June 24th: We get soaked again, and again, and again.

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I shouldn't wait so long to do these journals. Here I sit three days after the
fact trying to remember what happened. When we got up CC recommended that we
have a cold breakfast of granola bars and wait until we make the next shelter
for our oatmeal. This would give me drinking water climbing "Little Bald" as the
morning was warm. The next shelter with water was about 3.5 miles away taking us
around one and a half hours. We chugged up the mountain and arrived on schedule
about 9:45AM. We found the water without any problems (we had to walk over it)
and tanked up. We sat and had a leisurely late breakfast then hit the trail with
water a plenty.
We started up Big Bald, a 416' climb up to 5,516'. CC put on her music to help
her not think about being tired, second night in a row she had problems
sleeping. We broke out of the woods into the "Highlands" once again. There was a
bit of haze, however we still could see about 75 miles in all directions. We
passed a young couple out on a day hike doing some picture taking. We chatted
for a minute then headed for the top as they dropped behind us quite a ways.
Once on top CC said she wanted to sit and take in the glory of the place while
listening to her praise and worship music. While she sat I looked at my map
trying to get an idea of where we might be headed and the lay of the land. While
looking around the couple showed up. The young lady asked if we carried a
camera? I said yes it was an important piece of gear and we were doing almost
100 pictures a week. They offered to take a picture of both of us and Email it
to Matt to be posted. We liked the idea as you know how hard it is to do that without a tripod and we have so few pics with both of us
in it.
Pictures done, information exchanged then down the mountain into the woods
again. We had seen weather building to the southeast and now were in a race with
it to the shelter. We dropped down to "Low Gap" at 4,300' then to "Street Gap"
at 4,100' where we had our lunch. The wind had picked up considerably and the
shadows were all gone. The buttermilk sky was an ominous dark gray. About 1/4
mile from "Sam's Gap" after almost 30 minutes of thunder the clouds opened.
Everyday when the thunder starts CC asks what I think. I always reply "maybe it
will go around us today," her reply "you always say that and we get soaked!"
Today was no different. We had to pass under I26 in Sam's Gap where there was a
bridge we could sit under. Having no guard rail to sit behind it was up the
banking to the flat area just below the decking. As we neared the center of the
bridge trying to stay out of wind and rain we spotted another hiker who had the
same idea. We climbed up and joined him looking like a group of homeless people! He was NoBo and filled us in on the trail up
to Hogback Ridge Shelter (a southern name if ever there was one) where he said
his hiking partners were sitting. Seems they were cautious about the storm and
wanted to sit it out. He gambled and dashed the 2.4 miles to the bottom making
the underpass just seconds before the deluge! We camped out there for about
half an hour joking about it might be a good dry spot to camp.
Things broke up, the sun returned so CC and I headed up the hill, 455' up and
2.4 miles to the shelter. We have had the worst luck lately with rain. Walking
up the mountain the lightning cracked above us and thunder shook our bones and
the ground. Fifteen minutes short of the shelter the downpour started again. We
walked in to the shelter area and found four people already settled in for the
night as it was now 5:30PM and raining. We thought about a tent but decided on
the shelter as flat spots were not to be found. Everyone moved around so we
could fit in.
Water was some distance away but I had plenty for supper and cooked once our
sleeping stuff was in place. While eating, one of the men tried to start a fire
to no avail. Shortly after eating, the rain abated and I put my hand to the fire
making chore. Finding a Balsam tree with plenty of dead lower branches for
tender, we soon had a nice blaze going warming and drying those who wanted. I
thought the rain had stopped and went for the next days water before retiring.
Walking down the 1/4 mile to the spring I noted the thunder on the increase. Why
did I not bring my rain jacket? Man some days you just can't win. Filling the
last container, rain came back with a vengeance soaking me a for third time
today. There was no need to run to the shelter once you are wet to the skin, so
I had a nice walk back up the trail home. Good thing I had banked the fire
before leaving, there was a nice large flame to welcome me back. Took a while to
get dry once the rain stopped, but it was worth the time. I hate putting on wet cloths in the morning. 13.4 miles today, 26.9
miles in two days since leaving Erwin.

Patrick, Deborah Mooney aka OD & CC
All Who Wander Are Not Lost

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