Date: 2003-06-22
From: Craig Creek Valley

To: Trout Creek
Miles today: 7.6

Date: June 22, 03Starting Location: Craig Creek ValleyDestination: Trout CreekMileage: 7.6What A Day!!! Morning found us all waking early and making a leisurely breakfast as we got ready to hit the trail. Our plan for the day is as follows, Bumpkin and Charlie were going to do Dragons Tooth, while I was going to do the 7.6 miles that Bumkin did yesterday. Several of the hikers ganged up on me and said that they didn't think that I should do Dragons Tooth, cause of my foot. I finally acquiesed, but did not feel great about it. Bumpkin made me feel better by saying that after I do the White Moiuntins, I could come back and it would be a breeze.   So, Go Happy and Li'l Bit kindly drove me to the trailhead. These are brothers that had been hiking together and they are just as nice as they could be! They went out of their way for me and I really appreciate it!   The plan was to hike the trail and to come out at the same place on the trail where Charlie and Bumpkin will. I knew they are pretty fast, so off I went! The hike was wonderful! The sky was a brilliant blue, and there was NO rain! :) The temperature was warm with a cool breeze......you really can't ask for better weather!   I went uphill for 3.5 miles, and without a pack, it wasn't so bad! :)At the top is a memorial to Audie Murphy, a highly decorated war hero that died near the spot. Tradition dictates that you take a small rock and place it on the memorial for luck. I placed three...for Bumpkin, Charlie, and myself. I love taking part in these trail traditions! They remind me that I am really out here!   As I hiked down off of the ridge, I played a constant game of 'dodge the cicadias'! I keep hearing that these only show up every 17 years. I don't know if that is true, but this is a really big year for them! For two weeks they hung on every surface, be it tree limb, fence post, or hiking gear. They are natures version of a car alarm and have been almost a constant companion for the hiker for the last few weeks. Some people complain, but to me it is the true soundtrack of summer, and I love it.   Now, however, I think they are entering their dying phase, cause the forest floor is litered with their colorful bodies, and the remaining ones are performing kamikaze acts of flying. There must be milions still left, though, cause the air is full of their singing! One thing I can tell you, if you want to see the circle of life, it is here all around you!   My hike was beautiful, but I was trying to keep a fast pace, cause I didn't want Bumpkin and Charlie to wait for me. As it turns out, we all three came down our respective trails at the exact same time! I was so proud! They had a great time on Dragons Tooth, and they both agreed that I had made a good decision by not going. The rocks were fairly intense, so I will save it til fall. We sat at the creek, soaked our feet, and talked for the next hour. It was idyllic and time passed quickly. The water was icy cold, and skating bugs crisscrossed the surface as Charlie skipped stones and we passed the bag of trail mix back and forth. It was yet another favorite trail memory. :)   Dell showed up to shuttle us back to the hostel and we immediately started working on him. "Dellll....", we whined, "We want to go to Ruby Tuesdays!!". We were craving salad in a major way! Well, poor Dell had all kind of plans for his evening, but they were no match for the wiles of Bumkin and Mudbutt! :) Being the big-hearted sweetie that he is, he piled 7 hikers into his truck and hauled us to Ruby Tuesdays. Sitting in the back of a pickup truck with Charlie, Pirate, and Winnebago sailing down the back roads of Virginia.....it just doesn't get any better!!!!   After dinner, Dell got a message that our friend Cheerio might be injured North of us on the trail, so we decided unanimously to go try to find her and help. We drove for a while and found the nearest side trail, but day hikers informed us that the closest shelter was still 6 miles up. Without headlamps, we couldn't go up that far, so we resolved to come back in the morning.   On the way back, Dell took us on a driving tour through the Catawba State Hospital where he nurses. This is the state mental hospital, and while it may sound strange to take a driving tour through one, it was so neat! The facility is very old and sprawls over beautiful grounds. I really enjoyed it!   A quick stop for ice cream and we were back at the hostel. About 12 more hikers have shown up and the place is crowded with gear and makeshift stoves set up to cook hot dogs. We found out that Cheerio was ok and at a nearby shelter, so we heaved a sigh of relief.   We make a haphazard, kooky sort of family. We don't know each other, but we speak as if we have been friends forever. Our shared experiences create a bond that cannot be explained, but that is a certainty among most hikers. As I look around at my makeshift family, I am so happy that I am a part of it, and even more, that my brother is a part of it.   I leave you with one more thing...as we were flying through the hillside in the back of the truck, Charlie looked up and said, "The question is...is everyone exactly where they want to be at this moment?" The answer was a resounding,unanimous yes. :)   Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com