Back Home Again
Well, after 20 miles I'm back home again. I found it terribly difficult carrying Arthur up and down hill after hill and finally said enough is enough. My son trudges on without me.
I have a lot of respect for you older guys that hike the north Georgia area. Frankly, I don't know how you do it. The whole trail up to the Knobstone Escarpment is uphill. That's about 12 miles of up 300 feet, down 150 feet, up 200, down 100, up 300....until you finally hit the Escarpment.
Saturday was great hiking weather. About 78 in the daytime with water at least available when we needed it. Up and down all the way, though. At one point I heard a tiny "beep, beep" and looked down to find a snail trying to a pass me. Why they think they have to just speed along the trails like that is beyond me.
My son would just go and I'd catch up when he stopped for a rest. I think I averaged about an 8 to 1 rest ratio. Who am I kidding? Maybe 12 to 1.
We camped on top of Round Knob Saturday night. That's at the 1000 foot mark. Great view and nice night. Chilly at 59 but really nice to lay down after hiking hill and dale.
Sunday was another nice day. Temp about the same and water was available when we really needed it until Sunday evening. We did a diversion off the trail and hiked a mile of so to a fire tower and scenic overlook. The view was really nice from both! Interesting aside to the fire tower. There was a tree at the base of the fire tire and the top of the tree was littered with panties. I mean, think that one through. Who starts that trend?
Sunday night was pretty da**ed cold. 50F with a breeze all night. We camped on a plateau that had about a 300 foot drop beyond us so the cold air was well below us. You don't expect 50F weather in August. Not here anyway. I did take my fleece jacket but could have used a parka!
Sunday morning was pretty yucky. After I rolled around on the ground like a cold turtle trying to get up I finally said enough is enough. We hiked out to a road and found a ditch with some water. I hate getting water there but it was all that was available. So I gave my son my camera and the water filter and took all the garbage. He headed back to the trail and I hiked six miles to a pickup spot where my wife's SAR mission gathered me up.
Every experience is a learning experience for me and, of course, the time out with my son was good. But my back and knees are a bit beyond climbing up and down hills.
Pictures when he returns with the camera!
Sincerely,
Wimpy, where are my twinkies?
Rick
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