Dates ........ Saturday, September 22, 2001
Miles ........ 13.6 miles, 3200' climb
From ........ Times Square Restaurant and motel, Elk Park NC
To ............. Moreland Gap Shelter
Weather ... Cool, 40's AM, partly cloudy, 60's later in day.

Saturday, September 22, 2001

Elk Park NC, active grazing land, Sugar Branch and Sugar Hollow.

It was a chilly morning once I got in the back of the truck and headed back to the trailhead. I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of ham, eggs, pancakes, hash browns and coffee. Just keeping up the hiker's image! I ordered three ham and egg on whole wheat sandwiches to go - they were to be my lunch and supper.

It was another day of deception. That is, the trail map's elevation profile showed only a net gain of 1,000 feet between Elk Park highway 19E and the Moreland gap shelter. But, in actuality, I had to climb over 3,200 feet to get there. There were two significant climbs: right out of the highway crossing there was nearly 850 feet to a high spot, then a downhill back to the same level and another climb of 800 feet. It was a jagged, constant up and down series of spikes over a 7 mile stretch that the profile showed as nearly level. All I can say is their software program that generated the profile sure as hell never hiked it. It was level all right, as far as net gain goes. But one had to be constantly ascending and descending to follow the trail. In other words, it was like climbing along a giant sawtooth laid level.

But it was pleasant hiking with many stream crossings. Unfortunately, most of the area was a pasture leased to farmers, horsemen or cattlemen for grazing so the water was KNOWN to be polluted. It even said so in the trail guide; Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. I didn't think this the appropriate time to put my iodine water treatment to the supreme test. Better, I thought, to wait for cleaner water. As I climbed up from the road crossing and crossed barbed wire fences over stiles and through gates, I was greeted first by cattle, then by horses. Admittedly, the cattle were cute and made me think of home. There was even a charlois bull similar to those I would find on my neighbor's farm. The horses were very friendly, almost too friendly. They came up to me, begged to be petted, which I did, then followed me across their grazing land to the next stile. I probably could have ridden them, or at least let them carry my pack for me! Truth be known, I enjoyed the interaction with large farm animals even if their output did enrich the hiker's water supply. I got some neat pictures I will be anxious to share with muy neighbor when I get home.

Cow points the way for me through her pasture.

I reached a point in the climb near the summit where I was supposed to have a great vista but it was hazed out, limiting my visibility. It was pretty, nonetheless. At the top of the hill I lost the trail blazes. Consulting the trail guide it said the trail goes in a northerly direction. Well, north from the last visible blaze ran me right square into a new barbed wire fence with no trail on the other side. Complicating matters was the high number of animal trails that looked the same as the hiker trail. I guessed (and hoped) the trail went downhill along the fence. That took me to a dead end so I returned to try uphill. Ditto, no trail. DAMN! Where did it go? The map was no help. There was this pine tree with a clear 2 X 6 inch white blaze on it, then 100 feet and a fence and no trail. I had lost the trail for the first time this hike. I was frustrated and angry.

Finally, I tried uphill, or west, again. Going further than the next blaze should have been, I spotted a stile and a faded blaze next to it on a tree. Both had been hiding behind a robust white pine. Oh well, after and hour of frustration and wasted energy, I was on my way again. It was nice trail, down the hill, through a cemetery, and along some back roads.

Again the map's elevation profile was deceptive, to say the least. It was a horrendous steep series of switchbacks, descents and awful climbs into and out of Sugar Branch and Sugar Hollow. What a grunt! Why the hell did they have to route the trail here? Because the land was so steep it was worthless for anything else, that's why! Once out of the Sugar Hollow hell, it was the sawtooth up and down of a dozen or more stream crossings. Up and down, down and up. That must have been one helluva smoothing curve program the cartographers had. It was a final 700 foot assault followed by a 300 foot drop into Moreland gap and its shelter. At 5:10 PM I finally had someplace to rest my aching feet, eat supper, and lay my weary head. I went for water.

My usual water routine is to drink any remaining (treated) water I had, then get and treat a quart water bottle and two-liter water bag for evening and morning drinking. In the morning I would drink all I could (usually about a quart), then fill my quart water bottle and dump any left over. Water is usually easy to get in the course of a days hiking and it is too heavy to carry extra. My Polar Pure iodine system held just about enough concentrated solution to treat 4 liters, less if the solution was cold. After I treated the two water bottles, I refilled the iodine bottle so it would be ready in an hour for its next use. I loved the water system. It was lightweight, simple, long lasting and effective. Don't ask me how it fell three inches from my wet hands onto a rock and broke in two, rendering it totally useless. I was screwed without a way to purify water. My backup system was only for life and death emergencies: boil water over an open fire. I could do that, but what a waste of time. Drinking untreated water was not an option. I resolved that I'd have to get some means of purification at the next town - a filter, pills, or something. Damn. It was not a good situation. I would make the 3 liters I had last longer than usual and carry more water until I resolved the situation.

The last ham and egg sandwich tasted great. Ham. That's just what a person short on water needs! I was confident I could find something in Hamton, my next town stop, even if it was just a small bottle Clorox Bleach. Alone at the shelter, I slept well.

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