Walnut Mountian Shelter
This day started early at 6AM with a trip to the out house. First I had to ask where it was, then I needed a headlight to find it (the sun rises at about 7), and then one more trip for tp. After all that exhusting effort I couldn't sleep so I got an early start packing. Since I wanted to make my maildrop on sunday I was going to do a hard day, 33 miles, by hiking slow and steady so I could be there tomrrow morning. Curtis the Hostel Keeper who had introduced me to moonshine however told me I could call the outfitters in Hot Springs and get them to pick up the box and then I could get from them as late as 5PM or even sunday. This saved me a enormus ammount of stress and allowed me to have a very relaxed morning. I did some stuff online, cooked one of my extra dinners for breakfast, and hung out with everyone. ManyNames pushed off at 9AM with boot problems that he resolved and as a result was to the shelter fairly early. Renassance Man and I pushed off at about 10 AM for the 2!
0 mile hike to 
Walnut Mt. Shelter. The day seemed at first seemed like it would never end with not much to look at and not many landmarks. My knees were stil sore from yesterdays descent but they seemed to improve as I hiked. Fairly early we did come upon one interestinf landmark, a radio beacon that planes use to navigate. It was a very odd building on the top of a mountian that looked half way between cozy residence and office block. It had siding and a porch but was surrounded by signing warning that disturbing this building would be very bad. Dispite this still the morning seemed to drag on forever.
That was until we reached what is called Max Patch. It is hard to miss being a few square miles of smoothly rolling hills hundreds of feet in height. In the patch I felt like I was on top of the world. I could see for miles in every direction. The horizon was differnt hues of pastel mountians rolling into the infinte distance. I was so wide open that I imagine this is where Atlas would have tried to hold the earth. We marveled for a while and took many pictures.
After that the rest of the hiking seemed to happen in high speed. I suppose the fairly flat terrian was the reason but still we made almost 4 miles and hour. About a mile before getting to camp I came across to field on top of a mountian maybe 1/2 mile square that had been razed. I never seen anything like it but for some reason someone decided to cut down every tree, shrub, and grind even the grass into the dirt.
The site was packed with a full shelter. I joined the group of 5 or so tents behind the shelter. I cooked the last dinner in my pack. That left me with a fist full of gorp and 3 packets of oatmeal for my hike tomorrow. I am exhausted and have toe blisters from my toe nails rubbing the tip of my toe on the down hills. Still I am happy becuse torrow afternoon I will be relaxing in Hot Springs NC!
No comments:
Post a Comment