| May 10, 2005 |
| I just Left
Will at Iron Mountain Gap heading north out of Erwin and I'll not be
going back. Simon has gotten so use to Will's van that when he
left, I was going up the hill along the roadway waved to Will and he
honked his horn three times and Simon was immediately alerted and
wanted to go follow the van, I had a terrible coaxing him to go with
me to the north. |
| Going into the
woods, I'm following what appears to be either an old or a
logging road. A week slack packing certainly makes a
difference in the weight. Today I'm really going have to take
it easy because I'm carrying a full load today and won't go very far
in mileage, it's going to take me a little bit to get used to this
pack again |
| This is a
beautiful sunny day, a little overcast, but I can still off into the
distance in to Erwin. |
 Helen, may you
and Hershel can tell me the name of this purple flower. I
don't think it's blue cohaush, but it could be. The leaf
doesn't look quite right, it's a rounded leaf, but is seriated,
broken into 5 or 6 leaves.
I'm definitely getting to the ridge top, I'm
feeling a strong cold wind up out of the cove and that is usually a
very good sign that the ridge top is very near. I can also see
mountains on both sides looking east or west. |
| The pretty little
purple violets have opened to take in the early morning sun, and I
also saw Solomon's seal not yet blooming. |
| I just passed
some large boulders, diagonal and vertical on top of the ridge, so
it looks like I'll be on the ridge for a little while. Coming
down off the ridge line the wind has been so strong that it's
blowing me sideways. |
| I'm still
hiking today on the ridge line between NC and TN. Stopped and
ate lunch at Greasy Gap and going to the next shelter. May be
I'll stop there for the night. The leaves are rustled up and
routed out by wild hogs, the first I've seen since before the
Smokies. I will be staying at the Clyde Smith Shelter. |
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