Coach
Kent, CT - Pine Swamp Brook Shelter: 17.0 mi
Hit the trail at Noon. Quickly realized I needed to be careful and take it easy, when I got to an area called St. John's Lodges. It was a steep rocky descent. It is the type of terrain my ankle hates. Met another thru-hiker at the shelter tonight. I pumped him about other thru-hikers we knew. Can't wait to tell the Professor about what I have learned. Tomorrow, I need to push hard to try and make some ground on the Professor.
Professor
Pine Swamp Brook Shelter - Brassie Brook Shelter: 19.6 mi
Day 11 of rain...although, it seems to have cleared up this afternoon which is awesome because I got to the shelter early. It's the first time the sun has stayed out and shining in what feels like weeks! I have all of my stuff airing out over the picnic table (I'm the only one here right now)- My bag and rain gear smell pretty sour from being wet so much without air out time. Hopefully, this will do them some good. My boots and socks especially need this little bit of sunshine; I was crossing a stream with slippery ice-like rocks and fell in almost up to my knees...
The bottoms of my feet still hurt, still feels like someone taped a pebble to the bottoms and forced me to walk on them for miles and miles...they eventually go numb until the last couple of miles in the day when I let my guard down, pretty much anything over 20 miles they hurt no matter what. I've reserved to the fact that this is how it will be the rest of the trip. It's interesting to watch (and feel) what walking almost 1500 miles does to your body.
I think trail hardened is a myth when you are trying to hike the AT in a little over 4 months...more like trail battered.
The solitude of a hike is incredibly rewarding, but I have to admit, hiking the Trail alone can be lonely. I can't think of the last time I could literally count the words on one hand that I spoke in a day. This is the first night of this entire AT experience, from the gear test until now, that it looks like I'll be completely alone.
Showing posts with label Wet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wet. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
From the Journals: DAY 14, March 9
Coach
Spence Field Shelter - Double Spring Gap Shelter
So yesterday I thought the gauntlet was thrown. Turns out I was wrong. We passed 6 thru-hikers in two separate shelters, who decided to take a 0 day instead of hiking in this weather. Of course, we hike 13 miles in the most outrageous conditions. (Freezing rain, 40mph wind gusts, trails running like creeks). Rocky Top was awesome. The wind was blowing us around. Also, I have once again reached the conclusion I need more food. We also made 2.0mph over sloppy, sloppy terrain and against rain and wind. Gear ended up performing quite well. Learned that "waterproof" is a relative term. It is also amazing what goes through your head when you walk through a storm on a mountain.
Stayed night in a shelter with a group of Spring Breakers from Michigan. Worse shelter experience so far. These are the type of people that need to be rescued or else die in the Smokies in bad weather- completely unprepared.
Professor
Trail Magic List as of DAY 14
1. Blood Mountain Pedicure, which included heated rocks, sunset, stars, airing out of feet
2. Honey Bun Fanta Boosters (set there by Trail Angels)
3. Discussion with Brian the Ultra-lighter
4. Magical walking stick for Coach (after foot stone bruise)
5. Lunch on Standing Indian Mtn with Treebeard and Stormsong, first learned about pantyhose
6. Hiking enthusiast couple at NOC
7. Fontana- Manager Mike and Moonpie's Chili
8. Kentucky Grey Beard and stories of ridgerunning
9. Old guy at Mollie's Ridge Shelter with two artificial knees that gave Coach a knee bandage wrap brace for his bum left knee
10. Dan @ Spence Field Shelter, gave us chicken soup and hospitality after spirits were low becuase of initial blow by the Smokies
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
From the Journals: DAY 10
Coach
Cold Spring Shelter - Sassafras Gap Shelter: 18.4 mi
Cold Spring Shelter was very creepy. Started 8:15am in light rain. Made good time to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) where we ate lunch. Very strange vibe from people at NOC. Pushed to Sassafras Gap, where we ran back into Treebeard and Stormsong, who apparently stayed in the next room at Ron Haven's Budget Inn. Bad storm at night.
Professor
Just when you think you can't get any wetter...my calf really bothered me today. I had to wrap it with an ace bandage. 18.6 miles, in the rain, went through Nantahala Outdoor Center; took midday break, much needed for calf and feet. Hiked til right as it was getting dark. Staying @ Sassafras Gap Shelter. Everything has gotten wet to varying degrees:
Backpack = soaked (we sent home pack covers)
Clothes = Hiking Set is wet and cold (we sleep with them to keep them from freezing, and our body heat dries them a little), and Sleeping Set is damp because we sleep with our hiking set.
Sleeping Bag = damp from sleeping in clouds.
Boots = wet, if we hike for a bit on dryish ground we can "hike them dry"
Caught up to Treebeard and Stormsong, met ATL Dave for the first time.
Cold Spring Shelter - Sassafras Gap Shelter: 18.4 mi
Cold Spring Shelter was very creepy. Started 8:15am in light rain. Made good time to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) where we ate lunch. Very strange vibe from people at NOC. Pushed to Sassafras Gap, where we ran back into Treebeard and Stormsong, who apparently stayed in the next room at Ron Haven's Budget Inn. Bad storm at night.
Professor
Just when you think you can't get any wetter...my calf really bothered me today. I had to wrap it with an ace bandage. 18.6 miles, in the rain, went through Nantahala Outdoor Center; took midday break, much needed for calf and feet. Hiked til right as it was getting dark. Staying @ Sassafras Gap Shelter. Everything has gotten wet to varying degrees:
Backpack = soaked (we sent home pack covers)
Clothes = Hiking Set is wet and cold (we sleep with them to keep them from freezing, and our body heat dries them a little), and Sleeping Set is damp because we sleep with our hiking set.
Sleeping Bag = damp from sleeping in clouds.
Boots = wet, if we hike for a bit on dryish ground we can "hike them dry"
Caught up to Treebeard and Stormsong, met ATL Dave for the first time.
From the Journals: DAY 9
Coach
Winding Stair Gap - Cold Spring Shelter: 16mi
Excellent breakfast at Lois's Diner (pancakes, eggs, gravy + biscuit, hashbrowns)
Hit the trail at 9:40am in rainy and foggy conditions, which continued all day. Stopped for the day a while before 5:00pm. We made excellent time, but don't really remember most of it. Another 18.4mi push tomorrow.
Professor
Today was hard. But it was a kind of difficult I had not yet experienced..with the exception of straining a muscle in my calf, and all of the normal aches and pains. We hiked faster and stronger of any hike yet if you go by the clock. But it didn't feel that way. It felt hard. Today turned into a mental battle of coming to terms, realizations and questioning the hike. Today was the first time my homesickness was in my forethoughts.
We hiked in a cloud, physically and mentally. We walked through fog and sometimes rain, drippy wet air that you can see floating around you. It was a lost day; happening fast and leaving you wondering. Cold Spring Shelter is living up to its name. Drip. The gurgling of the spring out of Earth's opening. Drip...wind...gurgle...drip...wind in the trees...night falls fast here.
Winding Stair Gap - Cold Spring Shelter: 16mi
Excellent breakfast at Lois's Diner (pancakes, eggs, gravy + biscuit, hashbrowns)
Hit the trail at 9:40am in rainy and foggy conditions, which continued all day. Stopped for the day a while before 5:00pm. We made excellent time, but don't really remember most of it. Another 18.4mi push tomorrow.
Professor
Today was hard. But it was a kind of difficult I had not yet experienced..with the exception of straining a muscle in my calf, and all of the normal aches and pains. We hiked faster and stronger of any hike yet if you go by the clock. But it didn't feel that way. It felt hard. Today turned into a mental battle of coming to terms, realizations and questioning the hike. Today was the first time my homesickness was in my forethoughts.
We hiked in a cloud, physically and mentally. We walked through fog and sometimes rain, drippy wet air that you can see floating around you. It was a lost day; happening fast and leaving you wondering. Cold Spring Shelter is living up to its name. Drip. The gurgling of the spring out of Earth's opening. Drip...wind...gurgle...drip...wind in the trees...night falls fast here.
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