Stephanie's Trail Journal

July 4th

Beginning Point: Punchbowl Shelter
Ending Point: Cow Camp Shelter
Daily Mileage: 14.4 Miles
Total Miles: 790-something Miles
Weather: Hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms

Woke up this morning to the sounds of buzzing black flies and the twang of a bullfrog chorus. The shelter was shrouded in fog and I would have stayed in my bag all morning if Stephan hadn't rolled over and said, "I can't take the $%&* bugs anymore!!" So, we made coffee and ate oatmeal while chatting with Spider, Brother and No Pain.

The mornings hike was nice and level and somewhat cool, which made for easy hiking. We quickly covered 8 miles but slowed up on the last mile. I guess it was warming up and we were getting hungry so the last mile was tough to bang out. Blackfoot really has trouble hiking when the weather turns to 100% humidity - actually, we all do, but especially Dan. We try to siesta during the heat of the day to avoid the worst of it. While that helps for hiking, it usually has us hiking into early evening which is the best time for rain showers.

Yup, we were stuck in another storm today. We left the lunch shelter at 4 p.m. and started hiking. We had a 3000 ft climb from there to the top of Bald Knob (which, by the way, wasn't bald), and some of that was straight up the mountain! We found a patch of red raspberries and snacked for a bit before moving on - then the rumbles in the sky began. My goal was to get over the crest of the mountain before the first raindrops fell, but that was not to be. Dan and I were about a mile or so from the summit when the lightning and rain began in earnest; Stephan was at the summit. The plan was to camp at Hog Back Spring, but getting soaked so close to nightfall caused us to re-evaluate the shelter alternative, which was a few miles closer (but a half mile off-trail). Glad we did, too because its nice having a dry area to cook and sleep in. Plus, we met a fella who hasn't done too much hiking, Eric (or, as his grandma used to call him, Whiffler, which means butterfingers). He doesn't have a pack cover or a tent so he made sure to get to the shelter before the rain fell.

Some dry clothes and hot tea really can change your mood. A Special Dark doesn't hurt, either (thanks Mom!). Dan professed his love for the mighty Idahoan mashed potatoes with gravy - favorite dish - and Stephan and I had a similar spud-based dinner. Then, chocolate pudding for dessert - mmmm!

Brother hiked in around 8-ish and said that Spider pitched her tent about 5 miles back. Guess she didn't want to hike in the rain. After he ate and got himself settled, he played his guitar for us - very soothing before bed.

Well, I think I want my boots back. They hurt my feet, but not like the hiking shoes hurt. These are rubbing my feet raw, and I think they also put more pressure on my knees. They claim they are gore-tex, however they soaked through after 10 minutes in the rain the other day, so I don't think I like them for extended hiking. They might do okay day hiking without any weight. Either I'm going to try Chacos (a sports sandal with a vibram sole) or I'm putting my old boots back on. Not sure which is the better option.

Steph

Posted by steph at July 11, 2004 03:03 PM