Read about Day 1 here.
We left the tent’s front entry rain fly open when we turned in last night. Despite feeling exhausted when I collapsed on my sleeping pad, my jittery, jumpy legs wouldn’t let me to rest. While my pack weight was reasonable (23 pounds), I hadn’t modified my usual dayhiking pace or habits for eating and drinking. Going slower, stopping more often would have been smarter. (And where the heck were my electrolytes?)
My thoughts turned to the Timberline Trail hike, which is much more strenuous than what we did today. Three nights, four days, 40 miles, 10,000 feet elevation gain, deep and swift glacial river crossings – could I carry all my gear and food for that? Lying there in the pitch dark Pisgah night with my twitchy legs, I began to feel doubts rising. Maybe we should focus on dayhike options in the Mount Hood area instead?
Eventually sleep overtook me and my legs and my worries.
The sky was lightening when Jim and I awoke. I could hear the babble of the river, but I must have missed the birds’ dawn chorus, which is one of my favorite things about camping. In our tent we yawned, stretched and figured out how to pack up in our small space.
More camp chores: Jim had a little trouble putting in his contacts using the tiny mirror he brought. Our hanging clothes were slightly damp as we shoved them into our backpacks. I retrieved our bear bag, undisturbed during the night, and we repacked food bags so snacks are handy. Predictably, we decided to skip lighting the stove for hot oatmeal because we’re walking out today.
At 7:00 a.m. we were ready to hit the trail. Our first task was finding where to cross South Mills River. The remains of a swinging bridge hung in tatters, destroyed in a tropical storm years ago. (You would be surprised how much damage the remnants of a Gulf hurricane can inflict upon the mountains of the Carolinas.)
So we crossed at the horse ford. Jim walked through in his shoes right away. I removed my shoes and socks and waded through wearing Crocs. It wasn’t long until another crossing appeared; so much for keeping my shoes and socks dry for about 15 minutes.
In total we forded the river 11 times. The shallowest crossing was up to my calves, the deepest part reached my upper thighs. At the start we were cautious and analytical about the best way to cross, taking care not to get a foot stuck and avoiding slippery-looking rocks. (Jim had a near full immersion once.) Before long we were stepping with more confidence, knowing that there was more than one way across, we were always going to have wet feet, and we had dry shoes in the car.
Otherwise the trail was pretty flat, alternating between trenches with high sides, dog hobble and rhododendron and flat open spaces, lush ferns and wildflowers.
There were many stretches of trail that were muddy and wet from recent rains, looked like they are never dry. Tricky footing there slowed us down, not to keep from getting muddy but to avoid slips and falls. I didn’t mind, but Jim wanted to make fast time to finish.
South Mills River Trail sits high above the river as it approaches the intersection with Cantrell Creek Trail. Through the trees we saw a group of people, coolers, and several tents. Party time! The thought crossed my mind to scramble down the embankment and join them, but then we would have to climb back up…
As often happens on the last section of a dayhike or a backpack trip, we went too long without a true rest break. At this point we had completed the lollipop portion of our route and faced the final 4 miles back to Turkey Pen Trailhead. My legs had begun to twitch again and my knees were shaky. Is it the pace or is it the extra weight? Most likely a combination of the two. At the Cantrell Creek Lodge clearing we stopped for 20 minutes for a sit-down rest and snacks.
The last half-mile, I knew, was a steady uphill and I knew that Jim was antsy to finish. I did not want to hurry, so he moved on while I did my work slowly and steadily, counting my steps. Would I slow down on the Timberline Trail when needed or be anxious to finish? What can be a bail-out plan?
We arrived at our car right at noon.
We both changed clothes from the skin out and cranked up the A/C. Food first or something to quench our thirst? The sweet spot was a half hour drive to Bold Rock Mills River Cidery.
Our shakedown trip was a success – our equipment was in good condition and we worked well together. BUT…I hate carrying weight and Jim hates camp setup…tell me again why we are considering backpacking the Timberline Trail in Oregon?
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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