May is not supposed to be cold

At the beginning of our 63rd day on the trail, we woke up at a small dispersed campsite, Swamping Camp Creek. It’s very nice to camp just the two of us. We’ll spend the morning just the two of us. I pack up the tent while Avalanche prepares breakfast and coffee. Always a good way to start a day of hiking.

Walking through Bald Knob

Once we were all packed we set off. With only 800 miles to go we were eager to add to our tally. Today was going to be a 17 mile day. We began the hike by climbing Bald Knob. Starting the day with an uphill climb can be a bit unpleasant, but I’d always rather start with an uphill climb than end with one. This particular day was one of our hottest days on the trail. It also happened to be a day where we would have quite a bit of exposure. Needless to say, we took a lot of breaks today and filtered more water than usual.

Lunch with a view

After hiking all morning, we stopped at Cole Mountain to enjoy the view and stayed for lunch. It was nice to get some much needed calories and at the same time enjoy the amazing sites of Cole Mountain. Some hikers passed by and asked us about our trip so far. It’s always a lot of fun to tell people how many miles we’ve traveled and see their reactions. It seems they are either amazed by the amount of miles we have covered or shocked by the lack of showers along the way. Very few of them seem to be envious of our efforts.

After lunch we continued down Cole Mountain and up Tar Jacket Ridge. While on this ridge we had a 360° view of the mountains around us. It seems that with the rain and the terrain we have been in the last few days, the views have been minimal. Today’s magnificent views were a good reminder of why we keep walking.

After some great views, we found our way to the campsite. We decided to stay at another dispersed campsite tonight. This one has a stream that was deep enough to dip your feet in. We had dinner and set up camp. Huddled under the covers for the night, we check the weather for the next day…rain…again.

Rainy start to the day

We woke up to the sound of raindrops hitting the canvas of our tent. Avalanche put on his raincoat and went to make coffee while I started packing up the inside of the tent. Together we had a quick breakfast and packed up the soaked tent. Today was wet and cold. It was going to be difficult.

We started walking and the rain didn’t let up. Not only that, but it was never hotter that morning. It stayed between 40 and 50 degrees all morning and into lunchtime. Being wet is one thing, but being wet and cold can be dangerous. We haven’t had our winter gear since Damascus. so we were not prepared for the cold. As we walked, my hands got so cold they started to hurt. I ended up hanging my walking stick on my backpack so I could keep my hands in my pockets for warmth.

Cold weather in May

Avalanche is very cold-averse and was not doing well this morning. He started walking faster to gain some extra heat and left me in the dust. Lunch time arrived and we met at the famous Priest’s Refuge. When I got there, Avalanche had finished their “lunch” and was ready to keep moving. Trembling and with wide eyes, he looked at me desperately. He was cold and didn’t want to stop moving. I told him I had some business to attend to in the toilet and that I had to have lunch before continuing. This wasn’t what Avalanche wanted to hear. She almost started to panic and said she was going to keep going and I could catch up with her. With her shaking and her phone on 10% I told her I didn’t think breaking up was a good idea. She reluctantly agreed to stay and I ate lunch as quickly as possible so we could get back on the road.

Warming up

As we walked down the Priest, the sky seemed to magically open up. The rain and wind stopped and the sun finally appeared. As we walked under the canopy, Avalanche was sunbathing along the trail. It was starting to get warm and we were glad for that. We reached a crossroads and decided to sunbathe and dry off. It was a good decision and this also gave us time to plan our next days of hiking.

Preparing the camp

After a few more miles of hiking we arrived at our shelter, Harper’s Creek Shelter. I set up the tent and Avalanche prepared dinner. Later that night, our friend Mountain Goat arrived at camp and we talked about our plan for tomorrow. There was a brewery 5 miles from the trail that some hikers hitchhiked to for lunch. After a cold, dreary day like today, I’d do anything for a burger and a beer. We all went to bed for the night excited for the arrival of our banquet.

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