Miles Hiked 16.8
Elevation 2,008 feet
Miles Hiked Today 7.4
Here I am at Holson Valley Shelter. This was not the plan for the day.
I left the Rock Garden Shelter at 7:00 a.m. and began hiking. There were no expectations for the day other than hiking 15 and a half miles to the Winding Stair Shelter. The trail really threw me for a loop. The constant up and down was tough even though the elevation of the mountains was low. It was also very steep on each ascent and decent. The rocks and tree roots did not help the cause. Every step I took was on a rock. They were that pervasive.
My hiking speed was cut to 1/2 mph. By noon it was obvious that I would not make my goal for the day. So I changed plans and decided to stop at this shelter for the night. I arrived a little before 4:00 p.m., so it’s clear my pace was very poor as I hiked over the rocks and up and down the trail. I would have tried going at least another four or five miles, but my navigation app indicated that there were no tent sites available in that area of the trail.
It’s unlikely that the trail will be any different tomorrow, but if I can I’m going to try to make up some time and go to a shelter that’s about 17 miles down the trail. I’m not very optimistic that I will accomplish that goal, but I’ll give it a go.
