Date: 2007-06-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

How should I title today's entry? Use it or lose it? Or I'm an idiot? I think they both apply at some point during the day. I woke up to a beautiful view of the very verdant mountains. The sunrise was to my left a bit and must have actually occurred before I awoke as I saw no warm reds and oranges. Nonetheless it was still beautiful.Even though I woke up early and started packing up and preparing for the day, I was so sleepy. This sleepiness stayed with me until after lunch. I guess yesterday's hike across the windy balds in the sun had a more lasting effect than I thought. And to be quite honest while I did not wake up during the night, it was kind of a fitful sleep as my muscles ached from yesterday's strenuous hike.I left the shelter (barn) bidding happy trails farewells to the \hillips family and Dandelion and headed up to the next shelter which was just 1.7 miles south. It took me forever to get there. I don't know why I am so slow today. I spend too much time there eating a Take 5 candy bar and reading the shelter log. Up to the balds.When I apprach the trail that leads up to Grassy Ridge there a rhododenrons in bloom. Pink ones. They are so beautiful an I stop to take lot of pictures. There color is even more vibrant and deep before they fully bloom out. The views from the balds are phenomenal and I am again reminded of hiking in ME. Only there is grass along the trail instead of rocks. It is very windy and the sun is shining. It reminds me of the beach. You know when the cool breeze comes off the ocean (ridge) so you don't feel yourself getting sunburned even though at times you can feel the warmth of the sun. I can feel the sun's heat on the back of my neck so I stop befoe Jane Bald and put on sunscreen. The flame azaleas are just starting to bloom and they too are beautiful. I climb up Round Bald and am reminded of a previous summer when I came up here with fiends to camp out for the summer soltice.I reach the road at Carver's Gap and take a picture in font f the "Elcome to North Carolina" sign. I actually lef TN and started following the TN/NC border back at Doll Flats but it wasn't a picture significant border crossing kind of place. I used the outhouse in the parking area and discovered that my female cycle has come on. Perhpas this is why I am so slow today. A dip in iron and estrogen/testosterone levels maybe? I find a place to sit and eat lunch and quickly wish that I would have stopped to eat on top of Round Bald. It would have had a better view. Instead I get to listen to a bus load of teenagers complain about the disgustingness of the outhouse. It was really that bad, it's just these kids are obviously from the city - Banner Elk, NC according to there buses. I debate in my thoughts whether or not I like the fact these kids are here. On one hand, there leader is educating them on the envionment and how to preserve it which could be good for the earth i! f these kids grow up to be environmentally concious and perhaps go on to promote environmental preservation. On the other hand, bringing bus loads of people out to wild makes it less wild. But I guess this particular spot is a recreational and tourist location. Back to the trail, uphill to the top of Roan High Bluff. No view up top, but the shleter locatedd just north of the peak, is quite quaint. tls an old converted firewarden's cabin with a loft. It's the highest shelter on the trail. Going down Roan is long and steep. I get close to Hughes Gap and some trail maintainers have recenty ben out with a weed wacker. So nice! While I am not allergic to stinging nettles it is still nice not to have to bush wack through the overgrowth. When I get to the top of Little Rock knob, I stop to cook inner and take my shoes of. I had wanted to get as close to 22 miles today and I haven't even made 13. Oh well after I refuel, I will go as far as I can before dark. Which may not be far as thunder is threatening rain.Potaoes and black beans consumed, shoes back on, I'm hding down the mountain and meet some other hikrs at the turn off for the shelter. The 2 nobos say its an easy 25 to Erwin where I hope to be tomorrow. Let's see if I cna meke it an easy some umber smaller than 25. I kep hiking. Pass a campsite with a side trail for water. Nope, let's go further, There's water further south. Get to Greasy Creek Gap and momentarily consider going to the hostel or camping here. But a sign says there is a crazy neighbor trying to run off hikers by making a lot of noise and I still want to make more miles and there is supposed to be another campsite with water in 3 tenths of a mile. The wind is picking up. I get to the campsite but can't find a water source anywhwre. Thanks Wingfoot! I press n. It's startinng to rain. I begin looking for a place to set up. I finally find a spot. I pull out my hammock and tarp. When I open up my tarp I realize I nee dried it out from that 20 mil! e hike rom Damascus to TN 91. I dried out the tent but forgot about the hammock. Great now I have deal with the foul scent of my stinking body and the mildew smell of my hammock. Lovely!Thank goodness it is not raining hard becuase I anKt seem to remember how to set up the tarp as I get it backwards despite the fact that I have put markers on the hoks to help me know which is left, right, front , back. Then I try and hang my food bag. There is not a rock in sight so I fashion together two sticks and attempt to get them over a fallen tree. I finally do but there isn'tenough weight for them to drop so now the sticks with my rope attached are stuck up in the tree. Frustrated, I just cut the rope, hang the food bag off a knob of another tree and climb into the hammock. So what if a bear gets it. So to sum up, I smell, I have limited water, my hammock smells, and my food bag is where bears could possible get to it. Am I an idiot or have I just forgot everything I ever lerned during my 6 month hiatus??????? Maybe the answer will come to me in my dreams.