PCT

To begin with, I woke up and called Leonard up to see if he wanted to meet for coffee. Excited to leave the house, I finish my Taiwanese Butterfly Green Tea and spring onto my Kawi 250r. The two of us rendezvous at Waking Life Espresso and catch up a bit. By this time the both of us are eager to consume some real food; we gambol over to White Duck Taco.

Lucky to find this establishment, we ran the gambit and tried 4 individual tacos, all of their own merit: Roasted Duck Confit w/ Mole, Lamb Gyro, Thai Peanut Chicken, and Fish(continuing my never ending journey to find the perfect fish taco). Colin met up with us, where we enjoyed the weather in their outdoor seating space.

From there, Colin and I moved to the Wedge and split a Pitcher of the newly released hemp-ale “Derailed.” Warmed by the radiant sun, staying inside didn’t seem like an option. So, we head over to The Bywater, intending to meet up with a troop of people celebrating a friends birthday. The Sun fades, entertainment continues and we proceed to the One-Stop Deli and dance to some Consider the Source (jam, psychedelic) and Asian Teacher Factory(Max Melner and friends).

Following an eight-hour slumber and breakfast at Early Girl Eatery, I advance to Lisa and Paul’s residence to wish Lisa well on her trip back home to Liverpool. Shenanigans are enjoyed by all, including for some reason, a human pyramid.

I finish this particularly good Easter by meeting up with Colin and Sean at the Bywater to check out the adult Easter Egg Hunt. We do not participate, but I run into Jen and her circle and they found a coupon for a free shot and another for a $100 gift certificate.

The next morning, I embark on a 60 mile journey from my house to Cold Mountain and back. A trail I’ve hiked nearly every season since I moved here back in August of 2007, the Art Loeb Trail is tough on even the most seasoned hikers with sparse water sources and steep, often not switchback-ed trail.

The brush and wildflowers were in full growth on the southern part of the trail. My auspicious style of hiking led me to see some pint-sized wildlife including a toad and snake in my path, and a salamander or two in my water source. Contrary to popular belief, this variety of wildlife is a good thing to find in your water. It indicates that the water isn’t polluted, and safer to drink. I still treated, but only because of its proximity to a heavily used shelter.

American cancer-root, or bear corn(Conopholis americana) is a non-photosynthesizing parasitic plant that is often found on the roots of oaks and beech. They are edible and an astringent, but don’t carry much nutrition.

Later on I set up camp somewhere just south of Black Balsam. I watched the sun go down in my bug bivy and woke up early to frozen water and birds chirping.

Refreshed, I got hiking early and made my way north to where that frozen monument sits. I didn’t linger much. I was out there to hike, but on my way back I sat atop Black Balsam and made lunch.

Focused, I had been hiking almost non-stop all day, but the day was coming to a close. Eventually I made the decision to make dinner and finish my hike a day early. That feeling I get when the landscape changes from bright to dark is indescribable.

Another beautiful day, free of rain, Donavan and I ventured over to Dupont National Forest to cool ourselves off in Fawn Lake. Later on we made dinner and enjoyed the evening air.

The next day, after a light breakfast, we checked out Ceasar’s Head and the Devil’s Kitchen. Everything seemed so huge, the view was expansive and the wind was turbulent.