Bud and Vicki Hogan's 1996 Appalachian Trail Journey
June 13
Groundhog Creek to Roaring Fork Shelter..................................................11.5 miles
Before we entered the Smokies, we preferred to stay in our tent. It was home, kept the bugs and mice away, and offered a little privacy. After the Smokies we took what we could. Even if we stayed in our tent, we often stayed near a shelter. We discovered that the reason the shelters are built where they are is that the water supply is nearby. Only a very few shelters are built without a nearby water supply.
We hiked at our own pace not trying to keep up with anyone, just ourselves. I rarely let Vicki out of my sight, and when I did it was for only a few minutes. I feel responsible for her and for her safety. Noel and Ray hiked at their own pace passing us at different times. We would pass messages to them from each other.
We stopped for lunch at the bottom of Max Patch. The clouds were low and the wind was blowing. The bare, bald hill was like something from another part of the earth, maybe Scotland, perhaps. Cloudy, misty, otherworldly. Unique. The white blazes painted on these old post look like they haven't been updated in over 50 years. Was this really the trail? It has to be. Got to the top. No views, today, because of the clouds. Several people up there, a man and a woman looked like they were a little disgusted at being interrupted by us, and a scoutmaster walking down to the road to pick up pizza for his troop. PIZZA. I started to salivate like Pavlov's dog. Pizza was being delivered out here. If I only had a phone to order some pizza!!
Onward and downward, down the hill, toward the woods. Just as we were leaving Max Patch, a few of the clouds parted and offered us a glimpse of the panorama that we were to miss. Just a tease to let us appreciate what we would never see. We passed the boy scout troop at the bottom of the hill just at the beginning of the forest. We wished we could have their supper tonight. Oh, well.
The trail criss-crossed a pretty little stream and a very small waterfall that is not listed in the data book. Maybe it's a seasonal stream and untrustworthy. Totally different feel here in the woods. Darker, wet, and a little closed in.
Got to Roaring Fork Shelter. No good places for a tent so we tossed our gear in the shelter. This shelter had a different design than the others. A walkway in the center with bunks on either side. In the center was a raised platform about a foot in width that could be used to cook on. Interesting. We were there alone. We were setting up our gear when this wild-eyed, black bearded maniac pops around the corner and yells "IS ANYONE HERE AN AX MURDERER?" HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!! Scared the heck out of me. Well, that broke the ice.
This was Rich, a computer programmer from Boston who had thru-hiked the AT with his southern, writer friend Mike in 1980. Mike, Ray and Noel came in later. We had some great conversation and good times that night. This was a good group. Very philosophical. I like that. We got an insight into thru-hikers that night. We were informed that during the weeks and months following the hike that we would often return to the trail in our minds. We felt that this would probably be true, but we had no concept of how true it really was.
Rich taught us some about trail food. Take a package of whatever you have and dump in a can of whatever you have. Tonight it is jalapeno beans and weenies in something (rice or pasta). And we were going to sleep in the same closed spaced shelter with him. WHEW!!!
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