Date: 2004-07-10
From: Brown Mt. Creek Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

I was so tired last night that I slept until 7:30 AM. This is pretty unusual for me, I'm normally up soon after the sun rises. I needed the sleep though, and this was a pretty area to take it easy in. There is a beautiful creek that I hiked beside yesterday that continued to the shelter, and past it for a ways. It took me almost an hour and a half to get moving and packed up this morning. At the point where the AT leaves the creek begins a 2600 foot climb. About half way up the mountain is a major road. I got to the road, and Squatter and Barking Spider were taking it easy on a picnic table....thinking this was a pretty good idea, I decided to take a break too. Not too long after, the lady thru-hiker came up and started talking with us. She was super hot (as in overheated) and decided to take her top off. Now she had a sports bra on, but it was kinda strange to have a woman in shorts and a sports bra standing beside alot of hikers (most who hadn't been around their girlfriends/wives since GA). The three brothers showed up, and cars/trucks were beeping at us, actually her. The guys were confused by all the honking until they got to where we were. She decided that she was going into town from there, and talked two of the brothers into hitching with her into town. The seduction of food was just too much. They go down to the road, and moments later we hear the squealing of breaks, and they have their ride. It may pay to have a woman in a sports bra when trying to hitch.The hike continued to the summit of Bald knob, and along the ridge until I reached Cold Mountain. Now Cold Mountain is known because a hiker was killed by a lightening strike there several years ago. With my fears of electrical storms, this was just too much bad karma for me. The hike to the summit was littered in places with blackened stumps of trees, and I thought...not a place to be in a storm. The summit is awesome, and you have some great views. Most of the crew was taking it easy on some rocks on the summit. I walk up, drop my pack and take a good break. As we are sitting there, I say..."is that thunder" and I look at all the clouds building up. They don't seem too concerned, so I just continued taking it easy. Eventually, the thunder got louder, and the clouds got darker, it was too much for me to ignore. That's when I realized why they weren't too concerned. They could blow me away hiking wise (speed). I mentioned this to them, and they laughed....that's the plan! They were kidding of course, but I was ready to go. I got my pack on and took off. This is probably the fastest I've hiked, and they never got close to me. I flew down the mountain. As I was cresting one of the last parts of the summit, my ankle twisted and I fell. I've learned to give with a twist, and it usually saves me from being hurt. It worked this time too, but at a cost. I had thrown my hiking pole out to balance me, and it snapped in two. I hit the ground, pick up the two halves of the pole and keep trucking. I'm upset at loosing this hiking tool, which for me has been so helpful. I get to the bottom of the mountain, and the storm is now upon me. It is very windy and while lightening isn't hitting where I am at, it is around in the mountains near me. I get water and try to decide what to do. The gap is too exposed, it's open with lots of grass. The hike in front of me is over an open ridge and bald. The storm is still skirting around, so I decide to go for it. I try to hike fast, and stay to the trees when possible. Eventually I got to wolf rocks, which is beautiful, but is the highest point. The thunder picks up, and suddenly the hair on my head stands straight up (or at least feels like it). I know this is a sign of a lightening strike. I get down, drop my pole, but it doesn't happen, I pick up my pole and fly once again. Crossing over the North Fork of the Piney River (small creek at this point) wasn't too bad, even with all the rain. I was soaked, even in my rain gear, and my mojo was gone from all the close calls with lightening, and the loss of my pole. I just sat there for a while, wishing it would stop raining and storming. I ate a quick snack, and kept on going. By the time I reached the shelter, the rain had stopped and things were a little more peaceful. I had planned on doing a 20.5 mile tomorrow, but today had kicked my butt. I decided to do a shorter hike tomorrow, and cross the Three Ridges the next day. That promises to be a huge climb. When I got to the shelter, Most of the others had decided the same thing. At least I wasn't the only one who had experienced a hard day. I set up my hammock, set out my wet clothes to dry (if possible) and tried to get warm. There were some short section hikers at the shelter along with Spider and Squatter. I had my dinner and decided it was time to lie in my hammock, read and relax. I had forgotten my boots, at the shelter (I was hanging behind the shelter) and got into my campshoes and walked back, wrapped in my blanket. What did I see? Barking Spider was smoking. We had hiked all this way, and not once had I seen him with ciggaretts. Everyone yelled "Busted". He had been hiding it from me all this time because he didn't want me to be dissapointed in him. I said...hey it's your choice man, you just may die 20-30 years earlier...squatter said..."lightening" and we all laughed. My fear of lightening was well known. I told Spider that it was his choice, and he was a good guy regardless...he didn't have to hide things to make me think he was good. I went back to the hammock and thought about the next few days, and how to get my pole replaced at the outfitters in Waynesboro.