Date: 2010-04-26
From: US 19E - Mountain Harbour B&B

To: Dennis Cove, USFS Road 50 - Kincora
Miles today: 24.4

Up at 6:45. With a bed, my pack is complete and ready to go. Eddie, from Germany, and Patches are still asleep. As it turned out, duh, the trailer did not turn out to be vacant after all. I went to bed at 10:00. Patches was still outside on the phone. I heard him come in later and felt him put a pillow between us. Whatever.Grabbed my pack. Brought it to the front porch. Terry and his wife were busy preparing the big breakfast that everyone was buzzing about yesterday. I have been smelling it since about 6:30. I went to the kitchen and settled up on my $18.00 bill. Paid, said thanks, and out the door at 7:05. People were starting to come up from the hostel and trailer. Started my walk up the road to the trailhead. Started the trail at about 7:20. A big day planned. 24.4 miles to Kincora. With a 50% chance of rain, I suspect I will get a bit wet today.Morning part of the hike was good. A small 1,000 foot climb was all I should have. About a mile in, I was into my climb. I came across an area that was used by ATV's. Big mud holes, muck and dug up trail. I got to an intersection in a small gap and there were five choices to go. No blazes or signs. I went up the way there was more of a trail. A hard up. About a third of a mile up, no blazes, so I went back down. Up another path, but that was not it. I kind of remembered that the first way was it so up I went again. About a half a mile up I found a blaze and, oh crap, a trail. I missed a turn in the valley. I had to go down the trail until I hit my missed turn. I think I know where it was. So to add injury-to-insult, I went a sharp down about one third mile. It was clear how I missed it. I think the ATV'ers were screwing with the hikers. Oh well. I know I did not hike this part in 2006 so I don't know if this is new or I missed it in 2006. Either way, I now walked it twice, once down and once up so either way I guess I'm covered.The trail was pretty good all day. I was frustrated from the lost time my morning mishap caused me to lose, and some areas of rocks, but reasonable for a big mileage day.Temps dropped, rain started, covered my pack and put on my rain jacket. Arrived around 4:30 to the road. Got to the hostel at 4:40. Heard I did not miss the town shuttle. Leaving in 10 minutes. Hostel was full. Put pack in the upper level, jumped in the back of the pick-up truck. Unfortunately, so did 16 other people. Everyone was packed in like sardines. Silly. Anyway, went to Arby's and the store. With a stove available in the hostel, I carried a noodle meal with me and I picked up a dozen eggs at the store.Back at the hostel I waited for a spot in line to cook. You need to be a bit of a dick to compete with the other dicks pushing their way in. Much of the group here has been here for 2-3 days now. Give me a break. And I hear that with the rain at 80% tomorrow, they are going to stay still another night. And many of them got a ride to the hostel and they were not sure if they would do the section they missed. Bronchitis, stomach flu, and a host of other sicknesses were being claimed. How about the big one, rain-itis. This is a continuation of the group that Greyhound told me about. I am pushing hard to get past them, i.e. them as in the big group.With my meal over, talked a bit and went to bed early. Rain tomorrow, Laurel Falls and two reasonable climbs. Glad to be here but I will also be glad to leave in the morning.Another good hiking day. Another disappointment with the crowds at the hostels.