Rockwall - Day 5 of 5

date: August 8, 2010
itinerary: Helmet Falls to Paint Pots (parking lot)
trail: 14.9 kms, total descent 1,073'
weather: low 20's, mostly sunny, calm

By this point, we were ready to exit the trail. This section of trail is quite unremarkable, as it is basically path to get where you need to go. In a way it was good to do this last, because we were tired and sore, and this trail required little from us except time. There were rolling sections, but nothing too major. There is a campground halfway, where we saw a family camping along a nice creek, but for the life of me I can't understand why you would stay there. The trail is a boring slog through the trees, and there is no view or anything to do there. You may as well go all the way to Helmet Falls for the little extra effort that is required.On the previous day, we averaged a hiking speed of anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 kms/hr. Luke, who had done this trail before, figured we could do the 15 kms in 5 hours, including breaks. That would be 3 kms/hr, including breaks.

So, Luke set the pace. I always took up the rear because my knee could slow me down on the downhill sections. But, they set a blinding pace, and I was determined to keep up. On the short downhill sections we were border-line running, which is a terrible idea with a forty pound pack on your back, and with wet tree roots underfoot.We stopped only twice for water. At the midway point, Gary took over the pace, and it went even faster.We reached our destination in 3.25 hours! I have never in my life hiked that fast. My feet were swollen for four days after, but it was a great new experience for me. I just kept my head down, found a happy meditative place to take my mind off the boredom of tree after tree, and just went.

The Paint Pots were kinda neat. Some sorta natural phenomenon, crawling with tourists. Honestly, we didn't really linger there, but just finished the last 1.5 kms to the parking lot, feeling sorta like heroes for burning up that trail, and feeling strange to be mixed in with all of the SUV-bound picture-takers.

Reaching the end of the trail always leaves me with mixed emotions.

You are glad to finally have some creature comforts, but at the cost of being overwhelmed with "civilization" once again. It only takes one good meal, a hot shower and a sleep in your own bed to make you feel rested and wanting to turn around and head out back out there again. When you are out in the back country, watching a weather system move in, and measuring to make sure you have enough trail mix left for each day, every thought and action can be so simply profound. Somehow, when you out there, no matter how much you like your job, or how good your life is, everything seems more real. You feel more alive.

"He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time." - Jack London, "The Call of the Wild" Ch.3.