Solstice – have you hugged a Druid today? belated entry

June 21st

 Solstice day I cranked out eight more miles. The highlight was a traverse of Big Bald, 5500 ft elevation, a grassy area with panoramic views, The approach was steep and as usual I went up at a snail’s pace. Okay, at least I got there and was not totally exhausted.  I spent time at the top napping and eating M & Ms. Add about 2,000 cumulative feet of vertical climb. Somewhere along the way I saw a deer.

Thundershowers

It was humid and as I descended into the valley I could feel the temp go up fifteen or twenty degrees. I had entertained ideas of continuing to Spivey Gap but the heat  sapped my strength and I was looking for a campsite as I hiked along.  Soon, I saw a smoke plume and was greeted by Coyote, with whom I have shared four or five spots over this past week. Then the  big event,  a crashing  thunderstorm  just as I was taking off my pack. I could hear the rain front  approaching, quickly chose a spot, and did the fastest setup of my tent ever, securing my backpack under plastic cover just in time to hop in with my inside-the-tent stuff as the heavens opened. I lay there dry – watching the rain beat down on my tent. That was close!

It’s a great feeling to be warm and dry during a dramatic storm.

Big day Friday?

I was 2 miles south of Spivey Gap and I could have hitchhiked to Erwin from there but “that would be cheating” so I planned to hike the whole distance. Thirteen miles would have been my biggest day of this year’s trip. It’s most downhill (okay, one little 700 ft hill…..) And loses 2300 vert ft over that distance.

Hah!

(Update) But it was not to be. After seven miles of gradual descent through very interesting terrain, the temp was noticeably hotter and hit me like a ton of bricks. (Somebody later said it was 94 in the Valley). I decided to stop at No Business Shelter. Erwin can wait a day.  There was another thunderstorm and I watched this one  from under the roof, with seven other hikers. I don’t know if the daily humidity and thunderstorm will be the norm – this is the south, though.

One guy had his 79th birthday. When we sang Happy Birthday he cried a bit
and shared Oreo cookies.

In the morning I will get an early start on the six miles remaining. The birds start singing at 0545 or so and that’s when I pack up.  The pack will be light. I will spend two nights in Erwin, laundry, R & R, resupply,  replan.

 The bare essentials

 The thing about this mode of travel is, you strip away the extraneous  parts of life and worry about the basics: staying dry. Comfortable feet.  How to find water. The pace of going uphill. The future? It’s one day at a  whack…….

 I am warm and dry, well-fed and keeping busy – love to all