I love to watch your fireworks show, just simply not so near me.
The rain was minimal last night, but there were violent gusts of wind and nearby lightning strikes that scared me just a little. The worst thing was hearing a big thud next to my tent and actually feeling the vibrations from the impact on the ground. When I got out of the tent this morning a large branch was lying on the ground no more than 20 yards away. Wow! Someone's looking out for me.
I was the first to leave camp, but for some reason, perhaps due to a less than restful night, I started really slow, not feeling my best at all. The storm must have been part of a cold front because it was very chilly all day. Surely a part of the cold could be attributed to walking in a frosty morning mist accompanied by a constant wind. That combination just seemed to suck the warmth right out of me and most of the day my hands were red and numb.
The highlights of the day were Beauty Spot, another bald with nice views though somewhat limited because of today's weather, and Unaka Mountain, where the trail passed through a super red spruce forest. The mist swirling around the trunks and treetops created an otherworldly atmosphere as I strode beneath the boughs. The climb up to Ash Gap was also quite nice and finding a primitive camp there I decided to stop for the day. I was a mile and a half from Roan High Knob shelter, but since the Thru-Hikers' Companion said that "Roan Mountain is arguably the coldest spot, year-round, on the southern A.T.," I figured it might be a tad warmer where I was. A wonderful feeling to be huddled in my down sleeping bag as the sun is sinking in the west. I'm finally warm! :-)
My final thought of the day was "Where is Snorkel?" I've been doing fairly well at logging the miles but she may be doing just as many or maybe more. I think back to my PCT days when Steve and Kristen were a day behind me for the whole state of Oregon. If hikers are keeping the same pace, one could be a mile ahead of the other and they'd never meet. It's a matter of gaining a few miles a day if I am to catch up. If we do meet, it will most likely be in Virginia.
Unaka Mountain
Sun Sinking Low
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