Day 5 : Monday, June 9

(Susan) We left our breezy campsite in a grove of mnt laurel around 7. The only small complaint I have about the site was that chiggers joined the group a biting insects that have been our companions on this hike--so I can add chigger bites to my mosquito, gnat, big house fly(?), sweat bee and spider bitten body. The bites compliment all the scratch marks and abrasions from the blowdowns, twigs, branches etc littering the trail. But "I'm not bitter", as my friend Roger would say <g>.

We had a short hiking day going only 8 miles from Meadow mtn to Watoga St Park. No significant problems with finding our way along the trail today. After a short hike further up Meadow Mtn this a.m., we walked ridgeline for a while on a grassy woods rd then hiked down off the mtn. The remaining hike was largely level through woods along Beaver Creek which was surprisingly missing from our guide book as a water source. (Unmentioned water sources mean you carry more water than needed with the expectation you next source is farther away.)

Along the trail today we saw a sign that simply read "Cemetary" and we took the short side trail to the Alderman family cemetary with stones dating back to the early 1800's. It was evident this small family graveyard is still being lovingly cared for today.

The route to Watoga SP also took us by Beaver Creek Campground in Calvin Price State Forest. The campsites there were beautiful--clean, shady, flat, nicely treed--and not a single one was occupied.

We hiked into Watoga SP from the Honeymoon Trail--past several charming log cabins--and of course we had to take one for the night. They were just too cute. We've also had two good meals at the restaurant here--so I guess you could saw we are spoiling ourselves. Oh, and we got a shower and washed out our clothes. The hiker funk has definitely set into Dwight's shoes--I know because I slept down wind of them last night.