| May 28, 2005 |
| Leaving Jenny
Knob Shelter at 8:30am. Going north and not sure just what the
destination is going to be tonight. We may go past the first
shelter that we cross. Had some company last night at the
shelter, myself, Spirit, 2 Mississippi collage students, some
hunters that came in later, and Scrubs who is south bound. The
collage students are working on their PHD's, interviewed Spirit and
I last night about the AT journey we've had so far, what we liked
and what we didn't like, boy did they get an ear full, all positive
for the most part. They are going to use the information
somewhere in their dissertations. |
| Today is
overcast and we will probably get some rain since we didn't get it
last night. |
| But I can tell already that it's going
to be a beautiful day because we are seeing white and pink Laurel
bushes in bloom more so than they have been on previous days.
The one I'm looking at now is white with pink fringes and really
full. |
| Helen, its
time to do some research, get your flower books out, I came across a
flower that the leaf looks like lady slippers, except there is 5
leaves and a stem in the middle that comes up and blooms into a
little white flower. Looks like a spirea bloom, with 5 to 6
petals, it's all white with little yellowish-green pistons. |
| We are
crossing at Lick-Skillet Hollow Road getting to go about 3 miles to
Brushy Mountain. We continuing up the next section of Brushy
Mt. A continuous up hill grade, in a hard wood forest seeing
some sassafras we haven't seen very often before. A lot of
shrub under growth here. The trail is pine needle covered with
a few roots and rocks here and there, but mostly smooth.
Thanks heavens for switch backs, they make the trail easier to climb
up the mountain. We also have short sections of log steps or
rock steps. We're beginning to get into the metaphoric rocks
and big boulders strung out here and there in the woods, must
nearing the climax of the mountain. Seeing a white pine forest
on top of the ridge line is unusual. I looking at some
vertical rocks with some steep crevices. The ridge top is
loaded with blackberry bloom and wild cherry bloom. Also
locus, maples, some green raspberries and huge tall ferns. We
had History, Bull Dog and some hikers from Tenn. pass us by. |
| We have been
running down hill for the last couple of hours, now we're breaking
out into a white pine forest, that looks like it had been planted
years ago. The blackberry and cherry blossoms are thick
through here. Coming down into the river valley the ragwort is
profusely blooming. Crossing the river on a swinging bridge.
Just crossed over 606. I just saw a rattlesnake plant in bloom.
There's a tall yellow bloom on it, kind of resembles a daisy, except
it's all yellow. |
| I'm at Dismal
Falls, it's not very high, but it's a wide river falls with several
layers of falls, big rocks all around it. It looks like slate
bottom and a lot of people camping in the area. I'm standing
here with my feet in the water wading, smooth, easy to walk on
rocks. Simon likes it. One of the hikers is getting
ready to jump off...there he goes! It's cold water. One
of the campers gave us a Pepsi, this hit the spot. We ate our
lunch here, we had mashed potatoes with brown gravy, rice, broccoli,
cheese and carrots. Good starchy lunch for the next 6 miles
coming up. |
| Back on the AT
going north. The 6 tenths of a mile back to Dismal Falls was
well worth it! Smooth easy pine needle and leaf dust
trail along a creek. We can hear kids playing around in the
creek area, we also hear a horse nay and now I'm hearing him clomp
up the road. |
| Coming into
the shelter it's 6:10pm, it's been a great day, no rain, breezes
been a little cool, but really nice. Somebody left a candle to
burn. |
|
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