Day thirty-six

Man, did it storm last night! When I got to Terry Cabin Shelter Rangeley had already decided to stay there. Good decision, because it started raining before we had dinner and two guys came running up from the trail, soaking wet. Steve and Eclipso had done 14 miles, and after they ate and changed clothes they camped out.

Today was a really nice hike. I came upon an open field, dropped my pack and walked all the way around the field looking for the blaze. The trail followed this road most of the day. I saw a blaze and I took it and it brought me right back to the field! I must have missed the first one. Oops! The road was muddy but the air was cool.

There was a Bassett Memorial honoring a 1968 thru-hiker and a climb down and then up these big boulders, then back to the road. There was a beautiful park-like setting with the Shelton Graves head stones right there.  Then back to the road.

*Editor’s note: Historical moment- Just north of Big Butt are the gravestones of William and David Shelton. They were uncle and nephew who lived in Madison County, N.C., but enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War. When returning to a family gathering during the war, they were ambushed near here and killed by Confederate troops. This story of divided loyalties is a common one in the remote mountains.

It was just six miles today and I really enjoyed it. I got here early enough. I might just build a fire.