Derrick Knob Shelter
Last night started out nice but after a while the wind picked up cooling things off and driving me deeper into my sleeping bag. The Shelter had a tarp covering the entrance, perhaps to keep the wind out(?) that flapped and woke me several times a well. I woke and packed up fairly quickly getting out before most.
After that my morning was fairly boring with lot of tree obstructed views. I had a bad hiking day in that I was feeling sluggish. I think I may not have included enough sugar in my food resupply.
It was hot out so I decided to attach my watch to my hip belt for a better reading. Later I unbuckled my hip belt for comfort and I didn't realize my mistake for about a half mile. When I went to check my watch I immediately turned around and headed back up the trail. After about 5 minutes I ran into McGyver who was coming behind and thankfully he had picked up the watch and gave it back to me. We hiked together for a while but I ended up pushing ahead over Rocky Top and Thunderhead Peak. The terrain was golden grasses all into , over, and out of the peaks with a fringe of shrubs. As result the world felt open and exposed with the sun pouring down on me. I took my time and enjoyed the lookouts. I bumped into M.A. and Fire Marshall on Rocky Top and stopped for a snack hoping that would boost my energy. I spent most of the rest of the day in the trees. I was really cruising but tiring.
I took a break in Sugartree gap when there were some nice sitting logs and laid on the ground with my feet up on the log. I relaxed for a while but then got up as I wanted to make 6.6 more miles which would get me in camp just a little before dark but that is when things started to break down to leave me nervous and twitchy all night. I hiked on for a while up and down over a peak and down. Then I came across the Sugartree gap sign which meant the the 1.1 miles to the next shelter turned out to be actually about 1 longer or about 2.1. I rolled into the next shelter, Derrick Knob, finally, but it was gonna be a haul to get to the following one, Silers Bald. I took a short break and chatted with the family who was there but since I had a lot to cover before dark I pushed on. After a while I realized I didn't have my glasses anymore. I considered it for a moment and dropped my pack and poles and jogged the .8 miles back to Derrick Knob shelter. I assumed I had dropped them at !
the shelter when I had taken the break. When I got there I couldn't find them but I did find McGyver. I was worried about leaving my pack so I jogged back to my pack and waited for McGyver who caught up with me few minutes later. I had decided that it was pointless to go back for the glasses. I would lose time and may not find them. As McGyver and I headed north I thought about it and realized that A. I wasn't going to make my mail drop in Hot Springs no matter what I did, B. this gave me an extra 2 days to hike while I would be waiting, C. I last saw the the glasses in Sugartree Gap which is not far behind Derrick Knob, especially if I slack packed back, D. I was out here to relax, not rush. Of course I realized this after we had made it about half way (2.5 miles) to Silers Bald making the problem even greater but I was very tired. My thinking was in serious need of sugar. We parted ways and turned back to depressingly cover the same territory again back to Derricks Knob. In he morning I will slack pack over the area where I dropped my glasses. I am not going to rush as I am not in a hurry.
No comments:
Post a Comment