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Day 60: If You’re Hikers and You Know it Stomp Your Feet
- Cow Camp Shelter (813.2) to Seeley Woodworth Shelter (823.4)
- 2205 feet ascent, 1873 feet descent
Some days your mind won’t behave. It wanders and you lose track of what you’re doing. It sticks on stuff you wouldn’t normally think about. Today my mind stuck on silly.
I once taught two of our dogs to be the percussion section to the old camp song If You’re Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands. For reasons I can’t fathom, that song got stuck in my head today.
A Beautiful, Focused Start
The day started well. We ascended Cole Mountain. The hike up was noticable but not overly hard, 900 feet of ascent in 2 miles.
It was a bluebird day. The sun was bright and the temperatures warm. I even spotted and correctly identified a scarlet tananger. The bird sat perfectly still as if posing for a portrait.
Once we attained the top of the ridge at 4025 feet elevation, we encountered a strong wind. We both donned our rain jackets as our sweaty sun hoodies were a little too chill in the wind.
We spent a half hour wandering around enjoying the unique characteristics of the bald and taking photos.
As we proceeded, we enjoyed more views for the next mile as the trail traveled down the open ridge. At one point, I misidentified the upcoming Priest Mountain and almost panicked. After studying my map, I realized it was too far away to be the main mountain climb for tomorrow.
Miles of 300 Foot Ups and Downs
After the open excitement of Cole Mountain, we went back into the woods and advanced through a long section of ups and downs. They were big enough to take an effort but small enough to make you feel like the effort was wasted when you kept repeating the pattern.
Losing Focus
Perhaps it was the repetitive ups and downs that caused me to slip from a thinking woman to a silly one. Maybe it was me overcompensating for The Historian’s slightly grumpy mood. Maybe it was the phase of the moon. Who knows.
I recalled my dogs sitting at attention and barking on cue when I directed them to join the singing of the camp song (bark, bark). In my mind, I envisioned directing a large chorus of thru hikers at a hostel.
In that moment, the Thru Hikers Camp Song was invented.
Verse 1
I’m a thru hiker and I know it stomp my feet (stomp, stomp)
I’m a thru hiker and I know it stomp my feet (stomp, stomp)
Give me my pack, I don’t know when I’ll be back
I’m a thru hiker and I know it stomp my feet (stomp, stomp)
Verse 2
If your pack is too heavy, eat it up (burp, burp) (2x)
If you’ve just come from town and your pack is weighing you down
If your pack is too heavy, eat it up (burp, burp)
Verse 3
If you come a stream, drink it now (camel up!) (2x)
If you come to a stream, you know what it means,
If you come a stream, drink it now (camel up!)
Verse 4
If its Noro you don’t want it, wash your hands (wash your hands) (2x)
If its Noro, better scamper, or it’ll be quite a damper
If its Noro you don’t want it, wash your hands (wash your hands)
Verse 5
If you’re sliding on a rock, squeeze your glutes (your glutes) (2x)
If you’re sliding on a rock and you really want to stop
If you’re sliding on a rock, squeeze your glutes (your glutes)
Verse 6
If its a town day take a moment, wash your face (your face) (2x)
You should really make an effort, for you smell like a heifer
If its a town day take a moment, wash your face (your face)
I apologize for putting this earworm in your head. It rings magnificently in mine. I envisioned a throng of smelly thru hikers enthuastically responding to me as I wave my directing baton for each rowdy response to my call.
Perhaps the concert of my dreams can be accomplished at a future Trail Days. The recording might go platinum and we could raise funds for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to do trail maintenance for the next 100 years of the Appalachian Trail.
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Comments 6
I love the song! 😄😂 And yes the verse is already stuck in my head. Thank you for more beautiful pictures. I don’t think that even the best photographer can capture the gorgeous depth of color of the Scarlet Tananger. They are so pretty! I hadn’t even noticed until today that you passed the halfway point!! Great job! You two are so inspiring! Congrats and stay safe 😊
The tannenger just started there. It was amazing. We didnt have time to get the real camera out so I had to do with the cell phone but I was still thrilled at seeing it. I have seen four bears (two butts and two whole bears) but only once got the camera. Wildlife is a challenge.
So glad you liked the song. It occupied us, and other hikers we met for a couple of days.
We are making it! Thanks for encouraging us.
I smiled through this whole post! From the bird to taking time to explore the bald you climbed to and a real laugh for your song! I LOVE it! I sing made up songs to my self while I’m hiking but, this is a new level.
Oh, Deb. We are laughing now. We are not sure it is a good thing we took the song to a whole new level. It did fill a lot of hours of sweat filled climbing so I guess the end result was good.
We love that we gave you a smile. Hopefully, someday we will hear one of your songs echoing down the trail.
lol , can not remember my rock song , sung to the tune of spam spam spam
rocks , rocks rocks
slipery rock , stumbling rocks , tripping rocks
etc
wood wood wood
etc
fun making ur own song isn’t it
would be fun getting the songs of 2025 together
getting back on trail this weekend 7/12 [ PA / NJ ]
And PLEASE , stop wishing and praying for the thru hikers to have a good trip !
WE are walking !.!.!
there is no such thing as a good fall !,!.!
and watch out for those STUMBLES , they wanna turn into trips !
So Duck wishes all safe travels and awesome adventures .
Glad you’re getting back on trail. The trail needs you.
I got a laugh about not wanting to have a good trip. You are right, anklebiters, rock snakes and root are all hungry!
I will start asking people for their songs, if they want to share. It could be a whole new section on The Trek annual survey!