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From a distance, even while I was still up on the ridge, I could hear the sporadic hammering of what sounded like an axe chopping wood. Instead, it turned out to be the caretaker, Jay, working on composting the outhouse. This consisted of his pulling out the bin underneath the toilet seat and thoroughly mixing the waste with bark chips - not exactly his favorite activity.

Never-the-less, he welcomed me to the campsite, which at the moment was vacant except for the two of us. After talking a short time, I walked down the trail to the tent area and set up my 2-person Kelty Zen on platform # 3. According to Jay, the Imp Campsite did not have a bear problem, so for once, I could cook and eat right at my site. I still hung my food in a nearby tree to keep it away from mice and other rodents.

After setting up camp, I got got ready for my hike to Mt Moriah, clearing my backpack of everything except those items I'd need for a four-mile day hike. Then I stopped at the shelter to get a look. The Imp Shelter holds about twelve on a large log shelf about four feet off the ground. Just beyond was a great lookout, complete with rickety log bench. Framed by several large firs, it made a nice shady and restful spot to sit and watch the world below.

The campsite's water source was a small brook flowing down some boulders a short way down the path from the shelter. I used my filter to fill several bottles, then sat down on the warm rocks for a quick lunch of peanuts and a power bar.

After climbing back up the spur trail, which actually didn't seem as long as I had thought it would, I headed north on the Carter-Moriah Trail, retracing my steps from the morning. Back at the junction with the Stony Brook Trail, I met a guy and his dog, who apparently lived down along Rt 16 and were just out for an afternoon walk to the nearby ledges. The ledges and cliffs on the south face of the Mt Moriah massif loom sharply over a deep ravine to the east, but give magnificent views in several directions.

My tent set up on a platform at the Imp Campsite. The campsite did not have a bear problem, so for once, I could cook and eat right at my site. I still hung my food to keep it away from mice and other rodents.

The Imp Shelter. A shelf inside sleeps about twelve, although only two girls hiking the Appalachian Trail north to south were there that night.

The view northwest from the Imp Campsite's overlook. This is a great place to sit and watch the sunset, or to rest on a sunny summer day.

The cliffs and ledges on the south face of Mt Moriah. It's a pretty steep dropoff into the ravine, with great views to the east. 

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