Good week so far. Two 15 mile days and a 13. A 15 mile day for us is pushing it, but becoming more common. We do much better when we are up by 6 and packs on backs by 7:30. We then have enough daylight to get some respectable miles on. It's time to crank it up and pop out a 17 or 18.
Because Pappy 12 is busy taking pictures, fetching water or talking to some random hikers, Best Wife will sometimes get out ahead 15 or 20 minutes. Depending on the terrain, I have a little faster pace than Best Wife so I usually catch up to her in an hour or so. If I think I should have caught her and if a hiker is coming toward me in the opposite direction, I'll often ask the hiker if he has seen a good looking 62 year old ahead. I get all kinds of looks and responses.
Most smile and say she is a few minutes ahead. One guy told me I'd best hustle up because the only 62 year old he saw was not alone, but hiking with a guy. He told me if I didn't pick up the pace I might be hiking solo permanently.
Another time without breaking stride I asked a hiker the usual question about Best Wife's whereabouts. Without breaking stride he told me she was a few minutes ahead. A few moments later I hear him call out to me from behind me and down the trail. He said, as a matter of fact, she is good looking. Glad he was paying attention.
Check out the Rhododendron leaf engineering to make a spout to fill water bottles. Nice work.
In case you need help reading the sign in the dark picture, it reads "Swinging Dick Gap". No lie. I couldn't make up a name like that if I tried. I'm sure some old settler named Dick used to live there who liked to swing on his front porch swing. That's the best I got.
The charred wood columns on top of a stone building is all that's left of the wooden roof of a beautiful fire tower on top of Wayah Bald, elevation 5300 feet. A forest fire set by an arson a few months ago who lit old tires on fire and rolled them down slopes into the forest can be thanked for the job.
Lastly, when we reach 13 or 14 miles and no suitable tent sites are found, it's any port in the storm during the 14th or 15th mile. Tenting in the parking area of an old dirt road worked out alright, except for the two carloads of college kids who showed up after bedtime to begin their overnight hike up the mountain. Could be worse. At least they didn't park a car on our tent.
Sent from my iPhone
Because Pappy 12 is busy taking pictures, fetching water or talking to some random hikers, Best Wife will sometimes get out ahead 15 or 20 minutes. Depending on the terrain, I have a little faster pace than Best Wife so I usually catch up to her in an hour or so. If I think I should have caught her and if a hiker is coming toward me in the opposite direction, I'll often ask the hiker if he has seen a good looking 62 year old ahead. I get all kinds of looks and responses.
Most smile and say she is a few minutes ahead. One guy told me I'd best hustle up because the only 62 year old he saw was not alone, but hiking with a guy. He told me if I didn't pick up the pace I might be hiking solo permanently.
Another time without breaking stride I asked a hiker the usual question about Best Wife's whereabouts. Without breaking stride he told me she was a few minutes ahead. A few moments later I hear him call out to me from behind me and down the trail. He said, as a matter of fact, she is good looking. Glad he was paying attention.
Check out the Rhododendron leaf engineering to make a spout to fill water bottles. Nice work.
In case you need help reading the sign in the dark picture, it reads "Swinging Dick Gap". No lie. I couldn't make up a name like that if I tried. I'm sure some old settler named Dick used to live there who liked to swing on his front porch swing. That's the best I got.
The charred wood columns on top of a stone building is all that's left of the wooden roof of a beautiful fire tower on top of Wayah Bald, elevation 5300 feet. A forest fire set by an arson a few months ago who lit old tires on fire and rolled them down slopes into the forest can be thanked for the job.
Lastly, when we reach 13 or 14 miles and no suitable tent sites are found, it's any port in the storm during the 14th or 15th mile. Tenting in the parking area of an old dirt road worked out alright, except for the two carloads of college kids who showed up after bedtime to begin their overnight hike up the mountain. Could be worse. At least they didn't park a car on our tent.
Sent from my iPhone
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