Date: 2009-05-14
From: GROUND HOG CREEK SHELTER

To: DEER PARK MTN SHELTER
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I LEFT THE GROUNDHOG CREEK SHELTER EARLY ABOUT 8 OR 8:30 AND MADE A VALIANT EFFORT TO GET TO HOT SPRINGS. I REMEMBER READING A NOTICE AT A ROAD CROSSING OF AN AGGRESIVE BEAR IN THE AREA AND TO AVOID STAYIN AT THE WALNUT MOUNTAIN SHELTER. I PASSED THE SENIOR HIKING CLUB HEADING DOWN THE BACKSIDE OF MAX BALD AND THEY HOLLERED REAL HIKER COMING THRU MOVE OVER. THEY MOVED ASIDE TO LET ME PASS. THERE WAS ABOUT 20 OF THEM. I PULLED ASIDE AT A WATER SOURCE SHORT OF THE SHELTER WHICH I DIDNT KNOW WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM WHERE I STOPPED. THEY THEN CAUGHT UP AND ASKED ME WHERE I WAS FROM AND IF I HAD ENOUGH LUNCH FOR ALL OF THEM. I TOLD THEM I WAS STARTING TO RUN SHORT. THEY SAID I WOULD PASS THEM WHEN THEY HAD THEIR LUNCH BREAK. ANOTHER GROUP OF SENIORS WERE HEADING THE OPPOSITE WAY AND I SAID I HEARD THERE WAS A MCDONALDS IN HOT SPRINGS AND I WAS TRYING TO GET THERE. THEY SAID IT CLOSES AT 11 PM. I DRIED MY FEET, CHANGED MY SOCKS, AND ATE SOME OF MY REMAINING FOOD. I GOT SOME MORE WATER AND HEADED OUT. I COME ACROSS THE ROARING FORK SHELTER WITH A TENT SET UP IN IT AND STOPPED IN AND MET A GUY NAMED JOSH AND HIS GIRL JENNIFER AND THEIR NEWBORN BABY. THEY WERE TRYING SPENDING A FEW DAY OUT THERE AND WERE TRYING TO GET A FIRE GOING AND I SAID HERE LET ME HELP. "YOU HAVE ANY WHITE GAS?" NOPE. SO I SET MY PACK DOWN, PULLED OUT THE WHITE GAS AND GOT THEM A FIRE STARTED. I READ THE JOURNAL AND COME TO FIND OUT THAT TIMEBOMB AND THIMBLE HAD ALL THERE FOOD BAGS TAKEN BY A BEAR AS WELL AS AQUAFRESH AND THE CHINESE TOURIST WHO MUST OF PASSED ME WHEN I STOPPED AT THE GROUND HOG CREEK SHELTER FOR THE NIGHT. THEY ALL WERE NOW OUT OF FOOD AND HAD TO GET TO HOT SPRINGS THE NEXT DAY. I CHATTED A LITTLE WITH JOSH AND JENNIFER AND THEN HIKED OFF. I RAN INTO THE SENIOR HIKING CLUB AGAIN ON MY WAY DOWN THE TRAIL JUST PAST THE SHELTER. REAL HIKER COMING THRU MOVE OVER THEY HOLLERED. AS I WENT BY A LADY SAID WANT MY TRAIL MIX AND I GRABBED IT LIKE GRABBING A BATON IN A RELAY RACE. THEY ALL HOLLERED LAUGHED AND JOKED AS I WENT BY AND I SAID I SCORED AS I HELD THE TRAIL MIX UP OVER MY HEAD. ONE OF THE LEADERS ASKED ME HOW HIGH I COULD JUMP AND HELD HER HIKING POLE OUT IN FRONT OF ME LIKE A HURDLE AND I MADE A GIANT LEAP TO GET OVER AND HAD A GOOD LAUGH. THANKED THEM AND WAS OFF AND AWAY WITHOUT STOPPING. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE WALNUT MOUNTAIN SHELTER AND THERE WAS A SIGN TAPED TO THE SHELTER WITH A CAUTION NOT TO STAY THERE DUE TO BEARS. NICE PLACE BUT I BETTER HEED THE WARNING. I CAME ACROSS A TRAIL MAGIC COOLER. THRILLED AND EXCITED TO DRINK A SODA. I OPENED IT THINKING HOW SWEET IT IS ONLY TO FIND ITS FULL OF TRASH. DANG IT. I HIKED UP A LITTLE FURTHER AND STOPPED TO HAVE A SNACK, A BITE TO EAT. BEFORE I COULD FINISH EATING ALL OF A SUNDEN IT STARTED TO RAIN LIGHTLY AND BEFORE I KNEW IT I COULDNT GET MY RAIN GEAR ON FAST ENOUGH AND I STARTED TO GET SOAKED. I'M WAS ON MY WAY TO HOT SPRINGS BUT I GOT CAUGHT IN THE LIGHTNING AND THUNDERSTORM 3.4 MILES FROM THE SHELTER. I RACED THE DAYLIGHT. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A MCDONALDS IN HOT SPRINGS AND THAT IT CLOSED AT 11 PM. I WAS DREAMING ABOUT THE VALUE MEAL AND MCCHICKEN SANDWICHES. I COULD GET THERE BEFORE THEY CLOSED. I WAS SOAKED AND LIGHTNING HAD STRUCK ON THE HILLSIDE NEXT TO ME TWICE AND MY HEART STARTED TO POUND LIKE IT WAS GONNA JUMP OUT OF MY CHEST. IT WOULD SCARE THE HELL OUT OF ME AND I HAD TO HURRY TO THE SHELTER TO TAKE COVER AND REGROUP. I WALKED BY THE WATER SOURCE TO THE SHELTER BELIEVING THERE WAS WATER RIGHT AT THE SHELTER BUT I WAS WRONG. IT WAS AT THE SHELTER ENTRANCE .3 MILES AWAY. I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN. I MET KERMIT AN OLDER LADY WHO CONVINCED ME TO EAT SOMETHING AND THEN THINK ABOUT THE LAST 3.1 MILES. WHY DIDNT I GET WATER BACK THERE AT THE SIGN BY THE ENTRANCE SHE SAID. DIDNT YOU SEE IT? FAMOUS WORDS. SHE DIDNT HAVE MUCH WATER. I TOLD HER I WOULD BE FINE. I WAS HOPING THE RAIN WOULD STOP BUT IT DIDNT IT GOT WORSE. I WAS CLOSE 3.1 MILES SO I HAD TO CUT MY 26 MILE DAY SHORT. IT WAS JUST KERMIT AND I HERE AT THE SHELTER. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THE LIGHTNING STORM GOT WORSE. I SAT UP WITH MY RED LIGHT ON, AND GAZED AT ALL THE GIANT SPIDERS AROUND IN THE SHELTER. OH BOY, NOT GOOD. I WAS REAL THIRSTY AND TRIED CATCHING WATER OFF THE ROOF OF THE SHELTER. KERMIT AWOKE AND SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING. I TOLD HER I WAS DIE-ING OF THIRST AND SHE SAID "WELL DONT. I TOLD YOU YOU CAN HAVE MY WATER" AND AT THAT POINT I WAS SO DEHYDRATED I TOOK HER UP ON IT. I THEN WENT TO SLEEP AS IT RAINED INTO THE NIGHT.