Trip Journal – Tuscarora Trail Backpack行程記錄 – 週末的Tuscarora Trail Backpack

Rocky and wobbly is the agreed footnote the group gave to the Tuscarora Trail after the two-day backpack. No matter when we were climbing, or descending, we had to pay close attention to our footing. Rocks were very deceiving; they looked like stable footrests, yet they were in fact ready-to-take-off roller coasters.

Even once the trail leveled out, don’t think you can glide through. Piles of withered leaves on top of the rocks were their best cover. They were prepared for their ambush, we had to step well as if we were passing a mine field.

I was glad that there were no casualties, though there was an incident that Dawn swallowed a fly and replenished her protein intake unwillingly. Everybody did so well and in addition to that everybody enjoyed themselves and each other’s company. The only yellow alert of this trip to me as a leader was probably that the group was a bit spread-out. I didn’t worry too much given that all my participants were fairly independent and they looked out for each other. I only had to perform head counts once in a while.

The first day, Saturday, the weather was so warm that it felt like a summer day. We opened our trip with a steep and extended climb which made the mid 70s temperature really turn into a killer. Fortunately, the climb became gradual after about one and half miles. After that we walked along the ridge surrounded by the green scenery – mountain ranges and farms – while the wind was blowing gently.

However, the wind liked to tease us: in one direction we confronted this cool breeze which elevated the group’s spirit; the next second, in another direction, we had to fight against an assault brought by warm air. It seemed that we rehearsed what I had always dreamed about doing – to bathe in a natural hot spring while it is snowing – but how could it be so not romantic? Even though we were confused by the wind, the group managed to wobble to the Laurel Run, near which we set up our camp for the first night.

We couldn’t ask for more from this campsite. The way the trees were laid out gave us refreshing shade and it allowed enough moonlight and sunshine to pass though. There was plenty of space to accommodate ten people; even if we had not used our sleeping pads, we would be able to sleep comfortably.

Waiting for us on Sunday were ups and downs. I couldn’t recall how many “steeps” were used in the guidebook to describe the hike of this section. We took advantage of some switchbacks, but not for long. It seemed that whoever built this trail decided that after a few turns, it was much easier to head straight up. Certainly the group wasn’t too satisfied with this decision, but we respected it. Everybody hiked with their own pace, and everybody covered all the ups and downs steadily.

The weather was cooperating; we finally decided that the wind loved us. The sky cleared out, and occasionally birds swung by and a couple of squirrels jumped across the trail. The last descent we even had luxurious treatment – we carried our torches down a set of evenly placed, un-wobbling stone stairs. In another five minutes, our cars appeared in front of our eyes.

During the two days, we didn’t see another hiker. Perhaps it was because we hiked on Easter weekend, when people are supposed to hang out with their families. However, based on the trail registration booklet, the last hiker was ten days ago. Perhaps, this trail is indeed a less-traveled trail after all. Hiking on this trail should be a nice get-away from the business of civilization, and we have proved the point.

多岩和顛簸，是隊伍在兩天的backpacking之後，為Tuscarora步道下的註腳。不論往上爬，還是往下走，隊伍時時刻刻都得留心落足的地點。看起來堅固平實的岩石，可是會騙人的，等你一踏上去，馬上轉變成直直落的雲霄飛車。

就算坡度變得平緩了，也不見得能夠安心。大把大把的落葉，將岩石隱藏地不落痕跡，它們耐心地埋伏其下，準備出奇不意的襲擊。隊伍得小心翼翼，好比是穿越地雷區域。

幸好，沒有一個傷兵，唯一的一個意外是 Dawn 不小心吞了一支黑蠅，心不甘情不願地，補充了蛋白質的攝取量。每個隊員都神采奕奕地健行著，享受彼此之間的談笑風生。身為一個領隊，我觀察到的唯一警訊，恐怕是似乎隊伍太過分散。幸好每個隊員都相當獨立，守望相助，除了不定期的點人頭數之外，倒是沒有太多需要擔心的。

第一天，星期六，天氣暖得像是個仲夏日。行程的開幕式是長達一又二分之一英里的爬坡，更是讓華視七十多度的氣溫難以忍受。幸好，之後的爬坡漸漸地和緩了下來，可讓人悠哉地欣賞稜線兩旁綠油油的風景，風微微地吹著，吹過眼前的山頭，身下的農田。

這微微吹著的風卻愛跟我們開玩笑：從這方向來，迎著我們的是沁人心脾的涼爽春風，下一秒鐘，另一方向就湧來暖烘烘的潮熱氣流。這涼暖夾攻似乎為我一直期盼的—在雪夜下泡著熱呼呼地溫泉—先做了份預演，可這，怎是一點都不浪漫啊？摸不清楚風的意圖，隊伍一路顛簸地前進，傍晚到達當日的紮營處—Raurel Run。

這紮營地點可是比完美更加完美，樹木散落有秩，製造足夠的庇蔭，也不至於擋著明亮的月光，清晨的陽光。夠的是平坦以及柔軟的紮營點，就算沒使用睡墊，還是會舒舒服服地一覺到天亮。

星期天，等待著隊伍的是起起又伏伏。記不得究竟在步道手冊上數過幾個「險峻」這個字眼了。隊伍一剛開始還可以利用S型的步道迆邐上山，走不多時，步道就成為直衝雲端的走勢了。真不知道當初建立這步道的人，是不是走走失去了耐心，還是純粹要給後到的人，一些鐵的考驗？不滿意還是要接受，只好吃苦當作吃補，每個隊員忖著自己的步伐，一步一步地踏上，一步一步地走下。

天氣倒挺合作的，隊伍終於確定這風，還是喜歡我們的。天邊的雲層漸散去，偶爾頭頂盤旋過幾隻飛鳥，松鼠也蹦蹦跳跳地穿越了步道。最後的下坡路，隊伍還受到了貴賓級的禮遇，順著不知道是天然還是人為做成的石階，緩緩步下，幾分鐘後，車子也出現在眼前。

這兩天，一路上沒看到其他人。也許是因為復活節吧，大家都留在家裡享受親子光陰。不過，當初簽名走入步道之時，還記得上一個健行者，已經是在十天以前了。也許，這個步道的確是少人行走的吧。Tuscarora步道可是遠離文明喧囂的好去處，而我們的隊伍在這兩天，已為這點做了最佳佐證。

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