#132 Harper’s Creek Shelter to Dripping Rock/BRP -Day 66: ATMM 837.3 to ATMM 850.0
The heavy mist accelerates into a nasty drizzle. The wind is gaining strength and becoming colder...and plan B is a longshot!
Waking to the sounds of rain hitting the shelter’s roof is always a treat. The sounds of rain stopping just before you exit the shelter is an even greater treat.
But let’s back up about a half hour or so. I warm some of last night’s slug water in my small cook pot, then pour dry oatmeal into my Nutter Butter cup and a packet of instant coffee into my Oreo cup. My choice of dishes is a bit unusual I know, but my reasoning is sound - you’d he hard pressed to find a cheaper or lighter alternative.
Two guys hiked in late last night after the rest of us were asleep and set their tents up in the mud near the shelter. We would have made room for them if they’d have made their presence known. They’re slipping and sliding around in the mud this morning trying to break down their tents. They are in good humor as they toil in the mud, saturated with it leg and foot.
The trail is foggy, damp, steep, and slick. It’s a long and tough climb up Three Ridges Mountain. Complete with a massive boulder wall that requires hand over hand climbing skills, not to mention special care under slick conditions.
Once on top I stop unlash my poles from my pack. Who needs poles when climbing straight up a rock face? The two guys from last night climb up behind me. We talk briefly then they move on. I never see them again.
