From Three Ridges to Spy Rock: A Backpacking Tale

Part II

It is oddly bright. The tent interior glows fluorescent, sunlight pouring through the nylon fabric. I shield my eyes and roll over in my mummy bag. Is it that time already?

"Time to get up, Tim Bob," I say, to which my quick-witted friend moans in reply, "Noooo...I want sleepy time!" thus sealing his trail name for all hiking adventures to come.

After much stirring, Sleepy Time and I emerge from our shelter to discover our campsite perched beside a steep cliff with a decent view of the east. We count ourselves fortunate since no one managed to fall over the edge during their midnight wanderings. We join Robbie and Brett for breakfast, then proceed to take down the campsite.

Today is our first full day of hiking. We have somewhere between 6 and 8 miles to cover over mountainous terrain. The Three Ridges Wilderness is a notoriously rough landscape, consisting of steep climbs, abrupt descents, and rocky trails. To make matters more difficult, ice still covers the trail in places. I remember, as a Boy Scout, how troops utilized Three Ridges as a preliminary training hike in preparation for Philmont Scout Ranch, an intense, high-adventure backpacking camp in New Mexico. No doubt, today will prove challenging.

As we begin to hike, the air is still chilly, so everyone dresses accordingly, but it isn't long before we're wiping our brows and feeling the cool damp against our backs. Sure enough, we have to stop and remove our jackets. We should have known better, but even experienced hikers sometimes can't resist the urge to layer densely when it's so cold...

Starting off right, we ascend Bee Mountain, which spans roughly a half mile, before taking a short dive down the other side. Because we do not expect to descend so quickly, we are puzzled, but, soon later, we lumber up the northern knoll of Three Ridges and take our first break at the top. As we wind up a steep switchback, we can see the forest opening ahead. We step out of the woods and onto a massive rock precipice overlooking Three Ridges to the east and the Priest Mountain to the west. It is both daunting and exhilarating to catch a glimpse of the landscape we must still traverse. Three Ridges is aptly named, and my heart thumps at the sight of its barren and jagged downward slope. Over the course of the day, we will gain - then lose - altitude. Already I am not fond of downhill hiking, since it puts a lot of stress on my feet and knees. Little do I know how bad it can really get...

After refueling, we proceed along the Appalachian Trail. The forest is bare and cold. Crispy brown leaves litter the path and crunch under our footsteps. The trees are empty. We see little other than brown trunks and blue sky glimmering through the cracks in the forest.

Towards the end of the day, we arrive at the Harpers Creek Shelter. Tired from a long (but good) day of hiking, we find comfort that evening in a warm campfire, some hot chocolate, and the melody of the mountains after dark. But knowing that the hardest leg of our journey awaits, we retire early. Tomorrow, we descend Three Ridges and climb to the summit of the Priest Mountain...