Hazel Top, June 17
M=3.4
The sign reads: Hazel Top, Elevation 3812, highest point of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Aside from the parkway waysides, this is pretty typical of the 'views' from Trail in the SNP.
It's not even breakfast and it's over 80F. Swimming through the humid air on trail.
Yesterday (6/16) was much the same. Great miles, despite the heat and the boomers that rolled through. Took a very long lunch in Hightop Hut S. keeping company with Wrongway, who's not feeling too well. He has a bite rash,along with fever/chills and no appetite - Lyme? We talked about getting off trail - suggested he rolls down 33W to Harrisonburg and see a doc in a box first thing. Asked if he needed help - he said he'd be OK. Hung there and made tea with him, reading the shelter entries. Advice and commentary from different hikers ahead.
5/22: Mountainman admits to yellow-blazing from Loft Mountain for 5 miles - apparently his conscience was eating him.
Maineak writes 'The A.T. is just training for serious adventures; mama, don't let your babies grow up to be A.T. hikers; and if a person loses their mind, do they weight less? Sleep is an important part of the training regime.'
5/23: The Sage pledges 'no shower til Big K, no laundry 'til Big K, looking for lost friends; he suspects a yellow streak.'
5/24: Doc writes a story of a great trapper in 'the trap'. Once, there was a great trapper. He had caught nearly everry animal that walked, crawled or flew over the Earth. After years of traping,he had begun to grow Bored and Listless - there was nothing new or interesting to catch anymore.
The trapper knew a Gypsy fortune teller who had given him good advice before, so he went to see if the fortune teller could find a cure for his boredom.
But the Fortune teller could tell him only this, ' you must build a special trap, with no doors, or moving parts, but which an animal may enter but not leave. In the trap, you will put a mirror and bait. If you are patient, you will catch a wonderful creature that which no one has ever seen.'
At once the trapper set out to build his trap. Inside he put the mirror and the bait, and put it out where the wonderful beast could find it. The next day, he went back to the trap to find the bait gone and the trap empty. He remembered the Gypsy's words, and decided to try again.
The same thing happened the next night and the night after that. And so on for many years. Sometimes the trapper would watch the trap to see what would take the bait,but always he would fall asleep and the bait was gone the next morning.
Years passed by. The trapper had changed. he built a house near the trap. His children grew up and did not know him; his wife left him. All he though about was the trap and the wonderful creature he would catch. But every morning when he looked inside, all he would see was his own reflection and the bait gone.
One day, he could take it no more. Once again the trap was empty and the bait gone. In anger, he kicked the trap again and again until it broke apart. His anger spent, he turned away and walked back to his house crying. He had given up.
Suddenly from behind him, he heard a voice. The voice said, 'At last, after ten years, I am free!' He turned, but whatever had made the voice was gone. Looking down at the trap, all he saw was his reflection in the broken mirror. It was then that he realized just what he'd trapped ten years ago.
5/26: Annie and the Salesman have one entry: 'Live Deliberately'
5/27: Noodleman wishes Happy Trails or Trials, whatever is more exciting.
6/12: Thunderchicken wonders if the Papillon Duo have been living on Jolly Circle too long...
Mid-day has turned to mid-afternoon. Wrongway tells me to go on, he'll be strong enough to get off trail on his own. I'm reluctant to leave Don there, but there will be other hikers tonight.
So, I left Wrongway in Hightop Hut. The afternoon heated up as I approached Rt 33, Swift Run Gap. Hot. Tired. Made my way up the hill into a wild boomer (T-storm). Hiked in the rain to Lewis campsites - ran into Toonman and Curljob. Both were unhappy and wet. Just before dark, did laundry and showered - awesome use of credit as I could run a tab! Said goodbye to Toonman and Curljob as I headed for the shelter. Ran up to Packrat and Big John, along with a southbounder called Hanks (my first SB!).