Date: 2007-05-17
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning we woke and immediately built a fire to dry out our wet socks, shoes, and clothing that was still either saturated or still damp from yesterday's rain. The fire made for a late start to our hiking, but it was worth it to dry out our gear. Kevin, Bailey, and I left last around 11 o'clock and started the initial downhill stretch, followed by several miles of gradual uphill climbing. Bailey and I took off on our own after a while and climbed in silence for an hour or so, just enjoying being outside in sunshine, especially after yesterday. So far, Bailey seems to be enjoying herself but Kevin and I have talked a lot about sending her home when it seems like she's had her fill of being out here. It's a lot to ask of a dog to hike all day, everyday and we're prepared to get her home if she stops having fun. There are days she seems more tired than others, but the same holds true for us. Her spirit seems great and she loves being outside almost as much as she loves being with us. It will be hard to send her home when the weather heats up, but we know it¢ll be the best decision for her. It¢s nice to be able to have her out here as long as we have. To hike by myself with out my little sidekick will definitely be strange. Around lunch time we came to a pond near the top of the uphill climb and I found Newt, Bluegrass, Mattlanta, Dan and Maximus all stopped for a lunch break and to refill water bottles. Bailey immediately jumped into the pond, of course, and seemed to be intrigued by the fat croaking bullfrogs. Kevin caught up before long and we rested for a while. Sometimes I don¢t like stopping long for lunch because it makes me feel like I¢ve lost my momentum, but everyone else seems to enjoy it and it¢s not that hard to get going again. I decided to head out and finish the climb to the top of the hill while continuously looking over my shoulder at the gorgeous view. White clouds were piling up on the western horizon and this one dazzling beam of sunlight had peeked through, shining onto the hills and valleys to create beautiful pools of light and shadow. It¢s times like that when I feel especially lucky to be out here. Chestnut Knob Shelter was perched on the top of the hill and was a unique as it was an actual building, not the three walled, slanted ceiling structures that we are accustomed to. The shelter was built of stone and had bunks and a small table inside. I stopped in just to check it out before continuing on to the roller coaster ridge walk that would be our last ten miles of the day. The trail turned rocky as Bailey and I climbed and we could see down into cow pastures and fields to our left side. Rocks seem to tire my feet our far more quickly than soil so I kept checking Bailey¢s paws. I met up with Newt near a styrofoam cooler that contained icy cold bottles of Gatoraid trail magic, which made me incredibly happy. I can¢t seem to get enough of the stuff out here and it was a wonderful surprise by some generous trail angels. After downing a bottle, we kept walking and made it to the shelter just as the thunder started booming. The last few miles seemed to take forever and I kept predicting that the shelter would be just around the next corner, only to be sorely mistaken several times. I started singing the Rolling Stones song but changed the words... repeating the chorus ¢Gimmie shelter, it¢s just a step away... it¢s just a step away...¢ Luckily, the shelter only had two people in it, a very nice lady who called herself Cohoda and a young guy who¢s name I can¢t remember. They made room for me and I had just enough time to feed Bailey her dinner when fat drops started falling. I rolled out my thermarest and sleeping bag in the shelter and ushered Bailey in so she would stay dry. A wet dog is no fun in a shelter and no one wants one around. She was more than content to snooze, plus she warmed up my bag for me and was great to cuddle with! Around dark the rest of the guys came running into the shelter, led by Kevin. They had run the past 3 miles to get there and were soggy and tired but in surprisingly great spirits. We rearranged things a bit so that everyone could cook their dinner in the shelter where it was dry and warm. Soon after, everyone headed off to bed after a long day of hiking.