TRAIL DAY 87
Tue, May 17, 2016 This is going to be an interesting day. Not only is the ground wet but my appetite is whet.
It had rained really hard at night and I felt for the elderly couple who, without much ado, packed up their gear and tent, came over to the shelter to say hello to us fellow hikers and then went on their way. I had a “Way-to-go!” feeling about them.
Farel and Pop Tart were trying to figure out their plans. Farel was leaving the trail for a while and Pop Tart was going to join him on cab fare into town. They discussed their options at some length calculating when they would be at Jennings Creek Road to meet a cab. I don’t remember any phone calls but they figured out their plan eventually.
I left soon after the couple and the others came later. Without planning to, we all met up at the Middle Creek Campground noted in AWOL. The trail crossed Jennings Creek Road but a right on the road and a left onto Middle Creek Road brought you to the Campground. As I began my climb up Middle Creek Road, an owner or manager of the Campground stopped to offer Theo and me a ride. We gladly accepted. The smelly, wet dog was no problem. “He can ride in the back” she said.
She drove me to the Campground and stopped to let me out. There was a delivery truck there.
I went inside the camp store and was directed to my right down a few steps into a wide, open, sparsely furnished room with a pale linoleum floor and a table and chairs at the far side. There was a door out on the right and on the left was an area with a couch or two and a TV. I took off Theo’s and my wet gear confident it wouldn’t hurt the floor and Theo sprawled out mindless of any such concerns and soon left his mark.
Soon my three sheltermates from the night before appeared. Bunky was planning on staying the night. The rest of us would move on out in time.
But first, time to eat!
No! We had to wait for the delivery first. It was a refrigerator that barely made it in the door and down the aisles surrounding the shelving in the center of the store. After careful maneuvering, it was done.
Now – time to eat.
I have told this story many, many times enjoying the affect each time. I went to the counter at the far left end of the store opposite the large room with our wet gear. I sat looking into the kitchen area and I ran a tab. Now here’s the oft-repeated story:
I ordered two eggs, bacon and toast.
When that was done, I order two biscuits and gravy – one for me and one for Theo.
When that was done, I ordered French toast.
And. . .when that was done, I ordered a hamburger.
I leave it at that without more – but I will confess that this occurred over a little bit of time – maybe an hour or so. But, trust me, nothing was discarded.
Wait till you hear about the Trail Magic on entering the White Mountains of New Hampshire!
Sufficiently fed, it was time to think about loading out. But first, the bathrooms at the back of the campground. Nice, neat and clean. Then resupply at the camp store. I remember selecting what I would take and then thought better of it and put some back. A (still) hungry hiker has pretty big eyes for food and has to be careful because every bite must be transported on the hiker’s back to the location of the next meal.
It was my driver who served me and it was to her that I paid my tab before she drove me back to the trailhead.
The AWOL profile tells me we descended 1000′ to the road leading to the campground. Back on the trail, we climbed 1000′ and then descended another 1000′ followed by a 2,500′ climb to the next shelter. All in rain or mist. I was clearly taken with the brilliant, bursting-with-life greenery as I hiked until the awesome array along the trail was eclipsed by the soft, grey cotton of mist at nightfall.
We soon arrived at Cornelius Creek Shelter just over the peak of 3560′ Floyd Mountain at mile 764.4.
Day #87 Cove Mountain Shelter > Cornelius Creek Shelter 11.9 miles