March 14 - Beech Gap to Long Branch Shelter - Spiritual Awakening

This could be adapted for the Appalachian Trail:

1.   Let things happen
2.   Smile a lot
3.   Connect with others on the journey and nature
4.   Express appreciation frequently
5.   Become more spontaneous; don't be afraid
6.   Enjoy each moment
7.   Let go of worry
8.   Don't get caught up in conflict
9.   Don't interpret the actions of others (HYOH)
10. Don't judge others
11. Don't judge self
12. Love without expecting anything

Took awhile of hiking before I could remove my gloves to take some pictures. This would have been a good time to test my Katoohla microspikes ! Yes, that's ice. 

Headed across some water ... above and below

And more ...

Interesting trees growing in the rocks.

Icicles on the plants

Always watching for the white blaze to show me the way

See the two white blazes - one on tree and one on rock ahead

Yep - this is the trail over those rocks

And more rocks

Sign among the rhododendrums

Little did I know what was ahead of me.  About about the 9 mile mark, I saw the bypass for Albert Mountain. I wondered what that meant but Dreamer and Socks were ahead of me and they didn't take the bypass so I followed.  I came upon two huge rocks over which I could not lift my legs or see a way to get over -- that was the trail.  There looked to be a little side path to the right but it was very steep and so I decided that was the only way for me to go ... it wasn't easy. I grabbed onto a little tree and grabbed a rock, and crawled up and that was just the beginning !  I've never rock climbed before and this was quite an introduction. It might have been fun without Buddy to pull me back and mess with my balance. I could see Dreamer, Socks, and Charlie ahead of me and they just kept going higher and higher until I couldn't see them anymore .... oh. It was really frightening and my mind kept talking to me saying "You must be out of your mind; you are too old to be doing this!  You could fall at any moment and that would be it !"  I wanted to cry but what good would that do - then I wouldn't be able to see ....





When I made it to the top, Socks and I talked about how frightening the climb had been. I said I thought it would have been easier to give birth to 10 children. I was also thinking about the rocks that will confront us on tougher parts of the trail.  I hope I'm stronger by the time I get there ....

I climbed the Albert Mt. fire tower for this view




I usually put down my Tyvek ground sheet and then lay down on it to test the site where I pitch my tent to see if it is fairly level.  This was my view at Long Branch Shelter when I tested the site.

Long Branch Shelter is new and you could smell the new wood. I don't think mice have inhabited it yet.  The young people said there was room in the shelter but I like the privacy of my Hubba.  My tent was pitched down below but when I took out my ear plugs, I could hear someone snoring in the shelter ... glad to be in my tent.

Kind of had a little down hill slant but with my head on the upside it worked out fine. Went up to the shelter and cooked a little dinner and retired to my tent for the night.  I think this day was the second day in a row to hike 12 miles. The last 2 miles I kept thinking about the Bataan Death March !