MOUNTAIN MAN

THE OVERVIEW

On Sunday morning March 6th I embarked on a 4 day journey. Some were jealous, others called me crazy, but I was tired of thinking about it and hearing others say they wanted to do it. I planned, I packed, and I did it! - 4 days 3 nights, 26 miles round trip, from Hogpen Gap to Blue Mountain. I planned on 5 days but the rain hit! 

Sunday I parked at the trail head at 10am and hiked 4.4 to low gap shelter in 2 hours!! it was so early I just eat lunch and left. There was a few people there going to spend the night, including "Cimarron", who turns out is the oldest man on the trail. He's 80+ and in books and documentaries and stuff.

So I hike 3 more miles and went off the trail and set up camp for the night. It was the perfect spot off the trail and by a small stream.

Monday I didn't hike. I spent all day reading and collecting firewood. It had rained early Sunday before I got there, so a lot of sticks were still wet and it took a while. I read the whole book of Matthew (in the Bible) to refresh myself on how Christ lived and all the great teachings he had for us.  

Tuesday  I hiked 4 or so more miles to Blue Mountain there was nobody at the shelter and a decent view so I stayed a while I also got cell phone reception there, but felt guilty about it!! Then I turned around because only wimps sleep in shelters. I hiked .5miles back to a campsite and set up there for the night!

Tuesday night!!!     When I was eating dinner it drizzled for a second, then nothing for like an hour. I spent some time setting up my extra tarp angled over my tent just in case. When it got dark I climbed in my sleeping bag and the wind was literally roaring through the mountain and trees blasting my tarp but my tent was fine. it sounded like an airplane flying right over my head. When it calmed down I  fell asleep and woke up at 11pm to pouring rain, which continued the remainder of the trip. Laying there I decided my best option was to cut the trip a day short and head to the truck in the morning !! 

Wednesday- I woke up and tried to pack up the best I could, everything got soaked!! I had all my rain gear on, but it was hopeless. I hiked from 10am to 430pm which with a 40lb pack and 1000 extra pounds of water soaking you is difficult to say the least. while still hours away I was imagining people telling me I was only 10  minutes away. I also ran into a fella that had been hiking since 4am!   I trudged through and made it to my truck and headed to Burger King where I got 2 triple stacker's and a extra large DP!! I smelled terrible all the way home so i stuffed some napkins up my nose so I would have to smell myself!!  

extra- I had way to much stuff and my pack was real heavy. I saw lots of people (men=women). not much wildlife ( birds and squirrels).