I was the first one up this morning. With our plan to do 20 miles we had to get an early start. Not that getting up was an issue! I had been awake for most of the night as it was. I had a rip saw snorer next to me and once I start "hearing" it I can no longer sleep. Not to mention I find myself falling into the breathing pattern of the snorer. This leads to prolonged periods of no breathing and then intermittent blasts of quick breath to long inhalations. Having 9 people stuffed in here meant I was right next to said offender! It finally reached a point where I flipped my bag around so I was at the feet instead of the head but by this time it was very early in the AM and soon time to wake.
I boiled water and woke Branch and Appleseed, who were with us that night. I figured I would get the water boiled before I woke Cyg. That way I could offer her water for her oatmeal and not have to deal with the early AM Cyg (OK, it's not that bad but I can take artistic license here).
Cyg and I did get out early ... We even beat Tattoo Joe out but that idea of supremacy was short lived as he caught up to us an hour or two later. The three of us hiked through the snow (yes, we are still in snow!) sometimes losing the trail but all in all having fun. After a bit Tattoo Joe decided it was time to leave the snails and move on. This was shortly before we arrived at Big Bald Mtn. where things became interesting.
All morning we had been hiking in and out of the snow. The skies were overcast but the trend seemed to be leaning toward clearing. Shortly before the summit of Big Bald the sun broke through the cloud cover. Cyg immediately started singing, "Here Comes the Sun". Sun is always welcome!
Well, we paid for that brief, sunny interlude, in spades! Within a short distance we were at the summit and the wind was ripping across the bald. It started pushing us toward one side and another as we tried to get across the top. Conversation was nill because of the wind noise. Tuck your head down and just GO! Oh, did I mention there was snow on top and it was a very, very cold wind. Add that into the mix of, Are we having fun yet?
We finally reached a spot where the wind died and there was a sign drawn in the snow showing the trail to be down the hill a bit. Problem was there were no footprints. We backtracked a bit and made our way down but the wind was not finished knocking us around yet.
At one point Cyg stopped to get out her gloves. Now, I've always had mental issues with Cyg and her gloves. My fingers can be ice cold and I have gloves on but she just hikes without them. In the wind I kept thinking her fingers were going to just drop off her hand like icicles off a roof. Her only comment was, "I need to get my gloves." I just nodded (because my jaws were frozen shut)wondering how this was going to be possible because I couldn't feel my own fingers much less move them.
She fished them out and we trudged through two more wind tunnels before dropping back below treeline where we proceeded to become misplaced yet again, for a short time. Finding trail in a lot of snow is not easy!
We hiked on, buoyed bY the adrenaline rush that Big Bald gave us and we soon made it to Big Bald Shelter, at 5100 feet and still with snow. It was around 11:30 AM and we had a decision to make, but not before it was hot lunch time. Rarely do one of us take time to actually cook lunch on the trail. Lunch usually consists of something you can throw together quickly. Cyg and I felt this day deserved a hot lunch.
We boiled our water for our perspective meals and considered our options. 10.6 miles to go along with a 2000 foot elevation drop or stay here and "mope" later on as Cyg put it. The key was Cyg's knee. It had been bothering her and we didn't want to push things if we didn't have to.
Neither of us said much as we ate but I think we had pretty much decided on the course of action. I finished eating, looked at Cyg and said,"Well?". She just looked out from the shelter and lifted her head toward the trail. We were hiking soon after that.
Little Bald came and went, still with snow but not like its brother Big Bald. We made it to High Rocks where the snow was disappearing and the sun was making a strong attempt to stay out. We to the trail to High Rocks and enjoyed the views from there for a bit and then moved on.
Spivey Gap came and went. The sun was out and the snow was gone. Amazing what dropping 2000 feet will do! Devil's Creek Gap approached and we were 2.5 miles from the goal for the day and it was around 5:30. I figured we would be in right around 7:00.
When you've been hiking with someone for close to three weeks you get to pick up on some of the subtle tonal inflections a person makes. I was tired and Cyg's feet and knee were feeling none to happy. At one point I made the mistake of saying something about how I thought we were pretty close (we weren't) and after about a half hour Cyg made a comment on how much further. I immediately flashed back to '05 when Feelin' Free and I were hiking out of Atkins, VA and how my "uh oh" radar went on then.
Cyg's testy tone, subtle though it was, meant I could be in big trouble if I didn"t tread this water very gently! Much to my relief we saw someone coming down the trail who pointed out the shelter was just around the bend. Whew, made it out of that one in one piece and without having to back pedal!
So, we did it. 20 miles and change. My first for the season and Cyg's first ever. It was not an easy 20 either with all the snow and wind. It was a well earned 20! Tomorrow would be a nice little 6 mile jaunt into Erwin. The weather looked promising. It would be a good day.
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