Date: 2017-08-08
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Fork Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: light rain

Again, I waited to see if the weather would break before moving on.  Two northbound hikers came past the shelter early, so I was somewhat encouraged that I would be sharing  the trail with other people.  Despite the rain, which had slowed to a hard drizzle, I headed out.  I hiked in the drizzle for ten minutes before the sky cleared, and the promise of a better weather day came with a glimpse of sunshine.  The forest is dark enough under the canopy, but add an overcast sky to the mix, and it feels as though you're night hiking.  I welcomed that glimpse of sunshine with a very grateful heart. The hike was going well,  I passed an older gentleman who was taking a rest break.  We exchanged greetings,  but I was not convinced that he was doing as OK as he said he was.  He really looked beat.  As I continued on,  I couldn't help but think of this man--I should have stayed with him longer to make sure he was indeed "ok."  The trail took me down a long, rocky descent--the same path the older gentleman had just climbed.  No wonder he looked beat. I hit the landmarks earlier than expected and,  with two miles left to go,  felt I could afford the luxury of chatting with some people who were picnicking in the parking area.  They told me the trail I was going to be hiking used to be where an old railroad line ran.  I asked them about the high water route that my guidebook cautioned me about.  The man indicated the high water route will take me to the shelter, but it was no longer part of the AT, it was a blie blaze trail.  He mentioned that other hikers followed the AT and didn't report any problems with high water, despite the recent heavy rains.   I resumed hiking, and the next half mile was a beautiful, easy hike along the river.  When I reached the point where the high water bypass was,  I realized that there was really no way of knowing whether I should risk following the AT or play it safe and take the blue blaze.  Either way,  I would end up at the shelter.  I remained the purist and followed the white blazes.  The path consisted of rock steps that my trail sister would refer to as Paul Bunyan steps--in other words, steps that are better suited for people with super long legs.  It was grueling, but I reached bottom and was treated to a rushing waterfall--like a mini-Niagara.  I followed the trail along the river and came to a section where the trail was but a narrow ledge that hugged a big rock formation on one side and dropped off to the river on the other.  I'm not sure what I would gave done if I had met a hiker coming from the other direction.  Back on a "normal" trail again, I climbed upward for at least another half mile to the shelter, which I could easily have missed had I not seen the sign at a switchback behind me.The last two miles of the hike took forever, and it was already starting to get dark.  By the time I finished getting water and eating dinner, it was pitch black, and I could no longer see the tree limb I had pre-selected for my bear bag. I stuffed everything into an odor barrier bag and tucked it under a fallen tree.  And prayed.  Between worrying about the bear bag  and the noises from the critters who we living under the shelter (bigger than mice), I got very little sleep. At daybreak,  i found my bear bag intact.  I couldn't wait to leave.