1. Starsday, Winterfilth, 1. Goal - Eagles Nest Shelter. 15.1 miles.
2. Day 2
3. Morning temp: 60s
4. Weather: fog in morning then quite nice.
5. Time start: 0700
6. Time stop and miles: 1630ish 15.1
7. End point: Eagles Nest Shelter
8. Events: peanut butter cup s'more
Log: up at 6 out at 7. Foggy morning, but ok. My feet feel beat by rocks and we haven't even made it to the bad parts yet. Ran out of water late in the day after finding a dry spring, but the one near the shelter was great. Met Shamen at the shelter and later Weezie too.
After a night of continuous circles, I heard some drops on the skylight of the shelter. I thought it to be rain, but it was too sporadic and localized. Sequoia went outside for a bit and reported back that we were in heavy fog and the drops were condensation from the trees. It was 6:00am and we were to be on the trail just before 7 this day. Sequoia is an early riser and I was glad that we had that in common as we packed up and headed into the early dawn mist.
I thought it be best to alternate lead, so I asked Sequoia to take the front today. There was a morning climb, but it was gradual and the trail was not too bad. I saw quickly that Sequoia was quick on the uphills. I would only catch up on large rocky areas, but this was fine with me. I like to spread out and didn't mind that my climbing was slower than his.
Today I knew that I would be fighting the Day Two Blues. I have learned to deal with them and sometimes they never show their heads, but today I knew I would have my usual thoughts of "what am I doing out here?" and I knew I could push through it in my own way. We had over 15 miles to cover today.
Around 9 am or so, we descended into a gap that is a camping area. It was Sunday and there were numerous groups set up around the area. The first people we encountered were a group of twenty somethings and one of the girls was making a S"more with a Peanut Butter Cup. I marveled at the concept and she offered it to me. I usually don't like that campfire favorite, but the Reece's sealed the deal and before long I was licking marshmallow out of my mustache and beard. Very good.
We got water and continued on. Another climb and more rocks here and there. We had lunch in a campsite near one of the road crossings and then continued on. Water is scarce up on Blue Mountain at this time of the Year and we found one spring, Sand Spring, dry. I was pretty much out of water by this time, but I hoped that the spring near the Shelter would be flowing. We headed down the blue blaze towards the shelter and we found the spring flowing good. We filled up and headed to the shelter where we found Shamen sitting in the shelter. He was a Sobo hiking home to Georgia and we had some nice conversation. He was contemplating putting his ENO knockoff hammock up in the shelter and he found a good way to do it without taking away from Sequoia's area as he had decided to sleep in the shelter again this night. Later, another Sobo came in called Weezie.
I gathered some wood as Shamen mentioned maybe making a fire, but I didn't feel like using the energy to make one myself, since he wasn't moving to make one himself. A family came down a trail that was behind my hammock and we had a nice conversation. He had brought some family up to check out the place since the road was open and he could drive up close to the shelter. He told us about another spring that is below the Sand Spring we checked and that it sometimes is flowing when the main one isn't. I had thought about heading down to check lower when we were there, but being out here you measure and contemplate any off trail walking. I laid my odds on the Shelter spring and it had paid off, but it was good info to know.
Before long, I was once again in my hammock, listening to the others chat by the cold fireplace and reading and writing a little before calling it a night. I had good signal again, so I traded a few texts with Lisa before turning in.
We had completed our daily walking by 4:30 pm and we had covered the 15.1 planned. I had once again defeated the Day Two Blues and was ready for another day of hiking.
 |
| Wet spider web |
Today I knew that I would be fighting the Day Two Blues. I have learned to deal with them and sometimes they never show their heads, but today I knew I would have my usual thoughts of "what am I doing out here?" and I knew I could push through it in my own way. We had over 15 miles to cover today.
 |
| Foggy white blaze |
We got water and continued on. Another climb and more rocks here and there. We had lunch in a campsite near one of the road crossings and then continued on. Water is scarce up on Blue Mountain at this time of the Year and we found one spring, Sand Spring, dry. I was pretty much out of water by this time, but I hoped that the spring near the Shelter would be flowing. We headed down the blue blaze towards the shelter and we found the spring flowing good. We filled up and headed to the shelter where we found Shamen sitting in the shelter. He was a Sobo hiking home to Georgia and we had some nice conversation. He was contemplating putting his ENO knockoff hammock up in the shelter and he found a good way to do it without taking away from Sequoia's area as he had decided to sleep in the shelter again this night. Later, another Sobo came in called Weezie.
I gathered some wood as Shamen mentioned maybe making a fire, but I didn't feel like using the energy to make one myself, since he wasn't moving to make one himself. A family came down a trail that was behind my hammock and we had a nice conversation. He had brought some family up to check out the place since the road was open and he could drive up close to the shelter. He told us about another spring that is below the Sand Spring we checked and that it sometimes is flowing when the main one isn't. I had thought about heading down to check lower when we were there, but being out here you measure and contemplate any off trail walking. I laid my odds on the Shelter spring and it had paid off, but it was good info to know.
 |
| Sally Mander |
We had completed our daily walking by 4:30 pm and we had covered the 15.1 planned. I had once again defeated the Day Two Blues and was ready for another day of hiking.
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