Last night the National Weather Service issued a localized storm advisory for dime-sized hail and 40 mph wind from 9 pm to midnight. I checked the radar and it was 15 miles to the west, headed east. I opted for camping inside a shelter for just the fifth time. But nothing showed up except some wind in the tree tops. I guess it went southeast and just missed us.
As the first morning light glimmers, intense bird song erupts. There have been birds every day but this is far greater than I've heard before, even in tropical jungles. As the sun rises different species join in or fade away. For about 90 minutes all sorts of beautiful song and noisy raucous are mixed into a cacophony.
As with yesterday, today features a beautiful ridge walk, including McAfee Knob (said to be the most photographed point on the trail) and Tinker Cliffs.
The sounds are captivating. The bird calls and songs do not stop. Lizards rustle through the leaves. A squirrel drops a nut. A deer cracks a twig. Wind whispers through the trees. Little springs and creeks gurgle. Flies and bumblebees buzz. The backpack creaks, the hiking poles clatter and the shoes thud.
As I finish the 18.8 miles to Daleville the sounds change. The incessant noise of the highway. An airplane overhead. The buzz and crackle of high tension power lines. A train whistle and the thunder of its cars and squeal of its brakes. The rumble of construction equipment and the beep-beep-beep of the reverse alarm. A siren and horn of an emergency vehicle. The road noise of cars, cars and more cars. After time in the woods, the barrage of human sounds is jarring.
No comments:
Post a Comment