Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Uwharrie Backpacking Trip

Length: Two days
Crew: Two adults, two Scouts
Trip Sheet
Day one
We arrived after one of the typical two-hour car rides that leave you straining to go. Maybe it was the energy that we had left unused in the car, but by lunch time we had knocked off almost half of our allotted 7 miles for the day. Lunch was at a location to be supplied. Rest finished, we proceeded down the trail and began to encounter one of my very favorite things: CREEKS! So, what with the creeks to cross, and, more importantly, with the diminished amount of water in our water bottles, our pace slowed somewhat. Despite the lessened momentum, we managed to make it to our camp site on time. The site, by the way, was awesome! It had a creek and a nice, flat surface that was perfect for pitching tents. Thus, effectively, end the activities of Day One.

Day two
After breakfast and packup, we began on our 2.5 mile portion for the day. Looking back, my memories of the hike are rather blurred. My strongest ones are of a grayness, a mental grayness, largely imposed on the world around. But even within it, there were always things to see. You'd find your attention being directed by a crew member to say a neat rock in the trail or maybe a bit of moss or lichen. Then we would stare at it for a while in silence and both go away with the impression that we had seen something distinctly worth while. So we continued walking down the "gray" trail, which, when you think about it, was not that gray after all, and eventually reached the car that was at that end of the trail. We all had lunch and waited while Mr. Hock got the other car, and afterwards went home. In summary, this trip, like every other trip had its ups and downs, but overall I would give it an A!