Sunrise was just as beautiful as sunset. Ben woke us up just in time to really appreciate it. He grabbed the camera and jumped out to capture the moment. I got to stay cozy in the tent, wrapped from head to toe in my sleeping bag, watching it through the mesh.
Everyone on the hill stilled for those 10 minutes, watching the sun rise. Then “the worms came alive”. That’s what I said to Ben while our friends who cowboy camped shimmied inside their sleeping bags, getting ready for the day.
After breakfast we started our 16.6 mile day. But first, the whole group had to stop at the privy at the next shelter since the top of the bald had nothing. Some didn’t make it that far and had to take a quick turn to go into the forest.
I was thankful for another overcast day to keep things cool. The trail began easy and in total we had 2 tough climbs. We were finished with them by 1p. Ben and I ate lunch at the top of the mountain, large boulders were our table and chairs. Afterwards, we got to meet 3 out of 9 backpackers that are hiking with Warrior Expedition. It’s a nonprofit that sponsors military service members (prior service or otherwise) to either do a long hike or other smaller events. Ben had heard of them before heading out. The main motivations around the nonprofit is around PTSD prevention and helping service members slowly integrate back into civilian society after being in a job that they are unable to take a break from. They organize lodging, gear, and anything the service member/backpacker needs to help them through. It was really neat to meet some of them. 10 started and 9 remain – that’s better odds than those “civilians” generally hiking the AT. One guy, named “Lucky”, had his arm in a cast and had already suffered from giardia… obviously the irony is in his name.
It was another 3.5 miles to the shelter. We got into camp around 5:30p. Then the rain, which had been threatening all day, finally came. It lasted about 30 or 45 minutes. Those with tents already up stayed inside. The others huddled in or around the awkwardly small shelter.
We called and made reservations for town the next day at “camping cabins” that sleep 5. It would come out to $16/person. No linens or pillows, etc., are included. However, there are communal showers and attached half bathrooms. Staying in the two cabins are:
Myself (Ansel)
Warthog (Ben)
Kitchen Sink
Grey Eagle
Lotus
Atlas
Kirby
Veg
Foggy
Roaming Gnome
Once all was reserved and we had dinner, I decided to crash. It was muggy inside the tent, sleep did not come easy. However, the promise of a 3.4 mile day, breakfast in town, and a roof made me okay with the tossing and turning.
-ansel