You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way! Dr. Seuss
April 22, 2023
AT miles: 8.3
Ascent: 2300’
Descent: 2064’
Weather: rainy but clearing, colder with highs in the 50’s
Sightings: gorgeous wildflowers, several unidentified birds
High points: spending several mellow hours hanging around probably the most beautiful shelter I’ve been at on the Appalachian Trail waiting for my hiking buddies
Last night it poured buckets, and there was a very loud thunderstorm. I was happily snuggled down in a dry, fairly new shelter, so I didn’t get wet at all, but the rain pounding on the tin roof made me feel like I was inside a drum.
Conveniently, it stopped raining around 7:30. Because of the rain, the shelter was quite crowded, and nobody stirred until the rain stopped! Everybody else in the shelter is a thru-hiker bound for Katahdin. There were lots of young people, but there was also one fellow who had thru- hiked in 1997 and is going for a second round!
I was happy to let the path recover a bit from all the rain last night, so I had a slow leisurely breakfast and took my time packing up. I only hiked 3.5 miles this morning because I was supposed to meet my hiking buddies at the next shelter at 3 p.m. So I had a mellow uneventful 3.5 mile stroll in the woods. I passed a lovely mini waterfall.
Rock Gap Shelter is one of the nicest shelters I’ve seen on the Appalachian Trail. It is fairly new, wonderfully sunny, surrounded by wildflowers and stone walls. Additionally, the water for the shelter is about 10 feet away! Absolutely idyllic.
Here is the friendly nuthatch that greeted me.
And here is the Indian corn and trilliums that are dotted all over the shelter area.
When the other women showed up, we decided to hike to the Moore Creek Camp, about five miles further down the trail.
We passed an impressive waterfall.
And we rescued a large (5”) sluggish salamander from getting stepped on — he was silly enough to take a nap in the middle of the path!
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!