Upon reaching Red Creek trail - we decided to turn North - although it was not apparent that that was the correct direction; just an assumption. I did not see any prophylactics in the trees pointing - thankfully. The area was however awash with campers. It was nuts. Every possible location that could hold a tent was occupied. There were smoky campfires, kids running around, loud music, and an endless numbers of campers. Anguished fathers were asleep in their hammocks as their children pulled branches down from the very tree they were in and tried to add it to the oversized fire nearly below them. The comatose father, perhaps unconscious from smoke inhalation, looked like a big dead animal on a spit over the fire. With that, Uncle Milty and I hiked up the half-mile to where the Left Fork of Red Creek merged with the Right Fork. After the crossing, we decided we would drop the packs at the last remaining camp site just in case, and I would try to locate our rapper friends. Uncle Milty would stand guard - silk socks notwithstanding.
I ran farther north on Red Creek and all along the edge of the creek looking for them After no glory was called going north, I ran back by Uncle Milty and told him I was heading south to look. I ran down to where Breathed Mountain entered Red Creek Trail and went south for about a quarter mile from there. I skirted down toward the water's edge looking for them, again no luck. So I ran back up to Uncle Milty. It was by chance I ran into Flyrod who was taking a stroll down the trail. He could not believe I missed both his faintly drafted arrows, scratched into the dirt, and the large rubbery "boudin blanc" hanging near the trail pointing toward the camp. Like she said, I guess I thought it would be bigger.
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| Camp on Red Creek |
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| Party Central |
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| Red Creek |
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| Flyrod - cigar and beer. |
Dinner was awesome as was the evening. We had a great time. A bright moon came out and we all enjoyed the comfortable fire and the quiet that finally settled over the camping zone. Oddly - and considering there is so much standing water and moisture - there were no bugs whatsoever. I figured we would be bitten to pieces but the mosquitoes never showed. A little trail magic.
The next day dawned overcast with heavy clouds. It was going to rain. Immediately after breakfast we packed our tents just as the drops began to fall. As a result I do not have any pics from our journey down - I packed my camera away for safe keeping. It was not a heavy rain but it made it slippery on the downhills.
We followed the Red Creek Trail (TR514) down the mountain - oddly got lost, way off trail, at one section near trail (TR510). Flavor Flav's compass must have been packed away. We also had a difficult pass over Red Creek near here too. The creek was twice as big with the two forks combined so it was a challenge. Flavor Flav dropped a foot into the water - karma for getting us lost? No - we were following Flyrod and not paying attention when we got lost. Good thing we did not encounter any ordinance!!
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| Red Creek Trail (TR514) |
And so it ends. The weather cleared near the end and it got really humid for the final part of the trip down. We picked up the cars (Thankfully still there) - had some more food in Davis, Flavor Flav chatted with his senior girlfriend at the Tucker County office (They agreed to meet again someday), and we all left intact. All legs accounted for.
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