So the rain stopped but the sun certainly was not out as we prepared to hike the rest of the way out of the Nantahala gorge. We had grand plans to try and make up for our NOC day with about 15 miles. This would make our hike into Fontana much easier allowing us time to resupply before hitting the smokies. Another day, another ruined plan.
I guess the reason today was ruined was just because the terrain was so darn hard. And the rain was back. Fortunately my new.chacos rock and I am slipping and sliding just as much as anyone else, which is still a shit ton.
About 14 years ago I was hiking with my friend Tyler Potter around Lindenlure just outside Springfield MO. We were just hiking when I called Potter over to look at the craziest mushroom I had ever seen. He excitedly exclaimed " holy shit you found a Morel!"
He explained to me what a morel was and we proceeded to use the bottoms of.our tshirts as baskets to collect all the morels.we.found.in that area.
We took our.find back to Potters house and fried them in butter with flour and salt and pepper. Simple.and delicious.
I haven't found a morel since that day.
Until today on the way up the mountain I saw three, right on the edge of the path!!
Luckily I still had service and called potter to confirm my findings. He ensured me they were true morels and not their evil cousin the false morel.
I washed the shrooms off under a waterfall, but that didn't really help get all the bugs out of the brainy cap of the mushroom. Oh well, more protein and all that ;)
Nature too can be a trail angel. So I got.to channel my inner Grandma Gatewood and foraged a bit of my dinner today. Too bad I only saw three shrooms.
We made.it to the top. Of the bald without a hitch. It was amazing on the bald and we got the tiniest of viewing windows before the clouds rolled.in again and masked the distant mountains. Now it was time for another major descent, punctuated with really steep.short climbs.
So again, it's the downhills that kill. You have to carefully watch every single.tiny little step and even then surprises happen and you almost fall. I think Sarah is the only.one so far.to actually.take a spill, bruising her knee, but otherwise she is totally.fine. it happened a few days ago anyway, and she's hiking fine.
This constant vigilance creates a tension in your legs causing sore.muscles and joints. Becca's knees were finally hurting by the time we reached the gap at mile 150 and Sward and I were also in pain. So we stopped 2 miles short of our goal and I fried up the morels in olive oil as an appetizer for our usual dinner of rice and tuna and candy and other junk food. Bugs and all! Shhh. I didn't tell Becca that all the black specks were tiny.bugs that live inside morels yet. I hope she finds out by reading this blog entry and by then it womt.matter. so it's our little secret for.now. ;)
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