Mile 895.8
Elevation 2,431
Miles Hiked 13.2
Are you familiar with the Whipper Willow? I am. Everyone at the previous shelter was in their sleeping bags by 8:30 PM. I was the last in the bag. As soon as I was comfy, the Whipper Willow started calling for a mate right outside the hut. It didn’t stop until around 4:00 AM. Almost no one slept.
Waking up late, thanks to the bird, I climbed out of the sleeping bag at 7:00 AM and was off by 8:30. The first landmark that I passed was the summit of Blackrock Mountain. It’s an interesting summit with rocks all the way to the top. I declined to climb it, but some other hikers made the climb and claimed some great views.
Moving down the trail a couple of hours later, I stopped at the camp store and enjoyed a Gatorade and some trail magic hostess cupcakes. The first wayside diner was another mile down the trail and then a steep downhill climb of .6 mile. While I had been looking forward to stopping at the wayside, lack of sleep and a desire to get to the next hut took precedence, so I skipped the wayside.
My hut goal appeared at 4:30 PM. I setup my bed, had dinner and that was it. The hut is not very crowded, but it’s possible other hikers may show up later.
It’s supposed to rain tonight and a good part of tomorrow. I’ll stay here until the rain stops and then hike to the next shelter.
