A.T. Hike, Spring 2007 - Day 2,In Which I Met a Loon

Roaring Fork Shelter to Deer Park Mountain Shelter, 14.7 miles

After the storm rolled in yesterday afternoon, it rained in torrents till about midnight, but today turned out to be a beauty day. Here’s a neat photo, courtesy of a very industrious spider who must’ve gotten an early start on her web when the air was still very moist last night. Click on the picture to see a closer view.

Summited Walnut Mountain and then Bluff Mountain this morning. No small feat, either of them. It’s really a pity that with many of these mountains, the vegetation is so tall and thick that even after you make it to the top of a really challenging peak, the view is usually obstructed by all the trees surrounding you. The shot below was the best vista I could snap from the top of Bluff Mountain.

I met my first loon on the trail today, and I don’t mean the wildlife variety. I was just coming down from the peak of Bluff Mountain when I noticed another hiker approaching from the opposite direction. He looked normal enough from a distance – late fifties, kind of Paul-Newman-ish. Then I noticed that everything he was carrying – his pack, his sleeping pad, everything – was made completely of Tyvek. I also noticed that he was barefoot – yes, completely without shoes or socks. (Loon or not, you gotta admit that’s pretty impressive. There were no roads or towns around for at least five and a half miles, so you know he hiked at least that far over a rocky, root-ridden trail without a stitch on his feet.) He immediately came a little too close and said a little too loudly: “Who are you?” At which point I thought, this is it. This is the end of me. This nutjob is going to kill me and cut me into little pieces with a Swiss army knife and leave my body in the woods for the bears to eat.

It was the first time I’ve felt threatened by another person on the trail. But as it turned out, he wasn’t dangerous at all, just quirky. His hike is part of a publicity effort – he’s pushing for legislation that would require all troops to go through a counseling program upon returning to the States, I guess in an attempt to stave off post-traumatic stress disorder (see his website, http://www.thelongwalkhome.org/ ). Interesting and noble concept, but he sure could use some help with his marketing plan, and some congeniality lessons wouldn't hurt either. Not to mention the fact that the barefoot/Tyvek getup had me ready to throw off my backpack and start doing Tae Bo moves in an effort to protect myself. The photo above is from his website, which I looked up after I got home.

Here’s my home for the night: Deer Park Mountain Shelter. I’m alone here and only slightly worried about bears. I did find a decent tree in which to hang my food, but I’m afraid an enterprising bear could probably have it down and eaten in mere minutes.