps. After about an hour when we were just putting on our packs, Banana Boy showed up. We were talking for a bit, and then came the Philly crew, nacho and wild man and basically our whole group. We must have looked so funny with all of the clean showered families having a picnic and our ratty looking group! After another couple hours we figured we had to leave so all caravanned our together except Wild Man who was camping up there. It must have been an amazing spot for sunset and stargazing, but would have made our day too short.The rest wasn¢t too steep, but after all that frolicking was a bit rough. When we got to the shelter, it didn¢t look super inviting so backtracked to a hill we had just passed. There were two loud women (I think mother/daughter) with ugly dogs who were already camping there but it was really the best option. Not to sound mean, but they were larger and only averaging a mile an hour at best so not sure they are going to make it. Bless their hearts.A bunch of people complained about how far the water was, but when I went down it was less than 0.2 miles! Guess it¢s all relative after a long day. It was pretty buggy, so we all got in our tents without the rain fly on to watch an amazing sunset. The mother/daughter talked about getting up at 5 so I was like oh, great. But falling asleep to that sunset was heaven.