Date: 2008-10-10
From: Bearwallow Gap

To: Bryant Ridge
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The wake-up call roused me at 6. When I sleep so long I am amazed I don't wake up early by myself but I am not finding that I wake as early as usual on backpack trips. I wish my altimeter alarm still worked.I got ready and ate my oatmeal and the cinnamon roll too. No problem. I can eat anything. I even had cocoa too.Ken picked me up and delivered me to the trail head. The shuttle is pricier than I had planned but he is coming guite a ways to get me and he is very nice and I appreciate it immensely. I have spent less on food so far than planned so it will all work out in the end.The trail was in pretty dense fog to start but I was peeled down to sports bra in 15 minutes. The humidity and my natural propensity to sweat buckets going up hill make stripping an important thing to do. It helped.In the morning hike I met 7 mature hikers more or less in a group out for a weekend hike. They included Tagless and Tagalong who hope to thru-hike next year. Rylan, El Dorado, no name yet, Gordon and Toothless. We chatted for some time then Rylan recored me for a podcast. That was fine with me except after I went on I wondered if I had given my age right. Sometimes I get dyslexic with numbers. I hope I did not switch them as I am 67 and that is quite old enough to claim without switching the numbers. Oh well, It was fun talking with them anyway.A bit later on I met two young SOBO thru-hikers, Slot Machine and Stretch. That was it for people met today.I had my lunch at Trout Creek on a big rock and watched the fish while I ate. I proceeded onward over Fork Mountain and down the other side.Some of the forest floor is getting covered with leaves although there are still a lot on the trees. And the colors are beautiful. I am really glad I chose this time of year to hike. God is generous with the paintbrush in the landscape.I got to Bryant Ridge Shelter at 3:45. It is one of the more elaborate shelters with two stories and with the picnic table under to roof of the shelter too. An awful lot of hikers could stay in that shelter but there was only me.The privy was different too. It had half walls for most of three sides and kind of the bottom half of a dutch door for the door. That is another way to keep it light and airy.I decided to eat and wait until 5:30 to see if anyone else showed up. If they did I would stay for the company and help in getting early. But if not I would go on ahead and try to get a couple more miles in as tomorrow is scheduled to be a long day and I am also not sure of water tomorrow night.No one came so I packed up and headed up the next climb. I saw three deer on my evening walk. About 6:45 I decided to stop. I am on top of Bryant Ridge with glimpses of view to west and east. I stopped soon enough to set up a nice cowboy camp about 20 ft off the trail. The weather should be good for a few days and it is nice to cowboy camp on purpose in stead of in desperation in the middle of the trail.I had gotten two bandanas wet at the creek by the shelter and had one for soap and washing and one for rinsing. It is amazing how much can get clean with only two bandanas and a little water and soap. I feel better going to bed at least a little cleaned up.It is dark now with only the sound of noisy bugs and an occasional rustle of leaves. A very peacful night.