05-27-13 Somewhere near Cedar Cliffs

Woke up to a gorgeous sunrise on top of Three Ridges. We made excellent time and hit Cedar Cliffs before noon.

At Cedar Cliffs we met a foursome of hikers--Copperhead and hubby, Totally Bogus and Jenzy--that were a wealth of trail knowledge and had a plethora of stories to share. Funny stories, tragic ones and heartwarming.

 One of the ladies touched me with a story while she was hiking the Appalachian Trail in the 70s. She had left a dollar bill on the windshield of a stranger's car with a note that said "please call this number and let my mom know I'm okay and still having fun." When she talked to her mom next on a pay phone, her mom referenced an unusual call she had received from a hunter saying that her daughter was alright.

 We hiked up Humpback Mountain and the rocks started taking a toll on my feet. I struggled the remaining 7 miles and trudged into the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter, happy to be done for the night.

 We're all set up for the night, and joined by our buddy, Lush. Next to us is a waterfall which peacefully lulls us to sleep.