Date: 2015-06-28
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Bulls Bridge Road
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

6/28, 13.7, Bulls Bridge RoadThe shelter housed just the four of us last evening as everyone ducked into shelters early to avoid the heaviest rain. Our rain started at 2 yesterday afternoon on the way into the shelter and rained steady until 6, when it got heavier and the wind started. Finding it blowing into the front of the shelter Star Trek located a tarp under the shelter and nails above the opening for covering making our shelter a little warmer as well. Temps last night dropped into the low 50's making it nice for sleeping, but chilly because of the damp air. The heaviest rains and wind lasted until midnight, then just rain all night. There was a break around 5 am during which we each made a run to the privy, then heavy rain again until 7. I tell you all of this to explain why I didn't get out of my bag until 6:30 and was finally on trail at 8:10. Waiting that long the rain had subsided to a drizzle, temperature was in the mid 50's and I could hike without my rain jacket, which gets soaked inside with sweat at any temp above 50. The hike today was planned to be all rain since that was the forecast, and Star Trek and Saffron and I had decided to hike to a crossing 13 miles ahead and hitch to a motel. That way we could dry out, warm up and stay healthy, for the cost of a hostel. I hiked out first and hiked along staying as dry as I could in spite of the low wet branches and variety of grass and weeds encroaching the trail from both sides. Soon it was clear I was going to get pretty wet even though the rain was light. The hiking was moderate inclines and declines with a nice smooth trail, mostly free of rocks and roots. By 12:30 I reached the Wiley Shelter and took a break for linch. A tuna salad wrap and some fruit snacks with lots of Mio water and I was back on trail at 1:00. With just 5.6 miles to go I pushed hard to give my legs a workout and get out of the rain as soon as possible. The trail headed down next to Bulls River, a larger river with lots of rapids, and out onto the road near our destination. Bulls River is crossed by a covered bridge and our meeting spot was the Bulls Bridge Inn. I arrived first and swung over to the mio mart nearby for a soda and some advice. We were not sure how we were going to cover the twenty miles to our motel and had decided to rendezvous at the inn/bar and try to yogi a ride. By the time I got to the Inn Star Trek and Saffron were half way through their burgers and wondering where I was. I ordered the burger and beverage and sat down to figure our plan. The short story ends with a patron who sat at the end of the bar and asked us about thru hiking. That is usually a sure fire way to get yogied so we set about our task. Turns out he was a business man on a working vacation at a family cabin nearby. He was originally from Cincinnati, went to college in Maine and was now back in Cincinnati raising his family. They were all busy today so he strapped on his boots and hiked the five miles north of Bulls Bridge. We talked a while and finally asked him if he would drive us to the motel ti which he replied very favorably so we paid his tab with ours and we were off. Shawn dropped us at the motel at 5:15 and we thanked him again. We checked in, showered and since there is no laundry available here, did sink laundry and hung a clothesline in the room to dry things. The rest of the evening will be a lot of sitting, resting legs and feet, eating and getting to sleep early. Tomorrow we will start out trying to hitch hike back and see what it takes to get there. Silverback