Post-900 Hike #21 Hannah Mountain/Rabbit Creek (N-part)

This was only my 2nd hike since mid-September (i.e., because of trips to Finland/Norway, Minnesota/Iowa, and Atlanta); it was sort of a comedy of errors. I had called Bob Bolinger to see if I could help him with a hike; because the 11/7 hike (one that I had not examined) involved timing and a key swap that he could not make, he wondered if I wanted to do an in/out on the 7.6 mi. section of Hannah Mtn starting at Parson Branch Rd (PB-Rd. would close 11/9 for winter) to Rabbit Creek. I agreed to do the 15.6 mi. hike but then I thought that it would be more practical if I were to drop Bob (and whomever I could recruit) at the trailhead and then take PBR to U.S. 129 and then on to Abrams Creek Campground, hike Rabbit Creek and meet them somwhere on Hannah Mtn Trail and then we would return to my vehicle; their's would be a 10.3 mi. hike and mostly down. BZ was going with us if we could hike Thurs. but then he had to cancel. I put out a note to all Wed. hikers and was subsequently told that our Wed. group was going to do a key swap for the hike that I planned. Then it all registered; however, Bob's prior committment precluded a key-swap on his part.

At Food Lion after some complex key swapping, Lowell Reid went with me to pick up Bob at the Y in Townsend. We then proceeded to the Hannah Mtn trailhead; to my surprise that portion of our group starting there had not begun their trek. Bob and Lowell began with them and I proceeded down the one-way SW on Parsons Branch Rd; I had never been on it for it had just been reopened after ~4-yr closure due to washouts. Just prior to its juncture with U.S. 129 I came across an untended vehicle in the road; there was no way to get around it. Fortunately my wait was not long as its owner arrived and moved it; unfortunately this wait put me just behind an 18-wheeler on the Dragon (i.e., U.S. 129). Although this slowed me down, it was interesting watching a very good driver execute switchbacks often using every bit of both lanes; fortunately not one motorcycle was using this section and only one oncoming car had to totally get off the road. The comedy of errors did not stop there for although I made the correct turn off of U.S. 129, I missed the next turn twice that led to Abrams Creek Campground.

After parking my vehicle and getting on the trail, two further problems occurrred. First my left pole became unadjustable and essentially useless. Then my HR-monitor gave some spurious readings and I sort of had to strip down to get it functioning. Despite this I covered the 2.7 miles of Rabbit Creek (mostly up) in 60 min. I then chugged up ~1-2 miles of Hannah Mtn.; I first met Bill Broome, Cecil Rowe, Bill Woodrick and one other. I then went on until I met Bob; he and I returned to the Rabbit Creek trail junction (Lowell arrived shortly) and we ate lunch with Bill's group. The latter hit the trail shortly and Lowell, Bob, and I left 10-15 min. later. Because I was hiking such a short distance today, I went ahead and endeavored to catch Bill's group. I was unsuccessful but did finish the 2.7 mi. in 50 min.

I then returned Bob to the Y and Lowell to Food Lion. We made 1-2 incorrect turns in taking a shortcut through Happy Valley; they were my navigators fault but just added to my comedy of errors list.