Started a little after Helveys Mill Shelter
Ended at Wapiti Shelter
22 miles
Today was such a flat hike, the easiest hiking so far. The main concern for today was water since my filter is pumping so slow. We had a dry breakfast to save water and then I watched our water consumption very closely as we hiked. We only had a few miles to the first shelter and I planned to pump and let the kids have a bigger snack. We made really good time to the shelter so I may have under estimated our mileage yesterday. I didn't fill all our bottles since it took 8 minutes to fill one 32oz Nalgene. I estimated how much we would need to get to Trent's gas station.
The walk to Trent's was uneventful, with the exception of a really cool suspension bridge we had to cross. It was sunny and hot so we almost stopped and swam under the bridge. I'm glad we didn't because at Trent's (see picture) we bought 3 gallons of water and found out a mile down the road was a great swimming spot at Dismal Falls (see my post on the falls). We could also get back on the AT by following a spur trail. At Trent's I got the kids Gatorade and I had a 32 oz Hammer HEED. Mine was so good and the kids got some electrolytes, so we all had our thirst quenched. I found an empty outlet and charged my phone, and while we waited I made the oatmeal that we planned to have for breakfast. The honey from Nan is really good and when we run out I'll have to get Mary-j to send 2 bottles of the flavored honey I bought. We also need flax for our oatmeal. And I loved the cherries Mary-j sent, my oatmeal was really good.
After the falls we followed the blue blaze trail back to the AT. Weather wise it was the usual pattern: afternoon thunder followed by a few light showers. This time the showers got heavy and lasted two hours. Two hours is also the time it took us to walk to the shelter. Just before we arrived it stopped raining. We were soaked but our clothes got a bit cleaner.
The shelter picture is of the shelter we got water at, but the one we are staying in is much the same. We were praying for an empty shelter but a guy named Poet is here and a woman with a dog (a dog that bit a hiker). And yes, the dog is crazy. It growled at both Sydney and Poet. Our clothing is hanging on a line and if we are lucky it will be somewhat dry in the morning, and no one will have been bit by the dog.
PS. The bugs were not bad today, but I did walk into a spiderweb that covered my face.
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