Date: 2022-09-06
From: Maupin Field Shelter Mile 843.5

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter Mile 823.1
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Dawn is now after six, and with the limited sleep I got last night I set my alarm for 6 AM. I felt like a newbie again, as it took me almost 2 hours to get out of camp. Some of that is related to trying to pack up in the dark and not wake up coach. To start the day I climbed Three Ridges Mt which was only about a 1000 foot climb and really was not too bad. We got some nice views on the top, and I was a bit surprised to see lots of houses scattered among the Blue Ridge Mountains. It¢s not clear if they are holdouts or live outside the park. From there I descended down to the Tye River, which is a big 3000 foot drop over six miles. Halfway down I stopped at a shelter for my first lunch and to try to dry some of the rain gear and clothes that were wet from yesterday. Unfortunately there was very little sun and only a small breeze and things didn¢t get much drier. Coach and I ended up leapfrogging much of the morning.After I crossed the river on a suspension bridge there was a big 3100 foot climb over 4 miles to get to the top of Priest Mountain. Aside from Katahdin this is the longest straight climb I¢ve done so far although not the steepest pitch. The pitch of the trail wasn¢t too steep and it had lots of switchbacks. The day was getting warm and very humid and I was soaked in sweat head to toe with sweat dripping off everywhere. About one third of the way up there was a cold creek, and I washed my shirt as it couldn¢t get any wetter than it already was. Coach and I continued to leapfrog each other, which provided good motivation to keep trucking up the hill. Towards the top we got some nice views from a couple of overlooks. I keep my phone in my pants pocket, but my pants are so wet that the screen is also covered in sweat. There¢s not a dry spot on my clothes or sweat rag and it was a struggle to dry the phone enough to be able to use it. Towards the top I passed Beer Girl, who we last saw up in New Hampshire. She just started the southbound leg of her flip-flop at this climb. At the top I stopped in at the priest shelter for a second lunch. Supposedly there is a logbook where people confess their sins, but I didn¢t see one in the shelter. At this point I had about 6 miles left, which consisted of a bunch of small ups and downs. I¢m definitely feeling the effects of two long days and not a lot of sleep. It definitely was a bit of a struggle and I had to work hard to keep up the pace. Despite this, I took the blue blaze trail to the top of Spy Rock which offered 360 degree views of the surrounding area. Unfortunately it was still somewhat hazy so I was not able to get any long distance views. I got to the shelter about 7 o¢clock, which is earlier than last night. I¢m happy with this given the 6400 up and 5500 down which is 2000 feet more up and down than yesterday. I managed to grab water, find a place to hang the bear bag, and eat dinner before it got dark. My shorts and shirt remain completely soaked and although they are hanging up in the light breeze, I don¢t expect them to dry much overnight. This will be the second morning in the row I have to put on wet clothes. Coach and I spent a while chatting and it turns out that he saw a bear about 3 miles before camp, although technically just a bear butt as it ran away from him. I got to bed around nine, about 20 minutes earlier than last night. Steps 34200Weather Forecast: 81/65 chance of rain