Date: 2007-07-10
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: broken clouds

Slow moving morning. We all laid around the lean to waiting to see what the sky held for us. Colin and Alisa were first to get moving. They were gathering clothes and moving them around to hopefully dry them out quicker. Salamander and I just laid in our sleeping bags. Finally we are all up and moving. As for me, I'm moving slower than a turtle, not looking forward to putting on cold wet clothes. One after the other they all leave. At 11 I make my push away from the lean to. I hit Saddleback Jr. first and make the summit an hour after leaving the lean to. From the summit I can see The Horn, the next wall of rock I must conquer. The climb started steep and just got steeper. I made myself a deal that when I summitted I would take a nice long break. Feeling good about the treeline disappearing with only a few more hand over hand rock climbs. I take the trekking poles and throw them up to the shelf above, just so I can climb to them and repeat the process 3 more times.   Finally a flat clearing, I made it! Nope, I made it to the plateau with 60 more feet of a steady grade up to the summit. I took my boots and socks are off and sit by the summit pole. The sun on my body, and a breeze blowing is just what it takes to make you feel just right. From the top of The Horn I can see Saddleback, my next challenge, which looks to be an easy above treeline hike across the ridge. Ok, nothing easy is on the A.T. I start the ascent, I didn't even make a 100 yards and I'm getting spent, but I press on. About 1/3 the way up I look back to The Horn and I see clouds blowing across the gap in which I just came. Within minutes I can no longer see The Horn. Pressing onwards and upwards, I see bits of clouds blowing across the trail right in front of me. So I make a deal with the mountain. I say aloud, "Mr. Saddleback, I hear what you're saying. I promise to get off you quickly if you don't rain on me." Pushing forward with rock climbing ahead of me, I would have taken a lot of breaks. But every break was followed by a kick in the ass by my new friend. More clouds would blow in front of me reminding me of our agreement. One last push using every bit of muscle to get me to the top. Catching my breath and enjoying my small reward of seeing the summit sign, I look back and can't see the trail I just came from. I boogie across a mile or so above treeline ridge walking. Stopping a few times to take in the views. To the left nothing but a storm cloud engulfing me. To the right there were clear views as far as the eye can see. I make it to the treeline, and descend quickly. 30 minutes later nothing but sunshine in front of me. I made it to the lean to by 6ish, not a bad time for a tough 9 mile hike. I made stew for dinner and was in bed before the sunset. I was woken up in the middle of the night (hiker middle of night is about 10 or 11) by the resident rodent. Not wanting to deal with this nonsense I set my tent up at a nearby tentsite in front of the shelter. About 2 hrs later I awake to the sound of distant thunder. I listen to see how close it's coming, thinking now I have to move my tent in the shelter where I was just a few hours ago. For about an hour I listen, and from what I could tell the storm was either on top of Saddleback or pelting whatever was on the other side of the peaks I crossed earlier that day.