6-Jul-2006

WOW!

This is amazing.  I just got back from a four and a half hour drive.  This is the first bit of real technology I've touched all week (other than my car while driving home).  Let me just say, this is one of the best weeks I've ever had, and it was the best trip I've ever been on.  We did a 27 or 28 mile section of the Appalachian Trail (from Garinflo Gap to I-40 - getting off at I-40 cuts off two miles of the 30 miles we had planned to Davenport Gap).

We got on the trail late Sunday night and camped close to the car (first grassy spot we found).  The next day we hiked about six miles (mostly up hill) and found some muscles that I need to work on more before the next hike.  That night we stayed in the Walnut Mt. shelter with two guys that were through-hiking (from start in Georgia to end in Maine).  Their trail names where Big Toe and Trapper ( www.wheresahave.com ).  They where going the opposite direction so that was the last we saw of them when we parted ways the next morning.  Tuesday David and I did thirteen miles of steep to medium down and low grade up (not nearly as steep as the first day) to get to Max Patch (amazing view of the surrounding area; highest point of hike and most beautiful thing I've seen in a very long time) and stayed the rainy night in our tent by the Groundhog something-or-other shelter.  Being the fourth, I found it fitting that when we got there, the Boy Scouts were playing with an aerosol can and lighter.  Brings back memories of what some of the guys did when I was in scouts.... We finished the hike today (yesterday) with two very solid miles of the hardest uphill yet, followed by a short stop on top of Snowbird Mt. (FAA has a VOR up there) before taking the six miles of just as steep down grade to the interstate with a small hill at the end to beat.  It started raining harder just as we got over that last hill and so we made a dash for the underpass where we waited for our ride.  While going down that hill, we found out that Christy and D.T. (our ride) had broken down an hour away and that we couldn't get a ride from rangers back to our car to go meat her or from a shuttle service (they all require advanced notice - even in emergencies).  No taxies for tight budgets.  So, we waited until Christy got the car towed, repaired, and picked us up.  We had leap frogged a son and mother doing the same section (starting a few miles farther north at Hot Springs and taking an extra day), and they came off the trail a few hours after we did.  They offered to help out as much as they could and we all went to a cigarette shop (that also happened to have the best cheese burgers ever according to Big Toe and Trapper) that was just over the border into N.C. for tax reasons....  Steve and Pasha offered to take us as far as Knoxville, but by the time we were done eating and using the first real bathroom we had since before the hike, Christy was on her way to pick us up, so we sat under the interstate for another hour and met a very interesting biker taking a break from the rain.  I'll not go into the details of his personal life he shared during that hour....  He was... different.

All in all, the trip was a great success.  I want to do a lot more of that as soon as possible.  Nothing like a good 40 pounds on your back to make you realize just how little you can get by with.

What I carried:
I had half the tent, my sleeping bag, one change of clothes (that I saved for the last day when we washed up in the river by I-40 - I smelled a lot better when Christy got there; bio soap is a must because someone may be drinking that water down stream), extra socks (very important when hiking; important to change once a day for heavy hiking), my new sandals or my boots (whichever I wasn't wearing), breakfast and lunch for the 3 days (David had dinner, the cooking stove, and fuel as it was smaller and fit in his pack), and a few other odds and ends like a lighter, cell phone (turned off most of the time), wallet, knife, toiletries (hand sanitizer and toothbrush/paste)... oh! and 8 pounds of water (4 quarts; 2 quarts short of what I should have been carrying - David only had 3 until the last day...).  Amazing how your pack gets lighter as you drink more water....

Things I didn't have that could/should have:
Sleeping pad was the number one thing I wish I had.  I don't have a light enough one for backpacking, so I did without (anyone wanna give me $70 for one?).  It was fine, but I would have slept better a few nights (like the one where it rained and leaked into the tent and got my sleeping bag all wet - thank goodness that was the last night).

More TP.  David had a supply for both of us, but it's always a good idea to have your own just in case.  I ran out of my stash because it was packed for a one nighter trip a few months back, not the three nighter A.T.

Two more quarts of water as mentioned above.  We almost ran out on Tuesday between stops because some water sources were dry and others were not marked well enough to be found.

A light weight book.  We had a lot of down time on the shorter days (I usually just slept to pass the time).

Did I Learn Anything?

Man, there were some parts where I started to wonder (like after going up the same hill for 2 hours and still not being at the top), but getting to the top of each mountain really makes you fell great and makes every bit worth it.  There were a lot of people just driving up the access road to Max Patch, but I think they were missing out on something great.  It's incredible to look at the valley you just climbed out of and say "I just did that 2000 feet in elevation with everything I need to survive on my back and nowhere to be in days.  This is freedom and accomplishment."  Everyone needs to do at least three days on the A.T.  You might not get it before you start or while you are on it, but when you get home, it all comes together.  Just do your homework before you go... we did.