Date: 2022-05-02
From: Lambert Meadow Shelter

To: Johns Spring Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

I got up pretty early, but several others got out ahead of me [going the other direction] ¢ I¢m still rather slow getting going.It¢s a pretty gradual climb up to Tinker Cliffs, at a 90o turn in the ridge. There are some good-looking cliffs to walk up thru to get to the top, then the Trail is along the cliffs for several miles. I passed thru ¢Scorched Earth Gap¢ before climbing up there ¢ wonder where that name came from.The views from the cliffs are impressive, except for the cement plant just to the North [Yesterday, the views were impeded by fog]. Signs prohibit camping atop the cliffs [& for several miles down to McAfee¢s Knob]. I can see why hikers might want to camp there: lots of nice open woods with level, grassy spots that look like good tent sites. I¢ll admit to having camped there 15-20 years ago, before all the signs went up.Hikers met today included several with no name, plus Wipe-out, Hunter, Frodo [Ger.], Wolf, Sparkles, Renaissance, Hillbilly, Mixed-Up, E.F.Hutton, Vincent, Neon, Relish, Pantless, Goodall, Sunshine, Shim, O.T., Dividit, Perseverence, Keeps, Macho-Man, Stelios.After almost a half mile of cliffs, the Trail goes down a few hundred feet for several miles, then up again to McAfee Knob. But first it follows a power line r.o.w. for a bit to end up at Campbell shelter. Just before the shelter, there was a substantial blowdown, lots of branches, but nothing very thick; so I spent a half hour clearing that out with my saw.A couple arrived from the other direction just as I reached the shelter & started to fix lunch. I had received some very moldy bread in a delayed mail-drop. I usually am not bothered by surface mold [some of my heavy, home-made, whole wheat bread has lasted almost a month on the trail], but this was very invasive, & it required a bit of work to find the usable parts. Several other people arrived at the shelter before I was ready to leave.Less than a mile uphill from there to McAfee¢s Knob. Lots of people there, both day-hikers & backpackers. In fact there are now two trails down from there, an easy one to the parking lot & a little harder one for backpackers. I rested a little at the top, took in the scenery, & got someone to take my picture. Then I started down, past Catawba Mtn shelter, then down steeply to Johns Spring shelter. No one there, as I got set up, but hikers began to arrive, 8-10 before they were done. Many of them were people I had met on the trail earlier or at McAfee¢s Knob. They camped or hammocked at various spots around the shelter & spent a lot of time at the picnic table. One made a big deal of building a fire; by the time it was going no one seemed interested. At least, not much smoke came into the shelter. Altho I had met then separately, they mostly seemed to be a group of people who worked together at a hospital in the area. It was interesting to learn something about their jobs & relationships.I tried to get some sleep, & eventually everyone else went to bed too. Then at about 10:30, a group of 4 men & a woman arrived, making lots of noise & flashing lights as they took over the rest of the shelter. I just stayed in my corner & looked like I was asleep. I got a few hours sleep, till about 4:00, & then they were up & out ¢ just as obnoxious as before.