I left just before two, and it is now nearly four-twenty. Allowing for my stop for water and a bath, a couple of hours for the hike isn’t bad, and an hour and twenty minutes to climb my way up from Piney Creek was better than I expected, especially with the two 80ft. deep hollows you have to cross just before the trailhead. ‘Shelob’s Lair’ lived up to its nickname, though it was nowhere near as bad as it was on my way in. There were still plenty of cobwebs and spiders to deal with.

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