This morning I wondered how many times I would get away with genius idea of sitting on top of my water bladder…. Last night I figured out a way to use much less effort while filtering. Camping next to a creek was convenient but didn’t change how long it would take to squeeze water through my clogged filter. I woke up to the sound of trickling water and dogs barking in the distance. The trail was empty for the rest of the day, and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset before making it to camp next to a small creek.Ī colorful and peaceful sunset after passing Woods Mountain. After hearing my luck whiz by again and again, I decided my time was better spent hiking towards water rather than sitting here and hoping for it. Plenty of cars drove by, but I didn’t think my plea was desperate enough to wave them down. I crossed my fingers for someone to pull off at the overlook where I was taking a short break. Road crossings are mostly a sobering reminder of how fragmented these landscapes are, but today they meant the possibility of more generous people with water to spare.Īfternoon was just turning to evening. When the trails are this empty, its easy to get absorbed into the landscape, something I look forward to most while backpacking. Besides the ranger and the handful of day hikers from earlier, I hadn’t seen anyone else. Empty TrailsĪfter many hours and miles regaining some elevation, the trail began to parallel the Blue Ridge Parkway. Looking back west towards all the miles I’d just hiked and to my campsite last night. Gratitude for what I had replaced my thirst for what I didn’t. I imagined how much thirstier I would be in the heat of the New Mexican desert in just a few months. Passing through the trailhead parking lot brought me eye to eye with a CDT bumper sticker. At this point I was about 20 miles from camp, had 1.5L of H2O and didn’t expect to cross any more streams. Though I was thirsty enough to down them instantly, I decided to keep them as backup for later. I got lucky and scored two 16oz bottles from a friendly forest ranger on my first try. After spending so much effort and time I decided I was hydrated, topped off my bottle, and carried on.Įven though my filter technically still worked, I stopped considering asking people for water, and just started asking. It mocked me, pushing out small drops of water in return for a draining amount of squeezing. I crossed the South Toe River and pulled out my sawyer squeeze. My clogged filter and the current drought meant that water sources were not only hard to come by, but even harder to drink once I’d found them. Drinking cold, refreshing, and clean mountains streams until my belly ached was now faint dream. Views looking east while hiking down from the summit of Mount Mitchell Work for Water +1st Trail Magicįiltering water had become more than a chore.
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