I'm a fan of getting lost. Ask my running buddies; I'm the biggest proponent of leaving the beaten path and forging new routes. Well, it's not as fun in the woods. Yes, I got lost for the first time yesterday not too long after sending my update from Dragon's Tooth.
What happened was I had heard all about how difficult the descent was, how it's an "easier up than down." So, when I started down, I reached a switchback, thought I had seen a blaze, and continued down the steep trail instead of turning. What resulted was about 200 feet of steep rock scrambling. "Gee, this is a steep descent" I remember thinking. At the bottom, when the rock ended, so did the trail! I looked back up at the rock and decided that I did not want to go back up. So, bushwhacking commenced. I scrambled along a steep steep slope, holding on to mountain laurel for dear life! A few times, I slipped on leaves and the dense undergrowth held me up by hooking on to my pack. After about 30 minutes of up and down and slipping and sliding, I found a campsite, and from there I found the trail. I was not too worse for wear, with a few cuts and scratches on my legs and arms. What suffered was my Thermarest, which got all chewed up from the brush!
Last night I stayed at 4 Pines Hostel, which was in fact just a garage with beds and couches. The owner Joe was a really cool guy and we all had a good old time playing cornhole, cards, and eating cold pops. And, I got a ride to the Homeplace Restaurant. Oh, baby it was good. Fried chicken, roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits (with apple butter), green beans, pinto beans, cole slaw, apple sauce, and for dessert peach cobbler. All of this was all-you-can-eat, and homeade. Some of the best food I've had yet. Even today I keep thinking back to it...Today started off slow, and I was surprised at how little I wanted to hike. Usually, a half-day like yesterday pumps me up to hike the next day. But I was strangely not feeling it this morning. I think what snapped me out of it was this John Muir quote I heard recently; "Every time I go into the woods, I feel like I'm in church." I think that recognizing the vastness and uniqueness of the space you're in is essential to fully appreciating it. I slowed down with this realization, and everything just kind of got better. It really is amazing how mental hiking is!
Today I've been at McAfee Knob, and I'll be here for sunrise tomorrow. McAfee is one of "the" places on the trail, with mega views and a sheer cliff. It's another night of cowboy camping. Can't complain tonight!
-Scribbles (aka Ted)
8:35 p.m. 5/4/2015
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