For all the people camping here last night, it was extremely quiet. Or maybe I was just extremely tired. I awake at 5:15 To see that Kelly is already packing. She makes breakfast while I pack up and we are done at the same time. We are on the trail 6 am.
The ridge is really easy hiking, and the miles just go by. We reach an overlook with a small flat area nearby. This is where we were going to stop last night, but after getting here I'm glad we stopped where we did, although it means we have a few extra miles to do today.
I am alert for rattlesnakes as they have been reported pretty much every day on this rocky ledge, but it's still chilly this morning, so they must still be snug in their little snake beds. We get back on the trail and start descending from the ridge, already walking three miles in the last hour.
We descend into a really lovely valley filled with tall pine trees and ferns. Near the bottom we crisscross a stream and stop to get water. Kelly finds a glass drinking cup decorated with cute little mushrooms on it next to a tree, filled with water. We scratch our heads over why someone would bring a real glass into the wilderness, but we can't leave it here; leave no trace principles mean we need to pack out things that don't belong in the woods. Kelly decides it will be a great souvenir, so she places it in her pack carefully.
We trail crosses the nearby road and we hike past a monstrous stream with lots of numerous camping areas surrounding the stream. There are a couple of cars parked in the parking and posted signs alert anglers and hunters of the trout limits and chronic wasting disease.
The trail leaves the road and heads up the hill that will take the next three and a half miles to crest. But the climb is only a couple of thousand feet spread over that distance, which isn't too bad. Plus, on several stretches the trail resembles a forest road.
We crest a small rise, and I see a woman sitting on a rock filtering water next to a stream. I recognize Tigger. We say hello and catch up on what we've been up to the last week and a half. She is doing 10 or 11 miles a day, so we may or may not see her again. We say our happy trails as we say goodbye. You never know when you're going to see someone again out here.
We finally crest the ridge around noon. We've already done 10 miles and it's been so easy. I really feel like miles hiked earlier in the day don't really feel like work. We stop at a junction with the horseshoe trail, an orange-blazed trail that covers the 175 miles from Philadelphia to here. We decide this is a great place to stop and have lunch.
I eat entirely too much at one sitting; I blow through pretty much the entire number of snacks that I set out for the whole day, then I start fishing around in my food bag just to see what else I can eat when a figure approaches, and we are pleased to see Daddy Long Legs. He comes over and sits down next to us and we chat.
His lunch is interesting. He pulled a large tortilla out and tops it with a pouch of barbecued chicken and a piece of cheese. Okay, that's normal. But then he takes a whole packet of sweet and salty trail mix complete with nuts and lots of M&M's and pours it over the mixture in the tortilla before he wraps it up and starts munching on it. We both comment and Kelly is so impressed that she takes a picture of the concoction. We have been relaxing for quite some time, so we tell Daddy Long Legs will see him down the trail since we're both heading in the same direction today.
We are winding through woods that looks like Dolly Sods in West Virginia, with rhododendron, mountain laurel, and blueberries galore. Water is flowing straight down the middle of the trail, giving even more northeast West Virginia vibes.
We are taking a quick pit stop and Daddy Long Legs catches up to us. He ends up walking with us for the next five miles. He is a wealth of knowledge about the trail. I know I have mentioned this before, but this is the fifth time hiking the trail. He gives us tips and tricks about food resupplies in New Jersey and informs us about the scarcity of water near the shelters. In New Jersey hikers are not allowed to camp anywhere but the shelter areas and designated campsites.
The next two hours fly by, and we descend along the banks of a creek that gains flow from many small tributaries as the creek travels down the valley. Some of the small creeks that feed into Rausch Creek are stained a bright orange red, most likely a result of the high iron content of the surrounding land.
The sound of the creek becomes quite loud as the cascades turn into full-on waterfalls, and we have to speak louder to make ourselves heard over the sound of the rushing water.
When we reach the side trail to Rausch Shelter, Daddy Long Legs turns to follow the blue blazes. He prefers to stay in shelters whenever possible. We say goodbye but we know we'll see him again soon as we are hiking about the same amount of mileage every day.
Kelly and I continue a short way down the hill, where we cross a stream and a forest road where a sign gives the history of the location. More than one thousand people lived here at one time! There was a plan to mine coal from the area, but that was eventually abandoned.
Another sign advises a blue-blazed walk-around down the forest road to avoid a beaver dam which has flooded the trail about a mile ahead. We're not afraid of a beaver dam, so we decide to stay on the trail and not take the chicken exit.
Minutes later we pass by a gorgeous campsite right next to the rushing water of Rausch Creek. The site is expansive and has a huge stone fire pit and several chairs made out of stone situated around the fire pit. We initially plan to make this our home for the night, but we soon abandon the idea due to the amount of widow makers overhead. Only 50 yards further up we find a suitable spot right next to the water and decide to pitch our camp here.
We set up quickly and 15 minutes later I am standing knee-deep in ice cold water while I filter my water for the night. I stand in the freezing stream until I can't feel my toes, which doesn't take very long.
I take a sponge bath and put on my pajamas so I can get out of my gross hiking clothes. Regardless of how hot it is, I like to sleep in long-sleeved shirts, and pants in lieu of shorts, to keep my hammock and down quilts from getting gross when I can't bathe properly.
We prepare our dinner around a nearby cold fire ring. Tonight is chicken and rice. Not my favorite meal, but one I have in abundance. I ate such a ridiculous amount of my other food for lunch, I don't have much left to eat except this. The meal ends up not being so bad because it's flavored with hunger. I also eat a bunch of trail charcuterie consisting of my old greasy cheese, crushed Ritz crackers, and meat sticks topped with honey mustard sauce.
I brush my teeth, and I am in bed 7:30 PM.
Today's Stats: 18.5 miles, 2,297 feet gain, 2,556 feet loss
Trail Stats: 1,180 miles, 247K feet gain, 253K feet loss
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