I left the Bighead Camp in high spirits. Although it had taken me a couple of hours to pack up due to the rain the night before, everything (including the food bag, which I'd hung from a tree over the escarpment) seemed intact.
I followed the Trail down to the Bighead River, where I watched a huge turtle moving around at the bottom of a beaverdam. At first I thought he must be trapped in the entanglement of branches, but then I realized he was trying to climb over the dam to get to the deeper water. I stood there until he reached the top, bellyflopped into the water, and swam gracefully away.
The Trail took me through Walters Falls, where I stopped for lunch at the Inn. I've been craving fresh greens since I started the trek, having subsisted mostly on dehydrated food since then, and the folks at the Inn were happy to oblige.
The rest of these hikes offered beautiful escarpment views, rushing streams, and waterfalls. No chance of a hiker ever running out of water around here. There were also a couple of wetland areas, where I had to avoid stepping on frogs. Once, I came across a common gartersnake laying lengthwise along the Trail. He had buried his head in some leaves, but most of his body lay exposed on the surface. I do believe he thought he was hiding from me. Reminded me of that old picture of the deer hiding behind the skinny tree trunk, head sticking out one side and hindquarters out the other.
I knew I was the first one on the Trail the second morning because I needed to wave my hiking stick in front of me to break the cobwebs. The gossamer threads crisscross the Trail, and when I feel them cling to me, I always wonder if I've picked up their owner as well.
Poison ivy was a bit lush in spots along here, overlapping the Trail from either side. I'd tried to avoid it up to this point, but finally I just threw in the towel and waded through it, hoping for the best.
Towards the end of the day I caught sight of a couple of wild turkey hens ahead of me on the Trail, as it meandered through a meadow. They quickly scurried away, alarmed by the sight of me.
Out to a parking area, where my friends Violet and Judy picked me up. We have rented a tiny cottage in the Eugenia area for three nights, and they will be shuttling me back and forth to the Trail for the next two days. This will give us a chance to visit in the evenings, and will also allow me a couple days of packless hiking.
Have a great visit!
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