I slept well overnight. It was warm but not too warm. I also got a bit of a late start, since we had decided only to hike 12 miles today to the Eagles Nest Shelter. Quality water sources have been scarce on this stretch of trail. Most of the campsites listed on FarOut are completely dry, so we’ll need to bring all our water. While this is doable, it’s heavy. And it’s also not ideal due to the extreme heat. Eagles Nest is reported to have flowing water, so that’s where we’ll camp.
Rattlesnake Run-In
Around 11 AM, the heat really started to pick up. I was sweating profusely for much of the day, so drinking lots of water and electrolytes was a non-negotiable. At one point, I was chugging from my bottle when I heard a distinctive and extremely loud rattling. I couldn’t see the snake, but I immediately started running back up the trail.
It took me a second to locate him, but there was a large timber rattlesnake right on the edge of the trail. I had been standing right next to him. I was shaken up, but to his credit, he did his due diligence to give me a fair warning. Every time I tried to pass by him, even from a distance, the rattling would begin again. Finally, I resigned to wait and watched as he eventually slithered himself across the trail and up into the brush. He was large, maybe 3 feet long, and I was impressed by how quickly he could move.
Trail Maintenance? Never Heard of Her
Jump scares behind me, I spent the last few miles of the day on arguably the least favorite portion of the trail so far. It was miles of tall, overgrown grass covering the trail and reaching up past my knees. It seemed like I was stopping every 200 feet to brush off my legs, hoping to keep the ticks off. I’m not sure who is in charge of trail maintenance for that section, but as it exists now, it’s a haven for snakes and ticks. Hikers, not so much.
Throwing in the (Sweaty) Towel
I thought I reached the shelter early, but by mid-afternoon, the campsite was nearly full. I guess a lot of hikers were tired of the heat and also hesitant to camp without water on the following dry stretch. Someone said they felt lightheaded, like they might faint, but drank some fluids and is doing better now. The heat dome is upon us.
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