New Trail: Day Two - Pinefield Hut to Wildcat Ridge Trail

Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 (day two of a three day hike)

Where: near Loft Mtn on the Skyline Drive (SNP)

Weather: Mostly sunny, 60s to start, foggy, breezy, hot in the afternoon, cool after rain

Length: 20.0 m

Elevation change: Pinefield Hut - 2400, Loft Mtn - 3400, Blackrock Mtn - 3100, Wildcat Ridge - 3000

Duration: 10.5 h including break for lunch

Up with the sun, had breakfast with the hut boys and out by 6:30a. I am a man on a mission with a decided 20 m ahead of me. I wondered if I could do really do it. The trail from here is a bit up and down with the major pull into Loft Mtn. 6 m away. Feeling good and loaded with water from the spring at Pinefield. I am carrying 2.5 liters in my hydration bladder and another liter bottle, enough water for a normal day. I refilled at Loft Mtn. had a bit of a break at the camp store, but no phone contact with M since yesterday morning at my start. I am worrying that she is worrying and that is distracting. I'm still looking at every dark spot on the trail for you know what kind of coiled thing that makes a "you are not welcome here" signal. 

As I hike up to the Doyles River Overlook I have my phone on and I here a welcome "plunk" meaning a text. I find a reception point and M and I have a catch up. Learning to deal with unpredictable and most likely infrequent conversations requires some acclimation. Now I am feeling really on top of the world and ready to push on. There are many people on the trail today evidence that the community is alive and well. 

As I push over Blackrock Mtn. I am watching my water and wondering where I am going to fill up; this is going to be an issue today. I know there is a spring at Blackrock Hut. When I reach the hut it's 0.2 m down there and, of course, 0.2 m back. Doesn't sound like much but I still have a long way to go (7 m) and I choose to bypass with hopes for a water encounter later. Maybe a bad decision.

Two hours later, about 3:00p, I am really beat and recognizing the water issue is upon me; I probably should have not passed the spring. I roll into the Riprap parking area on the Skyland Drive (the trail runs adjacent to it) and I am down to about a liter with no springs between me and my endpoint tonight (2 hours away) and the first water well beyond that tomorrow. What to do? I am so exhausted and conflicted I am immobilized: a good thing. There are a few cars in the parking lot (no people) but some passing the entrance in both directions (some people) and I am resting which I have not been doing enough of on this trek. I consider my options, one of which is to bail on the trek, stand at the entrance and look for an angel to carry me back to Rockfish, the truck, and home resulting is a shorter than expected trip and a learning experience. That option sounds better than just taking off down the trail, low on water, energy, and enthusiasm. As I consider hailing a vehicle to see if water is available an SUV enters the parking lot and out jumps a fellow for a moment then he gets right back in. I scurry over as he starts his vehicle and ask if he has any water he can spare. He dives into the cooler and comes up with a bottle. Many thanks and I am back to my pack. I reassess and with the added water, rest, and buoyed spirit, I feel like proceeding is a safer bet, so off I go. Not more than a few hundred yards down the trail I meet a group of about six 20 somethings from Philly on the end of their day hike. I probed,"Do you guys happen to have any water you can share since you are almost at the end?" Out came the bottles and before you can say "Holy Water" I am packed full with a quenched thirst. Now I am ready.

I push on with even more vigor to Wildcat Ridge (4 more miles) with a idea that a good campsite is available in the area.  I arrive at 5:30p with thunder crashing about, find a near perfect site, and up goes the tent for the second night. Soon thereafter the heavens open and the Ark floats by. The tent does admirably given the circumstances and some pilot error on judging terrain; I stay dry but most everything else was somewhat wet. After several rain bans passed through, the sky cleared a bit, just enough for me to fix my dinner, hang my bear bag and settle in. No one is sight or hearing since I left Riprap. 

I am bone tired but feeling a sense of accomplishment and success for making my 20, leaving me about 13.5 m for tomorrow. This I can do. I was going to rest easy tonight.