Date: 2008-04-20
From: Jerry's Cabin Shelter

To: Hemlock Hollow Hostel
Miles today: 9.9

We awoke to more rain. Ugh! So much for the weather forecast that called for fair skies, 20% chance of rain and temps in the 60's. A thermometer in the shelter showed 39 degrees at 9 a.m., and no sign of the rain letting up.We stayed snug in our bags for a long time, watching the other hikers milling around, trying to get up the nerve to set out into the rain. At 11:00, the first group set out, and the shelter was empty by noon. We weren't in any rush, as we planned to hike just under ten miles today, and we kept hoping the rain would quit. We'd been warned that the next section of trail included a ridgeline rock scramble that included reaching up to climb over boulders and large steps up and down over slippery rocks. There is a "bad weather" side trail (the old route of the AT) that goes around the rocks, and since I still have rib and pulled muscle issues, I had already decided to take this blue blaze trail. But Hoover wanted to hike the boulder scramble, so were hoping things would dry up.We were in luck. By 12:30 the rain had stopped and we set out. When we came to the blue blaze thirty minutes later I took it, and Hoover continued on the AT. We agreed to meet at the sign on the other side of the bad weather detour.I took off confidently, as I had already hiked this section when it was the AT in 2003, and I didn't recall anything particularly tough about it. Ten minutes into the trail, I started having reservations about hiking alone. The blue blazed trail was easy to follow at first, but became confusing half a mile later. I came to a tree with a large blue arrow pointing straight downhill, and blue blazes all the way down as far as I could see, but there wasn't a well-worn trail to follow. Straight ahead was the well-worn path I'd been following, but no blue blazes were in sight. My instinct was to continue straight ahead on the well-worn trail, so I went 20 yards further on it and still did not see a blue blaze. I turned back and headed downhill at the arrow, following the blazes, but it just didn't feel right. After 30 yards or so the blazes petered out, so again I retraced my steps UP the slippery hill, back onto the trail. Again I set out the way I'd thought was right all along, and, after what seemed a LONG way, I finally spotted another blue blaze. Later, as I stepped over a "blow down", a tree that had fallen over the trail, I stepped onto the edge of the trail and it gave away under my foot. I nearly slipped down the steep hill (a fall that would definitley have ended my hiking days), but I barely managed to keep from going over. A brief panic attack ensued, but I pulled myself together and hiked the remaining mile or so to the junction where I was to meet Hoover. While I waited there for him to arrive, I swore to myself that that was my final solo hike on the AT.Meanwhile Hoover was having a lot of fun on the boulder scramble and was rewarded with great views. It was tough, slow going along that section though, and he expressed relief that I had not attempted it. We hiked on, enjoying the beautiful (read: no big climbs) trail and the fresh-washed woods. We stopped for the day at Hemlock Hollow Hostel where we got a small cabin, took hot showers, and had cold sodas and ice cream to celebrate a good day on the AT.