Life on top

Bob Stratton Bald Mountain in North Carolina

Always heard it was lonely on top, however that isn’t so. Probably 30 to 40 people passed thru and at least 15 camping on top. 

Perfect weather, upper 20s or low 30s at night and 60s in the day. breezy on Friday night and howling gusty Saturday night.

Check out our new friends in the last few pictures and their stoves! See if you can identify them and their gear

1st here is our gang 

The  mile high gang

 

 

 

 

 

mile high

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me ,Shane ,Logan

 

 

 they made it thru the 1st night cowboy hanging. On night 2 they all moved in with me in the tent!  The kids, always come back home when things get ruff. Smiling 

New friendships

 

dave and his 40 year old stove 

 

 Guess the name of each Stove

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Guess his tarp if you can

great guys and excellent company for the evening. An old pro and a young gun UL hanging out with us bums . 2 guys we would share a camp Fire with anytime. Happy Trail all!!!

Thanks for posting your great trip John. Love that you got the kids out there! Sounded a bit chilly to skip the tarp over the hammock. Did they wake up with frost on them?

no frost, and I would have hanged with them but thought it best to take the tent in case the weather turned on them. I bought them all tarps but they didn’t want to carry them, so figured I’d let them do it their way. Shane was the only one cold on nite 1. he didn’t wear the down jacket I brought for him . He likes it now used it on night 2 and knows the difference now, plus it was his 1st hike ever. 
Jeff was the only one to hang on night 2 and it was ruff gusting winds probably 30 mile hour I’m guessing. He came in at around 3am. Said he was fine on the bottom as he had put a blue foam mat in the bottom of hammock and wore the down jacket plus my 20deg Marmmot bag, but said he started getting cold spots on top that just kept expanding.. and without a tarp to cut the wind The bag probably was beginning to wet out or dampen.

Any way they all gained valuable experience. as to how one way doesn’t always work. I’d taken them all car camping With hammocks 2 weeks before and told them 30 was a big difference from the 53deg that night.

They all learned performed and for the 1st time ever I was bringing up the rear instead of settling the pace. They are close to heading out on their own. Proud  of all 3 in one way or another.

And we got thru a broken jet boil stove (I brought my (esbit just because I wanted to play with it and show them) and car trouble ( Jeff has some impressive mechanics skills) fixed the o-rings on that fuel bar on top of the engine on the fly. I was impressed.

yeah them boys will be heading out on their own pretty soon.

dang guess that mean the old man (me) will be back to flying solo:)

Those are kind words john. This trip was a great experience! The fall colors really caught the eye. I'm ready for the next trip! 

Taking turns being on top is the best advice. 

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