As I hiked up to Catfish Fire Tower, I was greeted by the tower's fire warden, who invited me to climb up with him to see the view! So of course, being completely comfortable with scaling open lattice frames, I eagerly did. Great view, all the way to the High Point Monument in the north. I should be there by Tuesday.
Bob has been working at this tower as a New Jersey firespotter for 33 years, he told me. He and his fellow co-workers who man the 21 towers also detail out for big fires across the country. Did I know about the Shenandoah Park fire that is blocking the AT thru hikers, he asked? I did not. (Bob was mistaken. The fire that closed the Trail briefly was in Hot Springs, NC. )
After I signed his log book and took a flyer for their national organization, we said farewell and I continued north.
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| Catfish Tower |
A few hours later, I met a couple of girls marching along ahead of their mother, who slowed to exchange trail information. She and her daughters are taking a fourth grade year of travel learning, and one of the girls had asked to walk the whole Appalachian Trail ... They compromised on a selection of day hikes on the AT, though the daughter objected that it didn't feel quite fair not to do it end to end. I suggested that Mr. MacKaye's articles on his seminal vision of the Trail might be worth reading ... But a full year of travel as a fourth grader? Now that's home schooling!
At day's end, I stopped by Crater Lake to filter water and refill the pack's bladder before climbing the last mile to my tentsite for the evening. Some locals were already set up, and I asked about the lake's name; the woman told me that a sign at one end of the lake described it as the result of glacial action. So, why "Crater"? It remains a mystery.
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