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June 28 2001

Distance Traveled: 12.5 (+.2 in side trails)     Total Miles: 55.7 (58.3)

Location: Muskrat Creek Shelter.

Entry:

I had a good day today. After a late departure of 1000, I started walking with a very good stride - feeling much better today than yesterday. Most of the way was good trail until Deep Gap, but I'll save that part for later in this entry.

The trail went through lots of rhododendron  tunnels and kept the sun off which was important because the sun god was working overtime. Not a drop of rain yet. I  hoped for this because I was going to Standing Indian Mountain for lunch. The sky was a little cloudy, but in a cool cloud watching way. I took an hour for lunch even though it was already made before getting there (ramen pasta salad). I played with a black salamander, but couldn't get him to hold still for a picture. The Lord of the Flies also like it up here because there were swarms of the pesky critters, but they couldn't spoil my fun. I even got a little bit of a sunburn on my back I was enjoying it so much.

I finally left the mountain and planned to shoot for the shelter at the base to refuel on H2O where I ran into a couple of teenage girls (starting to be a habit on this trip). They were part of a group of about eight campers. I searched for a while trying to find water, eventually going back on the AT to find it. Then a trip back to the shelter to filter and get my gear. It took a while because the filter is being very slow (I plan to go back to Polar Pure) - but hey, who is in a hurry? Actually I was because they were a noisy bunch with enough gear (saws, lights, filters, tents, etc.) to outfit a group twice their size.

After writing in the shelter journal, I headed out to Deep Gap where I could could drop off trash en-route to Whiteoak Stamp (my initial goal that day). After Deep Gap, the trail maintenance level seemed to drop - blow downs, wash outs, and even the trail overgrown heavily in some areas. Maybe next summer I'll volunteer to do some trail maintenance in this area if my schedule allows. Anyway, I made it to Whiteoak Stamp which was lovely, as good as I expected. But I was feeling good and wanted to keep pushing, maybe even to Bly Gap (Georgia/N.C. border) I thought, but .5 miles down the trail my heel starting hurting a little. So I decided to pull into Muskrat Creek Shelter for dinner and decide if I wanted to go farther. Final decision - Why be in a hurry?

So here I sit writing writing. I also hear thunder in the distance, so maybe it's for the best.

Other stuff to mention:

1. I'm almost done with my book. I plan to leave it at whatever shelter is 1st after I finish it, and I hope to find another. 

2. My AAA battery status is black (Army for almost dead). The set in the camera gives me a low power warning if I try to use the flash, and my spares are dead as road kill. I guess I should have thought about that since they are the same set that has been in my repair kit since last winter's trip. I wish they made lithium AAA! If I had some wire I could rig a AA external battery pack.

3. I crave fried chicken with Tabasco and cold beer!

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