Date: 2003-06-14
From: Campsite

To: Another campsite
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Starting Location: campsiteDestination: Another campsite!Mileage: 8.0Date: 6.14.03 Well, last night was an adventure in sleep! It wasn't that I didn't want to, but there were some very strange noises in the forest last night, and Bumpkin agreed with me that there was something very big moving around out there! Add a rambunctious mouse trying to chew his way into my tent, and you can see why I didn't get a great deal of sleep! Luckily, the food bag survived the night unscathed, so morning found us sleepily packing up and getting on our way. We had a little bit more of the climb up to the ridge, and before you knew it, we were walking along the top of the mountain through groves of ferns that grew waist high. The first three miles went by quickly and before long we came to a stile that crossed into a big rolling cow pasture. A stile is a small system of wooden steps that allows you to cross a fence. Most hikers have crossed lots of them at this point, but due to my hiatus from the hike, this was my first one. As my nameattests, my balance is not very good, so I was a little nervous, but it turned out to be no problem! In fact, I crossed three within the hour, so I got over my fear. :) As we walked over this huge field that covered the top of the ridge we saw lots of evidence of cows, but no animals themselves. I was a little disapointed cause I wanted to see one close up, but little did I know, my time was coming!   The second stile we crossed took us over the fence to the shelter, and we stopped by for lunch. We ran into Spur and Ready, two thru-hikers that have also done the Pacific Crest Trail. They are super hikers, and just as nice as they can be! They told us to be sure to read all the jokes in the register, and off they went.   We were sitting there munching on our lunch when all of the sudden all these cows showed up! They congregated around the fence in front of the shelter and settled in for lunch. There were a ton of babies, a bunch of mothers, and one bull that was not interested in us at all. The other cows, however, must of thought we were a food source, cause they were here to stay! Finally Bumpkin convinced me that they would get out of our way, and that it was safe to go back over the stile. Just to be sure, I stood on the very top of the fence, threw my arms open wide, and said, "I come in peace!   I do not eat you!!". Of course, Bumpkin had to start saying, "I eat you!! Yumm, steak, hamburgers, ..yum!". I just hoped that if they were going to attack, they could tell the difference between the vegetarian and the carnivore! :)   After we said goodbye to the cows, we came upon three men that had come up to the top of the world to scatter their mothers ashes. They said she had lived her whole life down in the valley, and that her dying wish was to be scattered up on that mountain. Looking around, I realized that we would all be lucky to rest in such a beautiful place.   We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking along in the waist high ferns pointing out snails and salamanders to each other. Late in the afternoon we heard it....thunder. I am sure that you know that a ridge is not the best place to be caught in a thunder storm! Unfortunately, when the ridge is 17 miles long, its not like you can run for it, so we just trudged along trying to avoid the tallest trees. After giving us a good soaking, the weather pretended to clear up just as we began to cross this huge meadow. Looking out across the wild flowers and brambles, you could see forever! I looked at Bumpkin and said, "You do understand that it has to be done.....". "What?", she asks, at which point I burst into song. "The hills are alive....with the sound of music"! Bumpkin, being who she is, joined right in. :) Near the end of the meadow we found a beautiful campsite with a view to die for. However, no sooner had we set up our tents and scarfed down some instant potatos for dinner, a cloud settled right on top of our mountain and the bottom opened up. We ran for our tents, grabbed our radios and discovered that "Prarie Home Companion" was on. Anyone hiking the AT near us tonight wouldn't be able to see us, but they would hear two women laughing hysterically in their individual tents, and then later singing the "Star Spangled Banner" with the radio audience in honor of today being Flag Day.    Now, I am snuggled in my bag listening to folk music on NPR. All I can see outside my tent is a wall of gray as the cloud has moved in for the night. Tomorrow I have to put on soaking wet, cold clothes, yuck! But for now, I am warm and dry and very, very happy.   Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com