Date: 2004-06-11
From: Jenny Knob Shelter, VA

To: Misty Mountains
Miles today: 14.2

I woke up early and approached the shelter where some of the occupants were already up and about.Susan and the other hiker in his twenties were still sleeping. I have noticed over time that the older hikers get up earlier and break camp earlier then the younger hikers. I am an early riser not from habit but from necessity. An early start enables me to hike at a comfortable pace and cover a sufficient amount of miles each day. It allows me to hike during cooler temperatures; the middle of the day can be oppressively hot. The ambient light during the early morning results in better looking photos, both portraits and images of nature.Before I departed, the late arrival from yesterday evening¢the middle aged man¢sat at the front of the shelter and stated that there had been lots of snoring from other sleepers during the night, and that the snoring was different and unusual from the typical snoring noises in a shelter. I interpreted this statement to mean that the snoring had been especially loud and that it had been difficult for him to sleep.Some of the other people in the shelter, including those men who had snored, overheard him making this remark. Afterwards, some of them expressed to each other their displeasure at hearing this person's criticism of their snoring. From their perspective, they had made room for this person in what was already a crowded shelter; for that reason, they deemed that person's subsequent remark about their snoring as inappropriate.During the morning, a shroud of mist permeated the forest. Droplets of water continued to fall from the leaves and branches above, just like they had been doing all night. There was no wind present to dry the trees.I came across a middle aged hiker from Australia named Carp. He was breaking camp at a small clearing in the woods. He told me that he had hiked in the rain forests of The Amazon and New Guinea, and that neither setting experienced the kind of lingering wet weather that we have been dealing with. He said that thunder storms were common in those climates, but after the storms passed, the air would dry up at night and stars would be visible in the sky. Here, shrouds of mist linger all night and well into the days. Clothes get damp, sleeping bags get damp, and wet socks and shoes do not dry out sufficiently.This wet weather is not typical. On several occasions, local people have remarked to me how unseasonably wet the weather has been during the late spring. Later in the morning, I observed some rays of sunshine beaming through the mist toward the ground; the scene was a striking one. I took out my camera and snapped a photo as Carp, wearing his backpack, hiked into the effulgence of light. When I had finished taking the photo, I realized that the lens on the camera was foggy with condensation. Oh well.The trail narrowed where it passed below a power line. Here, the tall and soaked grass leaned into the path. I took off my shoes and hiked through this stretch wearing my flip flop sandals which I normally wear in camp. By wearing the sandals along this stretch, I ensured that my footwear and feet remained dry.For part of the day I walked with a twenty-something thru hiker named Shiver. We discussed the emotional ups and downs, and bouts of loneliness, that a hiker experiences on the trail. I enjoyed conversing with him, but had difficulty keeping up with his faster hiking pace. Eventually, I slowed up my pace and hiked alone.I stopped for lunch inside a pine grove, selecting a spot about 75 yards away from the trail. As I opened up my backpack, a noise from behind distracted me. A baby deer was running away. It had been sitting or lying a few feet away from me. Its reddish brown and white speckled coat of hair was ideally camouflaged against the red/brown pine needles on the ground.I arrived at Wapiti Shelter during the middle of the afternoon. Shortly thereafter, Zip Off and Kato showed up. We strung out some lines of string between trees and hung out some damp clothing to dry. Within minutes, a hard rain suddenly arrived and we found ourselves racing toward the clothes in order to get them off the lines. It rained off and on during the afternoon. Slow Train and Susan drifted in. Susan appeared soaked from the weather. A hiker named Bilbo made a pit stop at the shelter. He told us that he hikes approximately thirty miles per day. When he decided to move on, the rain began to fall torrentially. He appeared unfazed by this development, nor did he put on a rain jacket. We convinced him to wait a few minutes longer until the intensity of the downpour eased. Bilbo was a friendly person and I wondered if I would seem him again; probably not considering his fast rate of hiking.At the shelter, I hung out with Zip Off, Kato, Slow Train and Susan.Today, I had come across a sign indicating the presence of a scenic waterfall 1/2 mile from the trail. A spur trail led to the waterfall. I chose to skip the side trip to the falls because I wanted to reach the shelter before the rain storm arrived. It seems that I am emphasizing practical concerns over the aesthetic experience, at least during this period of wet weather.