To say we lucked out with the weather the last 8 days is the understatement of the century. We hit the weather jackpot so far. Unfortunately, our luck is running out today. Heavy rain is forecast for tonight and all day tomorrow, possibly through tomorrow night as well. Guess we gotta make hay while the sun shines!
We leave the NOC. I am reluctant and dragging, the norm for me in the morning. Penny and Karma are up and packing well before me, but I have less stuff and pack faster in general, so we are ready about the same time. We skip a real breakfast in the restaurant in order to hit the trail earlier, however hit our last toilet for the next couple days.
Our hike today is 4000' up to Cheoah Bald. This is one of those annoying sections that jaunt due west, adding miles to the overall AT but no real progress north. There is a shelter just short of the the top of the mountain,in 7 miles, at Sassafras Gap.
 |
| Looking Down on NOC |
We hike up for what seems like forever. Humpty Dumpty hikes with us for a while. He is in his 70's and passes us on the uphill. I blame it on my full stomach, not my lack of physical prowess :-) We leapfrog down the trail, discussing the coming thunderstorms. Karma, GG, and I pause for a snack after 5 miles. A couple with large packs stop to chat with us - they are finishing a section hike at Fontana Gap and he is positively melting in the afternoon sunshine. A young woman crests the hill shortly after and introduces herself as Croft. She is a mom of three, with an absolute angel of a husband who is at home with the kids.
We get to Sassafras Gap Shelter, a very short down from the ridge. Just Gordon is here, as is Humpty Dumpty, Green, and Smiles! Croft arrives shortly after. We take off our packs to snack and discuss the plan. The next shelter is another 9 miles after Sassafras Gap. Today is hot, but tomorrow will be a slog in pouring rain. I vote to continue the nine miles and get to the next shelter late, rather than hike in a downpour on the ridge.
Then we hear the rumble of thunder and the rain falls. I am outvoted and this is our home for the night. At least this is a nice 12 person shelter with a nearby privy and a piped spring very close to the shelter. The rain is sporadic until dusk, then Mother Nature opens the floodgates. A lot of hikers were already asleep in the shelter, so I went to the stinky privy to talk on the phone with my better half.
Todays Stats: 7 miles, 3200' elevation gain
Section Stats: 74 miles, 17k' elevation gain
Trail Stats: 142 miles, 33k elevation gain
No comments :
Post a Comment