Date: 2021-05-15
From: Mountain Garden Hostel

To: Laurel Creek Camp Site
Miles today: 8.9

Another great night's sleep last night in the hostel. Making up for the previous couple of nights I guess, plus the demands on my body from all this hiking! I slept a solid 9 hours, plus a bit. At about 9:30 last night while I was already asleep I thought I heard a timid little tap tap tap on my bedroom door. (It's a bunkroom but I'm the only one in it). I sort of woke up, but decided that surely that wasn't a real knock, maybe Wanda was laying against the door and wagging her tail. I rolled back over and there it was again--tap, tap, tap. A real knock. I turned on the lamp and opened the door to one of the most exhausted hikers I've ever seen. She had done some miscalculating in her hike prep, and ended up out on the trail after dark, after coming down Chestnut! Far from a road crossing. That last section after Chestnut is really rough and rocky. I would not want to be out there in the dark. She eventually got to the road crossing where, thank God, there is inexplicably phone service. She called the hostel, they went and got her, and there she was standing outside the bunkroom trying politely to get me to answer the door! I felt so bad! She got right into a bunk and was soon asleep. Today's hike is a lesson in trail logistics. I am maybe overcautious but I don't want to end up like the hiker last night. I had two choices for destinations today. There was a shelter in four and a half miles, and a campsite in almost nine. I prefer a shelter, but four miles just isn't enough anymore, I can hike farther than that. But some things are out of my control, and the hostel owner wasn't able to shuttle us back to the trail as early as we would have liked, and we didn't get started hiking until noon. That put a real crimp in my plans. I wanted to go to the campsite, but didn't think I could do it with such a late start. I reluctantly decided to go to the shelter. So, with all afternoon and only four miles to go, I took my time. The trail is almost exclusively in the woods now, other than the high meadow on Chestnut Ridge. The rhododendrons and mountain laurel are almost ready to bloom at the lower elevation, but not so much up at the higher altitude where I spend most of my time. I think a few more days of this warm weather would bring them into full glorious bloom. I can't wait to see them!When I got to Jenkins Shelter it was only three o'clock! I couldn't justify staying there. It looked like I had time to make it to the campsite before dark, so off I went. I was really trying now, I didn't want to get caught out after dark. Not all distances are equal to each other in relation to time. And elevation, which is all the information I have about a section, isn't the only factor in assessing its difficulty.  But I made it, and with time to spare, and there were a couple of friendly faces there, people I had met before. There aren't many people on the trail right now, lots of people have gone down to Damascus for Trail Days. I met a new guy tonight though, he's from Israel, and he hung my bear bag for me. I love meeting other hikers. They're interesting people.My hammock is hung and I'm ready for bed. I was too tired to cook a hot meal tonight, but I ate cheese and crackers and I feel fine. I think it's going to be warmer tonight!