Day two. The longest day.
When I confirm I'm not really a backpacker. We started the day with oatmeal and a prayer and hit the trail around 9-9:30. Old guys at the front again. I have to say, this part of the trail was pretty nice. It was mostly flat and through nice country. We crossed some rock slides where we walked from large rock to large rock which was sort of fun. The plan for the day is to finish off the long mountain trail then head up to the ridge along the bucktail cutoff trail to half moon trail to Tuscarora. We will look for a camp and camp somewhere up on the ridge.
As I indicated. Things went pretty good before lunch. We stopped to lunch at a nice bridge. We were about 2-2.5 hours in and had covered about 5 miles. Josh, zac, and Tyler decided to climb a set of rocks off to the side of the hill. About half way up the thorns got thick and Tyler turned around. The other two summited the top and then started down. You would have to ask them what took so long, but let's just say if they are running a business sign up because they apparently provide 1.5-2 hour lunches. There were a number of large boulders that also found their way down the hill as well.....
We hit the trail again and the next 3 miles aren't too bad. We stop to fill up Tyler's water - again. At this point (~8 miles into the day) the functioning GPSs in the group are out of battery and so we have to rely on trail markers for mileage. In some ways it's a good thing. One hiker asks about every half mile how much further, where is camp or what time is it.
But it could be that I'm just getting cranky.
You see, the trail has turned more upward and it has been long day and looking at the map I can see we still have a long ways to go. And about the trail.... I didn't do it justice yesterday calling them marbles. Let me try to explain. Imagine rocks the size of your fist to a few times the size of your fist. Don't think of smooth river rock, think about mountain rocks - smooth but jagged, with uneven surfaces. Now take those and lay them out along the trail. Now partially cover them with dirt and some grass so they don't move and can't fully be seen at times. Now hike across them. For 10 miles. Imagine that if you step wrong and put all your weight down how you feel it through your boot. And how if you don't land right how you slide just a bit and the side of your feet where the toes connect hit into the rock - after about 50 times it's a little sore. Imagine that occasionally your toe doesn't quite clear that rock you passed and so you have to quickly swing it forward to prevent a face plant while doing it with a 40 lb pack. Each foot step becomes a crucial decision! I walked miles and can't say that during the actual hike I saw a lot as each foot placement was too important to miss. When I looked up to see the blazes (they were yellow for our path and they look like a small i - made me feel just a little like Mr. Incredible since they looked like that symbol) I would often misstep. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, but when your feet are sore and you are getting tired and you have logged over 10 miles already, trail sections with those rocks are not a welcome sight.
We stop so I can gather my breath and the bill of my hat is dripping off the front. I can't figure out what is going on since it isn't raining until I realize there is so much sweat coming off my head it's completely drenched the bill. Not sure I've managed that before. But it keeps it from dripping onto my glasses so it's a bonus.
We reach something like the top but there was no water so we had to keep hiking. We find another camp with water. Too much standing water and these mosquitoes are bigger and thicker than before so we realize as much as we would like to stop we need to move on. We finally reach sandstone spring. As brother Brigham said - this is the place. It is sort of cool as clouds are moving in and we are in them. There is a tree with water coming out from under it which also adds to the magical feel of the place. In fact, most the campground feels like walking on ground that is hollow underneath. But we all find places to set up camp and since we think rain is moving in we try to find places that will work if that happens.
Mountain house beef stroganoff is delicious - but it was a long day so don't hold me to that. We have devotional around the fire and head to bed as rain starts to fall. Ty cooks up some amazing jiffy pop popcorn - wow it is consumed rapidly. He carried it with him even when he wasn't going to eat any. In the end he can't resist having one piece just to see how it tastes.
There was a lot of mole skin being passed out today. The sandal experiment starts to show some issues. Sorry there isn't much more to share today. It was a lot of walking.
Dry bed, good food, good company, and at the top of the ridge. We have some cell signal so I get to send an update and text my wife. My feet are sore but I think blister-less so far. Tomorrow rain is an concern as it is supposed to rain from noon to two or so all afternoon with thunderstorms - we need to be off the ridge by then. Praying for good weather. Thank you for your prayers in our behalf.
Scott
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tree of life? Notice the water coming out from the spring from under the tree. |
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