NM8B Radio Room.

We headed out on June 30 2018 to Lake Vesuvius to hike the backpacker trail. When we arrived we found only poorly marked handicapped parking available in the backpacking and boat ramp lot. After taking with a Forest Service employee we found out this was the only overnight parking. That was disappointing as we saw fishermen taking up the majority of parking.  We then decided to park in  another and day hike the Lakeshore trail with the intention of coming back and moving the car, then hiking back in to a camp.

We proceed to hike the lakeshore trail. I was a easy hike with a few views. At the four mile mark we reached the mid way point and where we intend on camping. This also connects to the horse trails and it was occupied with riders. We stoped at the stream for water and they eventually left.

At that time we were approached by  a man who had been hiking and some how gotten lost. He stated his GPS wasn’t working and had gotten turned around. He looked terrible and had only a little water with him, it was extremely hot at this point. We pointed him in the right direction with him choosing to take the route we had just came from. Later that day He would be evacuated by some fishermen by boat after some other hikers found him in a worse state then when we did. Those hikers Flagged down the the fishermen and were able to get him on the boat from the shoreline, then to the boat ramp where we meet up with him again. Ordinary people can step up and make anything happen when its needed. People please make sure you are in shape for the weather, know your limitations and carry enough water for the environment.

The rest of the trail was pretty uneventful after the mid point. by the time we made it back to the boat ramp we were not interested in hiking back in another four miles. We were pretty well exhausted and knew it would not be in our best interest to do another four miles in the heat. So we went for some lunch and headed home taking a route through Kentucky.

A overnight would have been nice but just being able to get out for a hike was good enough.

I have a lot going on in life right now, so I hope I can get out some more this year. I also have a North Carolina vacation coming up, not sure if that will bring anything worth writing about.