Let’s see. In my last post, I believe I mentioned something about having gone on my first overnighter of this backpacking season. Actually, I didn’t go it alone—Tom and I hooked upand hit it together. So, on Saturday morning, November 16, 2013, we set out down Farris Ridge trail in search of a spot on North Prong where we could pitch tents.
As is tradition, Tom brought his camera and smartphone—he gets great pics with each—so I thought I would share some of those with you.
Selfee of you know who
Tom Walden–November 17, 2013
First off, I simply cannot resist showing you this selfee taken by who other than Tom showing, of course, Tom. You might find yourself thinking he is not looking exactly at the top of his game, and you would be correct. He took this shot during the jaunt out of Leatherwood on Sunday morning. Admittedly, he had not consumed a sufficient amount of carbs to compensate for the number burned the preceding day, and he was paying for it. I believe he said he took this as a reminder to all who go out in the wild of what can happen to you when you overlook the importance of keeping your caloric intake up. The message sunk home hard with me. YIKES!!! As soon as I saw this photo, I started munchin’. I never want to get to looking that bad!
The food bag shroom
Tom Walden–November 16, 2013
Next is yet another shroom we discovered right near where we hung the food bags. Actually, there were three shoots of this particular fungus popping up through the forest floor. What amazes me about this mushroom is that when I returned to the same area two weeks later for my four-day Thanksgiving holiday adventure, two of the three mushrooms were still there. Okay, the ones I saw on the latter occasion might have been others that came up during the two-week span between excursions, but if they were, they grew very near the location of those seen by Tom and me.
Awe the Buffalo
Tom Walden–November 16, 2013
Ah (awe), the Buffalo River! We made camp Saturday afternoon just across the creek to the north of Harrington Knob, and after completing that task, I was good to go for just relaxing and reading and taking in the sounds of the biota surrounding us. Tom, on the other hand, had sights he wanted to see, so he suggested we head on west to the confluence of North Prong and South Prong of Middle Creek. Of course, I could not say no to that, so off we headed. It took us probably less than 30 minutes to cover the approximately one and one-half miles to our destination, and once we were there, Tom submitted yet another request. He had been itching to see the Buffalo, and since there were less than a couple more miles separating us from that goal, off we headed.
What! A model out by the Buffalo?!
Tom Walden–November 16, 2013
As can be seen by the accompanying pics, there was still some daylight left, and the views were, as usual, great. We found a sandy spot on the bank of the river to sit ourselves, do a little snack, and relax, and that is just what we did. The day had started out cloudy and misty, but the clouds broke as the day moved along.
A sight to behold
Tom Walden–November 16, 2013
By evening the wind had really picked up, and wisps of clouds were rolling past at a remarkable speed. These shots do not capture what the experience was like from a sensory standpoint, but I assure you, it was something to behold. Obviously—noting I’m sitting along the Buffalo with just a t-shirt on—the temp was very pleasant. With twilight, we were joined by a couple or three bats flitting about overhead. We both felt fortunate to be a part of such an experience, and as dusk approached, the clouds captured what was left of the sun’s rays to produce a fantastic display of color. Yep, I wanna return and take it all in again.
First light
Tom Walden–November 17, 2013
I will leave you with some shots from and near camp. One of the most spectacular times of day in my books is when the sun rises in the morning. Everything just seems to radiate with a particular beauty in the early morning light, and Sunday morning’s rising was no exception. There’s something very special about getting to witness the first light hitting the peaks of the surrounding mountains.
Let ‘er shine
Tom Walden–November 17, 2013
Slowly but surely, the light creeps down the mountain sides and touches the tops of the trees surrounding you. And then, there it is in all its glory the star of our solar system peaking over the distant horizon and piercing the cool (or cold) morning air with its rays. Add to that the gurgling sounds of creek water, and you truly have a sense of being in paradise.
Fall’s last hoorah
Tom Walden–November 16, 2013
Well, I said I was going to leave you with some near-camp shots, but there’s one more view to share. What you have here is a glimpse of some of the colors remaining from the fall foliage. This picture was taken looking off the edge of Farris Ridge. It appears in the distance there may be a faint hint of a bluff. Perhaps in the hikes to come we will come up with some clearer shots of the many bluffs we will encounter.
Till then, hike on!! Perhaps we’ll meet out on the trail!