I FOUGHT THE LAW (AND THE LAW WON)
I am currently attempting to
get the dog, any myself, in shape for next month’s trip to the Rockies. That trip is going to feature 2 challenging
backpacking trips, one of them 10 days in the Wind River Range. For the next few weeks, I intend to do some
difficult hikes. I started this program
in earnest last weekend with a hike on Grandfather Mountain.
Myron and Dorcas were
spending the weekend in their RV in Price Park. Since they didn’t tow a separate car, I swung by the campground
that morning to pick them up. From the
campground, Holloway Mountain Road provided a convenient shortcut to highway
105. We stopped at the Foscoe Fishing
Company, on highway 105, to pick up our $5 per person single day hiking
passes. From there, it was a short,
easy drive to the Profile Trailhead.
We started the hike shortly
before 10am, passing three rangers stationed at the trailhead. Apparently hikers can purchase permits at
the trailhead on weekends in the summer.
From there we rock-hopped the infant Watauga River before following it
briefly downstream. A mild climb
ensued, before we crossed in and out of several coves that feature small
streams. It was somewhere along here
that “the quote of the day” was uttered.
The quote:
“Maybe you can use that rock
to get some of the hair off your back”.
Can you guess who said that
to whom? There were only three people
and two dogs on the hike, and the dogs weren’t involved. Considering the odds, I’ll give you only
three guesses. You’ll have to read to
the end of the trip report to find out the answer.
A few minutes later, we
passed a large cooler resting beside the trail. This was a bit odd, and we were all tempted to have a peak
inside. We decided against it though,
but vowed to search it thoroughly for beer if it was still there when we
returned.
A few minutes later we found
the owners of the cooler. We met a
group of 5 novice backpackers taking a break beside the trail. They were on their first backpacking trip,
and it had been a doozy. They had
selected one of the toughest trails in the southeast, and it hadn’t gone
well. They had arrived at the trailhead
at 11pm on Friday intending to hike to their campsite in the dark. Overburdened, the first gear to be
jettisoned was the cooler.
Unfortunately, the cooler had contained all of their food. They had managed to hike another mile, to
the Profile campsite, where they’d eventually managed a couple hours of
sleep. Hunger had woken them early, and
had convinced them to abandon the rest of the hike. They were on their way back out, and had only another ½ mile to
cover before reaching breakfast.
To make matters worse, this
maiden backpacking trip was also a bachelor party. Fortunately, the groom to be was getting married the following
weekend, not that afternoon. Despite
this, I’m sure a couple of those guys were wondering if a strip bar wouldn’t
have been a better choice.
We parted ways and began the
climb up the mountain. The Profile
Trail is exceptionally well built and maintained (with the possible exception
of the last ½ mile), so hikers do get some value from the cost of the
permit. We climbed to the Profile
Campsite, where we found a fire still smoldering. Myron and I put it out boy scout style and resumed the hike. We passed a small cave and two limited views
before reaching Shanty Springs. At the
springs, we found a large gang of female hikers that were really impressed with
the dogs. For this trip, let’s call
them Chick Magnet and the other Chick Magnet.
They were somewhat less impressed with Saucony when I put her new dog
booties on her. I bought them to
protect her paws on the trail in Wyoming.
Unfortunately, they aren’t working out so well. She tried scrambling up the rocky trail
beyond the spring, but had no traction on the slippery boulders. The booties may protect her paws, but that
isn’t going to help much if she falls and breaks a leg. Plus, the booties have a tendency to come
off. Two went flying as she scrambled
up the boulders, and a third wasn’t far behind. Oh well. At least it was
exceptionally amusing to watch her try to walk across the kitchen floor the
first time she tried them on.
We climbed to the top of the
ridge and joined the Grandfather Trail.
My original plan had been to hike to McRae Peak, but the rangers at the
trailhead had warned us that the wind there was gusting to 75 mph. Because of the conditions, we decided to
change destinations and head for Calloway Peak instead.
Easy hiking led to a short
side trail, which we followed out to Watauga View. There is a good view here, although it’s somewhat marred by the
ugly condominium building on Little Sugar Mountain. I enjoyed the view only briefly, as the wind there was fierce.
We backtracked and headed
for the summit of Calloway. Three short
ladders have to be climbed to reach the summit, which is tricky with a 60 pound
dog, chick magnet or not. We were able
to find a route around the first ladder, and I was able to lift her up the
second. The third was more of a
problem. This ladder is 6 or 7’ high,
and carrying her up wasn’t much of an option.
There is a route around, but it traverses a rock with a sheer
dropoff. Izzak strolled right across
it, but Saucony wouldn’t go near it. I
couldn’t coax her across, and trying to force her failed miserably. Finally Myron and I got on opposite sides of
the rock, and we were able to urge her across.
From there, it was a short,
easy hike to the summit. The summit was
windy, but nothing like Watauga View.
We had lunch there in the sun and enjoyed the vistas unfolding in almost
every direction. It was a bit hazy, but
not bad considering it was mid-June.
After lunch we headed
back. First though, we had to get down
that first ladder. Saucony refused to
follow Izzak across the rocks, and wouldn’t go anywhere near the ladder. How was I going to get her down? She wouldn’t let me anywhere near her. Fortunately, one of Saucony’s mental
problems is separation anxiety. I hated
to do it, but I had no real choice. We
hiked on, knowing that she would find a way to follow us. After a short distance, I doubled-back to
check on her. What I saw almost gave me
a heart attack. Before I could stop
her, she ran right down the ladder! I’m
just glad here mother didn’t see that.
We made it around the other
two ladders and back down to Calloway Gap.
From there, we decided to extend the hike. We continued towards McRae Peak, climbing up through a huge
boulder garden. This area is a bit
challenging, but Saucony scrambled through without any problems. Near the top we enjoyed some nice views,
before descending to the Alpine Meadow campsite. This is a lovely spot, and blooming rhododendron and azalea added
color to the surroundings. It was a
very sunny spot on this day, and Myron and Dorcas couldn’t pass it up. They stopped for a nap, and I’ll admit it
looked tempting. I decided to hike on
in search of more exercise though.
Another climb led to more
nice views. At the top of the rise I
discovered some Painted Trillium, which was a surprise. A steep descent into a deep notch
followed. At the bottom, Saucony and I
reached a 10’ vertical ladder. We
couldn’t find a way around, and I knew she wouldn’t let me carry her down. The last thing I wanted to see was her
attempt another ladder descent, so I decided to turn back.
We hiked back to the Alpine
Meadow and interrupted the napping that was occurring there. Once everyone was upright again, we headed
for home. The hike out was quick and
uneventful, and we returned to the car by 5pm.
I was ready to head home,
but I had to drop Myron and Dorcas off at the campground first. I had just started heading down the Parkway,
with 3 people and 2 dogs packed in the Corolla, when I passed a ranger heading
the other way. I looked in the rearview
mirror, and saw him make a three-point turn.
Uh-oh, that can’t be good. I
checked the speedometer, which read 51.
What was the speed limit, 45, right?
Then I passed a sign. The speed
limit on this section of the parkway is 35.
Oops.
The ranger pulled me over,
and I took the approach of being polite and apologetic. While he was in the car, I regretted not
getting one of those Blue Ridge Parkway license plates. I’m sure it couldn’t hurt! Fortunately he came back with only a warning
ticket. Be warned…the speed limit on
the Parkway between Grandfather Mountain and Price Park is 35!
And now, the answer to
today’s “quote of the week”. As we were
hiking, we passed a sharp rock, and Myron said to Dorcas, “maybe you can use
that rock to get some of the hair off your back”. To clarify, he was referring to dog hair that was on her
shirt. As far as I know, Dorcas does
not have a hairy back!
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