Let's Talk About Mud

Day 33

Tuesday April 25, 2017

Mile: 288.2 - 300.3

7:24 - 4:15pm

Weather: foggy and cool in the morning then foggy and humid in the afternoon. 

Tented at Jerry Cabin Shelter

What an amazing hike today. The trail had a little bit of this and a little bit of that. My favorite was a rocky exposed ridge section. 

There was no "bad weather" so we were able to take the ridge. We hoped for magnificent views but were only offered more of dense fog cover as the last several days.

Black Bear and Shortcake with a foggy Mountain top view. 

What stood out today was mud and lots of it. So let's talk about mud. Not all mud is created equal. There is greasy mud. This kind is only about a 1/4 inch thick with a firm surface beneath but when you step on it, it acts like a lubricant and you go slip sliding and away. Then there is pie crust mud. This is greasy mud that has had a day or two to dry out and will cling to your boots or bottom of your tent in sheets like pie crust. 

There is the pleasant mud that I call brownie mix. It is black and has the same consistency as your favorite brownies. It doesn't cling to anything, is dry-ish so it doesn't soak your foot wear and it is soft to walk on. But it can be tricky to traverse depending on its depth. Unlike brownie batter you won't want to lick your boots clean for a treat.

Then there is baby poop kind. The really disgusting kind that is black like brownie mix mud but this kind is more like a new born's first poop. It is black, tar-ish and sticks to everything.

There is soupy mud. This has a layer of water on top and is thicker beneath. This kind you must poke and prod with your hiking pole to find a spot that is safe to cross. It's depth can be very deceiving as Shortcake has found out many times.

The last kind of mud is the never ending mud. It can be a combination of any or all the varieties already mentioned and even some not yet discovered. But this particular type stretches for yards, miles and even days. 

Soupy Mud

Happy Hiking.