Appalachian Trail Memoirs- VA, WV & MD

As time allows I am going to continue to record my experiences from the trail, both for my own recollection down the road and also to share the stories with those of you who have expressed that you enjoyed reading my blog.

As a little update- I am currently residing in Steamboat Springs , CO. I am working at the Steamboat Smokehouse and will be starting my position as a Ski Instructor in early December! I miss the trail dearly; I miss the people, the camaraderie, the exercise and the peace, but- I am SO happy to be back in Colorado and starting on this new adventure. 

After the amazing Shenandoah river trip I spent a few days with family in Front Royal. Donna and Junior were amazing hosts, feeding me delicious meals, including southern fried chicken; they sure knew how to take care of a thru-hiker! We took a cruise on the skyline drive and visited the gravesites of my great grandparents, I even had the opportunity to see the house that my grandmother grew up in, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. The visit was refreshing and wonderful but it also left me starting back out on the trail solo, as the friends I had canoed with had pushed on during my family visit. It was absolutely pouring on my final day with Donna and Junior. I was ready to start hiking again but also did not want to start out on the next leg of my journey with soaked gear.  Instead, I explained slack packing to them and they drove me 20 miles north on the trail so that I could slack pack back to Front Royal. It felt amazing to be in the woods again and with no pack to weigh me down, I found myself doing some trail running in the rain. I moved so fast that day and before I knew it was back at their house with a warm shower and huge dinner. On my hike I passed some of my trail friends whom I had not seen in a while; Apollo, Hammer, Lil Wing and Burning Man so I knew that I would see them the next day and that I had not completely lost my “bubble”, also many of my friends were still a few days behind me- sickness, waiting for packages and the three days of pouring rain having slowed them down through the Shenandoah section of trail. 

After my day of slack packing, the rain finally stopped and I set out with the sun shining ready to take on the “roller coaster”. This section of trail is named for the continuous assents and descents that stretched on for 13.5 miles. After a week of sitting in a canoe and a day of hiking without a pack, my legs felt out of shape. After 15 miles I came across Bears Den Hostel and decided to stay there and call it a night. Bears Den is a very well known hostel on the trail. It is a huge beautiful stone building and they offer a pizza, pint of Ben and Jerry’s, shower, laundry, a bunk and pancake breakfast for around $30.00. I decided to camp and forgo the pizza and ice cream, but was still able to shower, do laundry and make pancakes for breakfast. This was an easy and fun first night back on trail. Upon arriving at Bear’s Den I noticed that there was a BBQ taking place. A couple of locals had brought up food and beer for trail magic and the friends that I had passed on the trail the day before were all gathered around, hanging out and catching up. Handstand was also there and I had not seen her in forever! We had a really nice evening and I had a peaceful night camping near the garden, surrounded by fireflies.

The next day left me crossing into West Virginia and within reach of Harpers Ferry- the “psychological half-way point” on the trail. Rather than get into town late and pay for yet another hostel I decided to camp a few miles before town and hike in early the next day. I caught up with Hammer and Lil Wing late in the day and after consulting our handy AT guidebooks we found that there was an Italian restaurant only a quarter mile off trail. Even though we were well supplied, it is always difficult to turn down non-trail food when the opportunity arises, so we got dinner then walked the remaining few miles to camp. It was a small dingy site and was already inhabited by two older gentlemen who were stoking a fire. We set up and joined them around the fire listening to their stories. One of my favorite parts of the trail was these nighttime conversations with other hikers who were headed in the opposite direction or moving slower, and that you would never see again.  It is always amazing- the stories you will hear and the things you will learn when you just take the time to listen.

It rained again throughout the night and when I woke it was still raining and gloomy. I had traded tents with another thru-hiker (my one person for his two person) so by utilizing the two vestibules on the rainfly I was able to take the tent down while keeping it and my pack mostly dry. This turned out to be one of the best features of the two person Big Agnes Copper Spur and why I would recommend it over the one person.  I left camp before Lil Wing and Hammer and headed towards Harpers Ferry- the excitement of passing through another state and registering at the ATC office pushing me through the rain. 

Harpers Ferry is a beautiful historic town. The trail runs along and through town, passing many historical sights, including Jefferson Rock. The ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) office, located in town, is a magical place for a thru-hiker. There are beautiful pictures of the trail located throughout the office and a 3D topographical map of the trail. Part of the custom of visiting the ATC office is getting your Polaroid taken on the porch and added to the register of hikers who have already hiked through. It was exciting to look back through the previous weeks at the hikers who had registered before me. I recognized many faces ahead but also got an idea of who was still behind me on the trail. My number was 401- meaning I was the 401^st person to pass through the office in 2013 registering as a thru-hiker

 

I had a lot of errands to run while in town but it was so early in the day that I knew I could get everything done and still hike out 6 miles to the first shelter in order to avoid staying in a hostel. I went out to lunch with Hammer, Lil Wing and Burning Man, picked up a birthday gift for my mom, stopped at the post office for my re-supply box and headed to the library to update my blog and dry my tent out in the sunny lawn. While in the library I got news of Tornado warnings in the area and the huge storm that was rolling in. Within an hour the sky’s were black and I could see the storm advancing.  I was over a mile into town, away from the trail, and was torn between hiking out in the potentially dangerous conditions versus coughing up $30.00 for the Tea Horse Hostel, a quarter mile down the road.  I was buying some extra snacks at the 7-11, watching the rain pour down in sheets and weighing my options, when a local asked me if I needed a ride anywhere. He was familiar with the hostel and said that it was very nice, I decided to call it a day and put safety before stubbornness and took the free lift to dry accommodations.

The hostel turned out to be the nicest one that I stayed in on the entire trail. It had the setup of a lovely apartment, with the bedrooms being bunkrooms. I ended up with an entire room to myself and once again got to take a shower!! (Three showers in 4 days is really a treat on the trail.) There was no one that I knew at the hostel, all of the other thru-hikers were guys who had started around a month later than me and were clearly approaching the trail with a different mentality- but it was really nice to meet them and I ended up crossing paths with them many times over the next couple of weeks.  Breakfast at the tea horse was amazing, all you can eat waffles with fresh strawberries and bananas and cups on cups of coffee- the perfect way to start a day of backpacking! 

I left town alone, crossing into Maryland- slowly but surely crossing states off as I headed northbound on the trail. After crossing the bridge out of town there are a few miles of walking along the river on a rail trail. I came across an older gentleman who was actually from Hot Springs, NC (one of the trail towns that we had walked through). He was also thru-hiking and we had a really pleasant conversation as we walked together, once we got to the first climb I pushed ahead and never saw him again… this is also the nature of the trail; some people that you meet you may see day after day, others you may not see for a month but then you will walk up to them on a mountain top enjoying an afternoon snack and have an enthusiastic reunion, and some people will come into your life if only for an hour or a day, but still make an impression on you that will stick with you for a lifetime.

The trail was crowded leaving Harpers Ferry. Whenever you leave a town, especially after a stormy day, a large bubble of hikers tends to form that you then hike with until you reach the next town or stop on the trail. I met a lot of new hikers in this section and had so much fun hiking “solo” for the first time. Every day the decision of how far to hike and where to stay was completely my own and I was able to finally camp solo for the first time- which is crazy because I had already completed almost half of the trail and never had a campsite to myself. 

Maryland is a very short state to hike and can be completed in just two days, some crazy hikers even attempt a “four state challenge” which starts in Virginia and ends in PA – a total of 42.5 miles in just 24 hours. The terrain is fairly easy and all of the trees were blooming with beautiful flowers. The trail in Maryland also passes through a number of public parks and even has a campsite with a shower house- which of course I took advantage of.  I decided to stay at the Annapolis Rocks campsite, which was where I had my first solo evening. This location has a number of group and solo campsites spread out throughout the woods, a fresh spring and a caretaker. The name “Annapolis Rocks” comes from the huge rock cliffs just a minute walk from the campsites, which supply amazing views of the surrounding valley and the opportunity to catch a lovely sunset. I cooked dinner on the rocks, watching the sunset, and was filled with a sense of independence and confidence that I had not yet experienced on the trip.

 

Maryland was the beginning of my 3-4 mph days- where the terrain was consistently flat enough to allow me to move quickly and efficiently through the woods. This terrain allowed me to hike 20-25 miles, often before 5:00- leaving plenty of time for socializing and relaxing at night. I was able to maintain that pace through PA and much of NJ, NY, CT & MA, once my body and mind got used to walking “big miles” each day it became habitual and anything less than 20 miles felt lazy. It was with this mentality that I began to really cover miles and push onward, northbound. 

Maine!

*Note- this was written two days ago but I had no service to post it 🙂

Hello from the trail! Yes, I am still on trail but I am almost done! I realize that I have been an awful blog maintainer since I left Virginia. I have a lot of stories to tell from the past three months and I am hoping that in the down time between finishing the trail and starting my next adventure (being a ski instructor in Colorado) I will find some time to share some of the stories on here 🙂

This adventure has been more than I could have ever expected and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to spend the last six months in the woods. I have learned a ton about backpacking and have grown a lot, in ways I was not even expecting. I have met friends that will last a lifetime and made memories that will burn bright and beautiful in my mind for many years to come.

As I mentioned before, I am almost done with the trail. I am currently in Maine! I wanted to be done by the end of August but New Hampshire and Maine have been much too beautiful and difficult to rush through so my 20 mile a day pace has been reduced to 10-13 for the last few weeks. Yesterday we hiked the Bigelows which was the last of the huge mountain ranges in Maine until Kathadin! We are more than ready for some easier hiking and to finish the last 173 miles!

My brother will be driving up to Maine to pick up Wrangler (my boyfriend that I met on trail and have been hiking with for the last 500 miles) and myself. We have a campground spot in Baxter State Park reserved for the nights of September 8th and 9th, so we will summit on the 9th or 10th depending on the weather.

The end is near and it is bittersweet. I am sad to leave the mountains and the people who have become my trail family, knowing I will most likely not see them again. At the same time I am excited to spend time with my family in NY and then to continue the life I am building in CO. Also, I know that this trip is just the first in many adventures to come.

Wish me luck on this final stretch of my journey! I will post a summit picture at the end. 🙂

Aqua Blazing the Shenandoah

To follow-up with my post on “Blue Blazing” it seems only fitting to write about my recent adventure Aqua Blazing the Shenandoah River. We heard early on about aqua blazing from past thru-hikers, and many in our group were entranced by the idea. I was on the fence about it and made a last-minute decision to join the others after my amazing experience with the Mau-Har trail. Aqua blazing is the term used for canoeing a section of the trail. In this case the section would be from Waynesboro to Front Royal, causing us to miss hiking the Shenandoahs completely.

I had three issues with the idea of aqua blazing;

1. The cost- we found the least expensive option we could but the canoes were still $230 a piece for a 6 day rental. (We used Front Royal Canoe Company). This rental came with oars and life jackets but dry bags/ boxes were not included and the seats did not have back rests (I have heard other canoe companies offer these add-ons and they are well worth the extra charge). I also ended up spending another $200 on food and beverages over the 6 days, so overall I spent a LOT more money than I would have, had I been hiking.

2. I did not want to skip a 106 mile section of trail. Each persons thru-hike is unique to their own goals and ideals, some consider aqua blazing as an adequate substitute for hiking the miles and this is perfectly fine, “hike your own hike”. For me, the idea of canoeing seemed very appealing and fun but not interchangeable.

3. I wanted to hike the Shenandoahs in memory of my grandmother Evelyn (GG) who passed away this past fall. She grew up in Front Royal and her family (the Boyd’s) have lived there for a few generations. I felt that hiking the Shenandoahs would bring me closer to her and honor her memory.

I decided to aqua blaze so that I would not miss the incredible experience with the close friends I have formed on the trail and also because I will probably never have the opportunity to canoe the Shenandoah again. My personal compromise was that I will return to Virginia and hike the Shenandoahs before I return to Colorado. This will actually work out quite well as my parents and brother should be able to join me for this experience on a family vacation of sorts!

Preparations-

When it comes to planning group trips with friends, I have the type of personality that usually leaves me as “the planner”. Luckily Gravy also has this personality and for once I got to sit back and just enjoy an experience without being in the driver’s seat!

We were fortunate to have use of Novi’s parents car so we were able to fully supply for our trip at Walmart in Waynesboro. We “borrowed” three cooler’s (hiker trash term for purchasing from Walmart and then returning after use- I know- not our proudest moment… but we have no use for three coolers for the next 1000 miles!). We also stocked up on cookout food, snacks, beer & sangria ingredients. Because we did not have to be “weight conscious” about our food (we did not have to carry our packs) we were able to buy all the things we had been craving to eat on trail and we each went a bit overboard!

We camped out in the Waynesboro thru-hikers park (behind the YMCA) and early Thursday morning Novi’s father drove us to the section of the river where we would be starting our trip. The group for aqua blazing consisted of Brooke (PowderPuff/ Cold Pop), PePa, Rob (Tallulah), Gravy, Novi & myself (3 canoes). We tied our packs in contractor bags and strapped them into the canoe, we tied down the coolers, topped off the ice and we were ready to go!

The “Accident”-

The first couple hours on the river were complete bliss, the sun was shining and the river was moving swiftly. I was riding with Rob and he was in the “captains” seat in the back (the person in this seat has the most control over steering and thus the responsibility to get the canoe safely through rocks and rapids). For the most part the river was smooth and calm but we ran across a couple of spots with small rapids or shallow areas where we had to slowly nudge the canoe over the rocks. We were relaxing, little effort involved, when all of a sudden we heard a lot of rushing water. Directly in front of us there were large rapids on either side of a small island. Not knowing the best route (and having no idea how to read the water) we decided to go left. Rob said don’t worry, I can get us through this… 30 seconds later we were sideways, jammed on top of a large rock, our canoe flooding with rushing water and bent in the center to a point where it looked as though it were going to snap at any second. Everything that was loose in the canoe washed away within seconds (including my sandals, shirt, our spare paddle, a life jacket, and our Gatorade bottles filled with fresh water). We were immediately climbing out of the canoe and began untying our gear so that we could move it to dry ground. There was a 8×2 rock island about 5 feet away so I began moving the gear as Rob cut it out of the boat. Within a minute I had a deep cut in my foot and my first trip to the rock brought me face to face with a water snake who also wanted to take refuge on the rock. We finally got everything out of the canoe and at this point Novi & Gravy had parked their canoe past the rapids and walked back upstream to help. Rob wanted me to stand on the rock island as well because if the canoe got loose it was likely to run over and crush anyone who was standing in its path (the water was moving very swift in this area). I got on top of the rock and took my eye off the cooler, so of course the cooler toppled off the rock dumping much of our food into the river, along with about a case of beer. (We spent about an hour after the accident bobbing for beer and food that was floating down river and were actually able to recover most of it!).  The boys worked together and pulled the boat free, somehow managing to dump a lot of the water out. By this point Pe-Pa showed up and he helped Rob and I put the gear back in the canoe and pull it over to the shore while Gravy and Novi began the beer recovery mission. Luckily we were able to easily bend the canoe back into its proper shape and at the end of the day our gear was only slightly wet. I can’t say my nerves were as quick to recover- I was not truly comfortable going over rapids again until day five, and even at this point I wore a life jacket! (I have to give Rob credit- by the final day of canoeing his skills had improved ten fold and I let him do all the work while I rode backwards through all the rapids we encountered!)

Camping & Water-

When on the AT, camping is pretty easy to find, typically marked in the guidebook and often located strategically near a good water source. During our canoe trip campsites were picked by locating a clear patch of land on the river bank that did NOT have a Posted sign. I believe that there was only one night that we camped on national forest land, the rest of the time we were most likely trespassing. When speaking with others that have done the aqua blaze we found that this is commonplace. The first night out I did not think much about the fact that we were trespassing, I was used to the land I was on being free to the public so the idea that land was “private” felt almost like a foreign concept. After a couple of days I began to get uncomfortable, always fearing that we were going to get in trouble for being on someone’s land that did not want us there. I think that this aspect of the trip would be the only thing that would make me hesitant to do it again.

Water was also difficult to come by on the river. I had assumed we could just drink the river water, treating it in our typical fashion (for me- aquamira). We found out from the woman who dropped off our canoes that the river was actually polluted with mercury so is not safe to drink. After being on the river the first day we realized that many properties along the river have cattle and the cows come right into the water. At one point we had the pleasure of watching a cow take a poo in the river as well (another reason not to drink the water).  The first night out we were incredibly low on water but the next day we came across a property that had a huge water tank right near the shore next to a pavilion. We took our chances that the water was safe to drink and filled up. Over the next few days we were careful to fill up any chance we got. One day we filled up and also purchased a couple of jugs of water from a campground located on the river. Another time we were able to fill up at a man’s house that was located next to one of the portages. *Note- Portage refers to the times that we had to empty our canoes completely and carry them on a path (or down steep boulders) in order to avoid going over dams. But let’s be real, the boys did all the heavy lifting. 😉

Oh Deer- *Note- You many not want to read this if you are an extreme animal lover*

On the fourth day of our trip we woke up and were having a lazy morning, slowly packing up. Out of nowhere we heard a huge crash across the river. I initially thought that a tree had fallen over, this has happened multiple times near me in the woods and it sounded similar. Someone mentioned that they saw movement on the shore and sure enough there was a deer struggling to try and stand. Evidently the deer had fallen off a cliff and broken many of its legs as well as its back. It pulled itself over to the river and plopped in (leading us to believe that it may have been chased off the cliff by a coyote or another predator and was still trying to escape). Rob, being an avid hunter back in Maine (and when I say avid hunter I am pretty sure its one of his favorite things in life, he talks about it with extreme passion), ran down to the canoe, Novi right behind him, and paddled quickly across the river. They herded the deer back to our shore and graphic story avoided- the boys cooked venison for dinner.

I was really upset with the situation at first. I was sad that the deer had fallen and that it was in so much pain, this was not something I had ever thought I would witness. I am pretty sure that taking meat from the deer was illegal because there was no way to prove how the deer had died, however I am glad that the boys ended it’s life quickly rather than letting it suffer and die slowly.

A Trip of Firsts-

Overall, the canoe trip was an unforgettable experience and completely different from any boating I have done in the past. For some reason I decided that I was going to make the trip even more memorable by facing some of my childish fears so I did two things which I have never done before (and you may laugh).

1. I touched a worm!- I realize that it is ridiculous that a person who chooses to spend 6 months backpacking the eastern United States has never touched a worm. I decided it was time and so I did it. I did not like it but I will do it again if I have to.

2. I touched a fish and also removed it from a hook. Growing up on a lake I did some fishing as a child but I always made my brother remove the fish from my rod. Novi was fly fishing and caught TONS of fish so one time I asked him if I could release it and he let me. It was actually a really fun experience releasing it back into the water and watching it swim away. This is something that I would like to do again soon, and maybe even catch the fish myself next time!

Another really cool first for me on the river was seeing a bald eagle. I have always wanted to see one and as I was canoeing with Gravy one day he pointed up to the sky and right above us a huge eagle was soaring. It was an amazing sight.

All Good Things Must End-

Pulling into Front Royal was bittersweet. I was ready to see my family and spend some time in the area where my grandma grew up and my mom spent her summers. I was also looking forward to getting back on the trail, but I knew I would miss my time on the river. Floating down the Shenandoah was an amazing part of my AT Experience and although it may make my thru-hike less technically a thru-hike, it was 6 days I would not trade for the world.

Why Everyone Should “Blue Blaze”

The Appalachian Trail is incredibly easy to navigate; there are white blazes painted on trees and rocks for over 2100 miles clearly marking the path, the high volume of foot travel keeps the trail clear and obvious, and the available guidebooks provide information on landmarks, road crossings, water sources and elevation profiles so that at any given moment you can pinpoint exactly where you are on the trail. These aspects of the AT make it a perfect trail for someone with little backpacking experience (like myself) however I also find that these amenities take away from the “adventure” aspect of my trip. I think it is partially for this reason that I am a huge supporter of “blue blazing” if you want to, but also because my experiences with blue blazing have been some of my most memorable days on this journey.

Blue blazing, for those not familiar with the term, refers to taking a trail that is NOT the actual AT. The trail typically intersects with the AT in two separate places, it could be shorter or longer than the AT and it could vary in difficulty. The blazes on the trail are typically painted, you guessed it; Blue!

My first experience with blue blazing was completely unexpected and not actually a blue blaze in the traditional sense. I believe I told this particular story already but I will repeat it for the sake of this entry. On Easter Sunday as we got to Clingmans Dome (the highest point on the AT) we were expecting a ride into town to visit with one of the group members families. Unfortunately we arrived at the Clingmans Dome parking lot (yes you can drive right up to the highest point on the AT) on March 31st and the 7 mile road up to the lot does not open for the season until April 1st, the next day! At this point we had the option of getting back on the AT which was covered in at least 6 inches of slushy ice or walking down Clingmans Dome road which was paved and was only moderately slushy and snowy in comparison to the trail. Up to this point I had not missed any trail miles so I was on the fence but in the end we decided as a group to take the road, primarily because Gravy’s father was with us and he’d had more than enough of the trail conditions and was ready to get off the mountain. The walk down the road was a lot of fun, most of us walked as a big group, we joked around, sang songs and just enjoyed each others company. There were sections of the road that opened up to beautiful views of the “smoke” sitting in the mountain crevices and there were huge sections of icicles hanging off the cliffs that line the road. We took a shitty situation and turned it into a fun and memorable day which still stands out in my mind after three months of trail experiences.

My next blue blaze came quite some time later. After spending two days in Damascus we headed back out on trail by way of the Virginia Creeper. During our two-day stay in Damascus I had heard many people mention the Creeper. The trail is a rail trail that is 35 miles long. A 17 mile portion of the trail from Whitetop into Damascus is a popular route for bicycles. Many outfitters in Damascus offer bike rentals and shuttles to the top of the mountain with the promise of a no peddling necessary joy-ride back down to town. The trail has a VERY slight grade so even hiking up the trail from Damascus felt like walking on a flat smooth surface… it was amazing. The AT intersects the Creeper Trail about 11 miles out of Damascus and follows the trail for another mile before shooting back into the woods. Overall the Creeper is a couple of miles shorter than the AT and a much easier hike but this is not the reason we chose to hike it.

The trail is recommended not just for its ease but also for its beauty. The entire section of the trail that we were on followed a body of water called Laurel Creek. The creek seemed more like a small river to me, it was fairly wide and swiftly moving. Novi had purchased his VA fishing licence as well as a backpacking fly rod and was ready to test his skills on the river. I personally am almost as obsessed with rivers and moving water as I am with mountains so I did not want to pass up the opportunity to walk and camp along the creek. We had already used up our two nights allowed at the $6.00 hostel in Damascus, “The Place”, so late on a sunny afternoon without a pinch of hesitation from anyone we set off down the Creeper in search of a campsite.

About a mile out-of-town there are some designated campsites but nothing that really caught our eye so we kept on walking. We finally gave up on looking for the “perfect spot” and found a place that dipped down to some fairly flat ground right on the creek. I was more than happy just to fall asleep to the sound of the water and had an early, relaxing and peaceful night. The next day we slowly continued up the creek, stopping for a milkshake and grilled cheese at a little restaurant on the water. The walk was beautiful! We passed many bikers and quite a few people stopped to chat with us about the trail, something I love doing! I met one person in particular who was a past AT hiker named Sandlewood. We chatted for a while as he rode his bike along with me. He rode away but returned some time later and gave me a $20.00 bill to buy pizza for me and my friends at Partnership Shelter which would be coming up in just a few days. Being an ever hungry hiker, this was an AWESOME bit of trail magic!! We finally came to the point where we had to get back on the AT and I was sad to leave the water, I was even sadder that it was starting to rain and was forecasted to rain for the next few days, decresing my high hopes of seeing lots of ponies in the Grayson Highlands.  Despite the gloomy skies, I was happy to have the memories of the Creeper and was excited to see what other beautiful landscapes and hiking Virginia would have to offer.

My most recent experience with blue blazing came right as I was nearing Waynesboro, VA. After taking a zero in Glasgow I started out for Waynesboro alone but quickly found out that Novi and I had similar hiking goals for the next few days. We camped together the first night on the bank of a river.  The next day Novi wanted to push further than I felt like going so I did not think I would see him again until we got to town. I stayed at a shelter and he pushed on a few miles to Spy Rock campsite. I forgot that he sleeps in late pretty much every day, by the time I reached Spy Rock he was just packing up camp. It was Memorial Day, perfect weather, and I had woken up and started hiking with a huge smile on my face, thinking to myself “the fact that I still feel this way about being out here makes me pretty confident that this is where I am supposed to be”.

Spy Rock was a really nice spot and I was jealous I had not camped there myself. After rock scrambling to the top, there are amazing 360 views. It was Memorial Day and someone had brought an American flag to top of the rocks. I spent some time there contemplating what Memorial Day actually stands for. I have always looked at it just as a day off of work or school and never really considered what the meaning of the day is.

Novi joined me up top and from there we hiked together the rest of the day. This was Monday and his birthday was on Wednesday so I proclaimed that we were going to start celebrating his birthday week and every good thing that happened was going to be for his birthday. We got to Priest shelter, which is known for its shelter log that is used as a trail confessional of sorts. Novi confessed to being a Canadian spy. I confessed to not only sleeping with my food bag, but also to not cleaning out my pot every night… sometimes waiting until the morning to wash out the extra spaghetti sauce. When browsing through the other confessions we came across a flyer for “Trail Daze”, a festival that would be taking place at Devils Backbone Brewery (a few miles down from one of the road crossings) on Saturday. Although we would not be around for the festival, we remembered meeting the owner of the brewery at Trail Days in Damascus and recalled that the brewery offers free shuttles and camping to hikers who want to go down for dinner and some beers. I called the brewery as soon as I got service again and they confirmed that if we got to the next gap we could get picked up. We decided that this would be an excellent part of Novi’s birthday week so made it our end goal for the day, all we had in our way was 11 more miles (on a 23 mile day for me) and a 3000 ft climb. No big deal. 🙂

We started up the climb and Novi let me know that he could not keep up with me because his foot was hurting and because it was “obvious that whatever vitamins your dad is sending you are actually steroids” (I was moving very fast and with a lot of energy this day). About a half hour later I came across a sign that said “Mau-Har Shelter- 3 miles”. I thought to myself, “now that’s not right, the shelter is 7 more miles from here!”. I then realized that this was a blue blazed trail called the Mau-Har Trail that would not only cut off 4 miles of the AT but would also somehow let us bypass the rest of the 3000 ft climb. As this was day 3 of 3000-4000 ft climbs I was thrilled about that idea. I don’t know how to explain it other than I had a “gut feeling” that we should take the side trail. It just felt right and on top of that Novi’s foot was hurting and we would get to the brewery even quicker…a cold beer was starting to feel very within my reach. As Novi arrived at the sign I explained our options to him and quickly had him on board with blue blazing.

We started down the trail and I was filled with a renewed sense of adventure. We had no idea what to expect. The sign for the trail had been written on in sharpie- “this trail is shorter than the AT but it is harder”. We figured this would mean rocks and steep climbs. We were not off track but the trail was also so much more. We started out with a steep 500 foot climb but then began to descend slowly along a narrow trail that wrapped around the side of the mountain. The flowers were blooming along the trail and it was absolutely beautiful. We began to hear rushing water about a half mile into the hike and another half mile of decent later arrived at beautiful camping area, surrounded by streams and followed by a gigantic waterfall. We climbed down to the falls and had a snack. I told Novi “Happy Birthday”.

After spending some time at the waterfall we continued up the trail and to my complete wonderment the trail went on for the next mile up a beautiful gorge filled with at least 100 cascades of various sizes. Among these cascades was the perfect swimming hole I have personally ever swam in. Water rushed into the swimming hole from a shoot and the pool had shallow sitting areas with rocks and a deeper pool for submerging. The sun was shining directly overhead so although a dunk in the water left you breathless, the sun immediately warmed you to the bone. We stayed at the swimming hole for a while,  I washed my hair and shaved my legs, happy to smell a little less like the hiker trash I am. I told Novi “Happy Birthday”.

Eventually we hiked out of the gorge and had a couple more steep climbs but for the most part the trail was not difficult for us at all. We emerged behind the Mau-Har shelter with huge smiles on our faces and said hello to our fellow thru-hikers that were there. We had contemplated not telling anyone that we blue blazed but we were so excited with what we had just experienced that it was really all I wanted to talk about. There was a couple at the fire pit making cheeseburgers and I figured that since it was Memorial Day they were weekend hikers enjoying real food instead of trail food. In fact they were trail angles and we were about to eat delicious cheeseburgers! This day did not feel like it could get any better. We left the shelter after an hour feeling energized and ready for the last two miles to the road. I told Novi “Happy Birthday”.

As we headed towards our final peak of the day, Novi and I discussed how we were feeling a “natural high”. We were elated by the amazing series of events that had unfolded and did not think anything could have made the day more perfect… besides seeing a bear, because that will always make your day better!  As we began our decent to the parking lot, I saw a couple walking up the trail. The man was carrying a picnic cooler and I thought “how sweet, this couple must be coming up here to have a sunset picnic”. As they approached, the woman came up to me and hugged me. I thought “wow- this woman must really love thru-hikers”. She said “I am so glad we found you guys Brittney”. I thought “How does this woman know my name”. I turned around and looked at Novi and his jaw was to the floor. This lovely couple turned out to be his parents! They had driven down from Canada to surprise him for his birthday. Thanks to my over sharing of pictures and information on Facebook they were able to take an educated guess where we may be on the trail. They were walking up the trail in hopes of finding us walking towards them! Novi’s dad took a couple of cold beers out of the cooler  for us and we all walked a little down trail to a picnic area where we were treated to a KFC feast! We then went back to Novi’s aunts house in Waynesboro and had wine on the porch and got to eat homemade lobster bisque, I was able to take a hot shower and sleep in a comfortable bed in my own room (much different from two to a bed in a dirty motel.. our usual accommodations). I was in heaven. We never made it to the brewery but the day could not have ended any better, it was truly one that I will never forget.

I was talking to Novi about blue blazing during our amazing experience and he pointed out that the concept of blue blazing can be tied to our every day lives and decisions. I started to think about this more and realized how right he is. In life, there is often a path that is laid out for us that is easier to navigate, more accepted and considered the “right way” but there are also many opportunities to blue blaze, to take chances, to go after adventure and the unexpected. Sometimes the blue blazed path you take may not work out or may be more difficult and you may regret it, but you also could have the time of your life.

Rainy Days and Lovely Stays

Yesterday has made it on to my top 5 list of hardest hiking days for this trip. (There are 3 days on the list so far including slush day in the smokies and freezing rain day out of davenport gap.)

Yesterday I started out of Jenny Knob Shelter with the goal of making it to Woods Hole Hostel, 22 miles away. I knew the forecast was 80-90% rain for the entire day so there would be no stopping and camping instead of putting in the mileage. My rainfly on my tent was already soaked from the showers throughout the night and my only wearable socks were about to become completely saturated. I had to get to Woods Hole.

I woke up at 6:45 and it was coming down so I dozed back off. Not 20 minutes later I heard Thunder Foot (who usually sleeps in until closer to 9) packing up his tent. The rain had stopped, providing an opportune time to pack up a tent without allowing water to get inside the tent body.

I got dressed and packed in ten minutes and quickly took down my tent. I hung my fly to blow in the wind for a few minutes and shook it out as best as I could. End result; tent was completely dry, footprint mostly dry and rainfly damp but not saturated… a small win for the day.

I typically spend about an hour in the morning sitting in my sleeping bag making coffee and a hot breakfast and reading. On this cold morning I forced down a granola bar and a few sips of water while I organized my pack in the shelter. (At this point the rain had started again).

I set out before everyone else, determined to just get through the day. I started my hike in just a quick drying t-shirt and my rain pants. It was not warm out but I had a climb to start the day and when I get overheated on climbs I typically get nauseous. By the time I was done with the climb and started on my decent I was completely drenched, shirt clinging to my body, and there would be no quick drying as the rain was relentless. To make matters worse, as I was coming off the hill I ran into 100 feet of trail that was covered in a deep slick mud. Of course my feet slid out from under me and I fell, covering myself and my pack in the brown goop. After about nine miles I started to get really cold so I took my ONLY mini break of the day, removed my wet shirt, put on my rain jacket and grabbed a baggie of chocolate covered raisins (the only food I ate in those 22 miles).

The day seemed to drag on. I was more like a machine than a person…trudging on, pace set, rain streaming down my body, moving as fast as I could to stay warm. The rain was soothing to listen to but the cool temperatures and long distance really made the day difficult to enjoy at all.

Besides my mud bath, I had many other physical mishaps throughout the day. I slipped and almost fell on three separate wooden footbridges, slick from the rain and mud. I created two stick trips which sent me lurching forward. (A stick trip is a term I created for when a stick is lying horizontally across the trail and you step on one side of it causing the other side to pop into the air which you then trip over as your other foot comes forward.) I also slipped on countless wet rocks and boulders that littered parts of the trail. The only thing that stopped me from smashing my face in was my trekking poles but each time I stopped a fall I jarred a different part of my body; (arms/shoulders/back).

The final two miles of the hike were bittersweet. I was happy that I was almost to the hostel and warmth but the forest all around me was dead and charred black (presumably from a controlled burn) and the terrain was rocky and slow.

8 hours after starting my hike, I finally came across the hostel and could not have been happier. I walked on to the porch of the hostel and said excuse me to the young man sitting right inside. He turned around and it was none other than Novi!! (He left Atkins on his own earlier this week to get some solo hiking in). Novi and another hiker helped me get settled. First up was a HOT shower in the outdoor shower (which no one else was a fan of but I absolutely loved), setting up my stuff in the upstairs “bunk room”, eating two homemade oatmeal chocolate granola bars, and drinking two cokes and a juice. I then went inside the main house and washed all of my drenched and dirty clothes and signed up for the community dinner. Many of my friends that I keep running into were here including Mr. Gigglefits and his girlfriend Paisley, Finder and SugarBombs, Sunshine, Owl, M-80 & Trooper, Novi… And Thunder Foot, Oatmeal, Toast, Rusty and Big Yankee were right behind me.

I am absolutely in love with this hostel and wish I could take a few zeros here. The owners have adopted a ton of sustainable lifestyle principles which I think is amazing. The have huge gardens, chickens, goats, pigs & beekeeping. They make amazing huge community dinners for the hikers. For $13.00, we had a delicious salad with the option of three different homemade dressings, and pretty much all you could eat homemade bread and gumbo loaded with vegetables and meat. For breakfast today is cream brûlée french-toast, farm fresh eggs with kale, fresh fruit and more homemade bread!

Massage is offered to guests for an affordable price. Last night we ended the evening with meditation and this morning after breakfast we will do yoga. The house is beautiful, rustic and antique yet charming and homey. They offer indoor beds for just $25.00 and a place in the bunkhouse is $10.00. They are very welcoming in this weather and allowed us bunkhouse patrons to hangout in the warm living room of the house around the fireplace for the entire evening.

I decided last week that I wanted to start staying at more hostels because they are a unique part of this experience that I feel I have been missing out on. Being here has felt like a blessing and I could not be happier about my choice. Although yesterday was a hard day, I went to bed well fed, relaxed and in a great state of mind. It is supposed to rain relentlessly for the rest of this week but I am rejuvenated and ready to face today and all of the slippery rocks it has to offer.

*After-note- I am now in Pearisburg, VA – mile 630.8- today was another cold rainy day of hiking but we only had to do ten miles! I fell three more times but luckily did not get hurt. We are staying at the lovely Plaza (motel :-p) drying out our soaked packs, shoes and tents and resupplying for the next week. I just ate at a Chinese buffet, it was actually disturbing how much food I ate before I felt “full”!

The Damascus Marathon

I have yet to finish the last entry I started about the journey through Erwin and to Virginia. Oops! Instead of finishing that I am going to start writing about the final stretch into Virginia and the last week, I’ll fill in the blanks at a later date. 🙂

On Wednesday April 24th I woke up with the intention of doing 20 miles, putting me 6 out from Damascus and just 3 from the TN/VA border. It is common for hikers to attempt the Damascus Marathon, but I did not know if I had it in me and didn’t want to overdo it and hurt myself, so I decided ahead of time that I was not going to try. While some of my hiking group woke up at 5:30 and left with the sunrise to take on the challenge, I slept in and was the last to leave camp around 8. I was feeling great and the terrain was fairly easy. Before I knew it, it was 10:30 and I had done almost 8 miles. I caught up with Rob and Novi at a shelter and had a snack then started to hike with them. As the day progressed Rob (who was also not going to do the marathon) and I changed our minds and committed to finishing out the day with a beer and town food. The three of us hiked the day away, Novi and Rob cracking me up with their constant comedic Nova Scotian banter.

For some reason I was under the impression that the entire Damascus Marathon would be a mellow valley hike into the town. (Not sure where I got his idea). In reality we were roller coaster hiking ridge lines all day with multiple steep inclines, water was scarce and the weather was variable.

About halfway into the hike we were nearly out of water. We came to a road that was supposed to have a reliable spring but the spring was completely dry. As we sat on the side of the road feeling somewhat annoyed with the situation, a really cool thing happened. Rob said “It would be really nice if someone pulled up right now and gave us water”. Not two minutes later a small pickup pulled into the lot and an older gentleman got out and started walking directly towards us. We talked with him for a few moments and told him about our lack if water. “Oh!” He exclaimed, “there is a wonderful spring a half mile down this hill, it is where I get all of my drinking water, it is so clean you don’t have to worry about purifying it. Hop in my truck I will take you down there to fill up!”. So off we went, Rob in the truck bed, me in the front. (Novi stayed behind). The man turned out to be a Marine veteran (like Rob) who was on the way to the VA to visit with a friend. He had five harmonicas in his front console and on inquiry he took one out and played us two songs, it was really amazing. After the songs he took his little tin cup from the cup holder and filled it at the spring for his ride to town. I found this to be really beautiful; the simplicity of filling a drinking cup from a mountain spring. As a thru hiker this is a part of life I have grown to love and it makes me happy to see this man who does not go out and buy bottles of Poland Spring water at the grocery store but drives his little tuck up the mountain and fills his water jugs with cool crisp water at the natural spring. I think the whole experience was so cool. It was a simple gesture of a trail angel but for me was also a meaningful 30 minutes of my trip that I wont soon forget.

After our water miracle we hiked on for about an hour then decided to take an hour long break to rest and dry out our feet in the sun. We made food, relaxed and re-energized for the rest of our trek into town.

With about six miles to go, the sunny day turned to rain but we had started to go down in elevation so it was not too cold. As we reached the state boarder three miles from town the sun came back out and we had an awesome moment. We had reached our next milestone-entering our fourth state-Virginia!

The last three miles into town were a breeze. We strolled up Main Street and found out that there was an all you can eat spaghetti dinner. I had said earlier in the day that I was craving spaghetti. Win! We quickly dropped our things at the hostel called “The Place” (a donation based hostel run by a local church) and made our way back to the restaurant where I successfully displayed my hiker hunger with a spaghetti and beer feast. I was hurting for it later but this was a perfect ending to a great day; successfully completing the Damascus Marathon and entering Virginia.

Wins & Norms- On The AT

It is amazing how when you are on the trail your life takes on a different set of priorities. The small “wins” in life are things you would normally take for granted. You end up doing things on a weekly basis that were never a part of your life before but you now rely on. You are living completely separate from most of the comforts you knew, but you quickly adapt and your life now feels normal, memories of your old life and they way things were done retreating into the distance.

Wins:
1. Free laundry soap at the laundry mat, you use it even though you have allergic reactions to some detergents
2. All you can eat, anything. (If there is an eating contest you want to be around for Rooster to attempt it!)
3. A half used bottle of hotel shampoo in the hostel shower. You don’t want to carry this with you on the trail because of weight but you also don’t want to buy new shampoo for each weekly shower!
4. A shower- I don’t think I have beat the 5 day mark yet but I am sure it will happen soon
5. You look in your food bag and realize you have an extra dinner, you literally jump for joy because you are always hungry
6. You only have 5 more miles to hike, you have already gone 15. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the hiking but after 15 the toes are sore!)
7. You can charge your phone, even a little…. you get phone service. (AT&T folks; don’t think you will have ANY service for the first 2 months of your hike, you won’t!)
8. The sun comes out after getting rained on for 4 hours and you get to dry out your clothes (the only ones you have)
9. Trail Magic Hot Dogs (trail magic anything)
10. Free Transportation -Hitching a ride within 5 min/ shuttle comes with hostel stay
11. Small downtowns Everything you need to re-supply is within 2 blocks and you can also grab a beer and a burger before hitting the trail

Norms:
1. Living in a tent instead of paying rent
2. Drinking Starbucks instant coffee made on my camp stove every morning for breakfast
3. Cracking ankles and strained knees
4. Waking up watching the sunrise and being present to appreciate each sunset
5. Feeling healthy
6. Feeling hungry!
7. Seeing wildflowers daily that I have never seen before
8. Invigorating mountain views
9. Carrying everything you need to survive (food, water, shelter, clothing) in a pack on your back, day in and day out.
10. Getting rained, snowed, hailed and ice rained on- for fun
11. Learning more about the cultures we have around out country from the people you have the opportunity to get to know each day.
12. Greeting every other hiker you see, and also the towns people with a huge smile and a hello. The AT community is a friendly bunch!

These were just some thoughts I had this afternoon as I was sitting by the river. I am still working on another update which I hope to have done soon!

One Month In

Written 4/10/2013:

I’ve started to write this post a few times now but have gotten repeatedly distracted by both exhaustion and good times. Also, 3G on my phone has been more limited over the past couple of weeks so it is not as easy to post from my phone (where I write these entries). I apologize ahead of time for the novel length blog post you are about to read! I have not really been keeping a journal so while this blog is for all to read and enjoy, it will also be my only personal log of my experience so I will probably cover a lot!

As I write this I am relaxing in my tent in a meadow by a stream. The sun is shining and I am feeling refreshed from my cool stream bath. It has been in the high 70’s all day which is a nice change from the brutal weather we have been facing but also presents a few challenges of its own.

I literally JUST saw a huge tree fall in the woods (about 30 feet from my tent) and it did make a sound. Crazy!!! (I thought it was the boys gathering wood for the fire, nope!)

I believe we are currently in Tennessee however I am not positive. This section of the trail weaves back and forth through North Carolina and Tennessee so I will just count three states as being done once I reach Virginia. Tomorrow will be 1 month from my start date which is a pretty cool accomplishment. I will also hit 300 miles tomorrow (I am currently at 295.6). I would say my pace has been slowly increasing and a 13 mile day feels very doable however a 20 leaves me pretty sore at the end of the day.

I have adjusted my pack weight and contents a lot and will continue to do so. I got rid of some clothes and my yacktrax now that we are out of the Smokies however I have added extra medical supplies for my current ailments as well as more food as my appetite increases and extra water in the hotter temperatures. I still do dumb things like carry too much fuel because I don’t want to leave a half empty container in town, but I am starting to realize that if I don’t reduce my pack weight even more it will be very hard on my body as it continues to get hotter. It is difficult because reducing pack weight typically equates to reducing comfort so for me it is a slow process of adopting higher tolerance of filth and discomfort. I think that once I reach Erwin I will be sending home even more clothing, switching out my crocks for sandals and ditching any medical supplies I have not used in the past two weeks. Now that my feet have mostly healed from their blisters and hot spots, I am not using as many band aids or alcohol pads!

I have a new trail name now (evidently you can change them and no one liked Quick Switch, sorry Casey!) My new name is FIG, an acronym for Fiery Independent Girl, given to me by my friend Rob as a joke (but I liked it so I am keeping it!)

I am no longer with my original group. Some have dropped out or are behind because of sickness. Erin (Brown Sugar) went home as she was only sectioning and Brian (Mr. Frodo) has pushed ahead as he has an end date and law school to look forward to in August! PePa is the only one left from my original group that I am still hiking with. The two of us have joined up with a group of really fun guys (The Brownie Brothers/Team Burn It/ Tuesdays) and we now have a great little trail family. I hope I am able to hike with them for a while because I am really enjoying it. We joked that I am Wendy and they are the Lost Boys, but honestly they are carrying slingshots and setting squirrel traps so I am not sure how far off that really is! The group consists of Rooster, (who I actually met the day before I started my hike as he was doing the approach trail stairs), Gravy & Talula (best friends from Portland Maine- Talula recently got out of the Marines and the two of them are raising money in honor of a friend he lost overseas), Novi (our Canadian), Thunder Foot (he is attempting his third thru hike as he had to stop for health reasons the last two times) and Twiggs (the youngest, from DC, who is also called genius when he does really “smart” things).

The last time I wrote was in NOC two weeks ago. Since then we have covered the Smokies in pretty strenuous conditions, done whiskey tastings in Gatlinburgh TN, hiked through trees pelting ice off their branches, stayed in our tents for close to 24 hours due to icy rain, spent two beautiful days relaxing on the river in hot springs and are currently limited to a 10 mile day because they are burning a controlled fire near the next section of trail and it is closed until tomorrow!

The first day out of the NOC was my favorite day of hiking so far. The day started out with a huge climb but it was sunny and close to 60, the sky bright blue, the trees coated with thick glistening white snow that was slowly melting. I listened to my iPod the whole day which my awesome sister Laura has filled with upbeat tunes. At the top of the climb were stunning views, making up for the lack of views we had through the snow storm. By the end of the 16 mile day I was filled with so much positive energy, it was amazing. Thinking about the day in retrospect made me realize that without the harder, cold, snowy days I would not have been able to experience the absolute beauty of this day of hiking. For any bad experience there is something good that will come out of it, this has held true in many situations since then.

We stayed in a shelter that night and hiked about 12 miles into Fontana Dam the next day. When you get to Fontana Dam you can call a shuttle to the Fontana Dam Resort. The resort accepts drop boxes and also has a small general store. They have a hiker rate and it is a very nice resort but we decided to resupply and move on to the Fontana Dam Shelter. This shelter is dubbed “The Fontana Hilton” due to its size and location (on the shores of the dam), tenting pads, and heated bathrooms that have showers! We made it in time to enjoy a spectacular sunset over the water and chill by the huge bonfire. Many of our friends were at the shelter including the crew that I am now hiking with.

I woke up in the morning in time to watch the sunrise enjoying a cup of coffee. I was re-supplied, well rested and clean and it appeared that it would be a warm and beautiful day. The first mile of the day crosses the actual dam and leads the hiker to the start of the Smokey Mountain National Forest. The climb into the park was long but pretty gradual. About 5 miles into the hike there was an old fire tower with breathtaking 360 views of the mountains and dam. From the tower I also saw what appeared to be snow or fog moving in. I hoped for fog, it was snow. By mile 9 I was walking in a thick cold snowfall, clothes, pack and shoes wet. My plan was to go 13 miles to the second shelter but when I arrived at the first shelter after mile 10 I decide to call it a day. Most of my new group was there (this was the day I really started to hang out with them), PePa had started a fire (the smokey mountain shelters have fireplaces inside!!) and there was still plenty of spots open to sleep. It was still early in the day but we were all super happy to be dry and warm and spent the evening hanging out by the fire talking and laughing. It was a really fun night and once again would not have happened had we not ran into a blizzard day one in the smokies!

The following day of hiking was the hardest I have experienced so far. I have hiked on many different surfaces over the last month (sand, rocks, dry dirt, pine needles with hidden roots, dry leaves, mud, snow, ice, puddles, and slush). This particular day was a mix of slush and mud. The trail the entire day was in this condition, often with unavoidable puddles that came above the ankles. Each step was slippery, taking twice the energy of a normal hiking step. It was fairly clear and sunny which was nice but also made the conditions even worse as the day went on. By the end of the day I felt like an angry mountain woman crashing through the woods. My arms were flailing as I was using my poles to try and stop my falls and I was pushing myself as hard as I could so the day would just be over. I was the last person to get a spot in the overcrowded shelter and after changing and making dinner I livened up a bit, climbing into my sleeping bag and chatting the evening away.

The Smokies were kicking my butt so when Rooster mentioned that his mom was picking them up at Clingmans Dome and taking them into town for a resupply and shower I asked to get in on the plan. I got up and going early in the morning and made my way to Clingmans. The sky was overcast and foggy all day so we knew we would not get any good views at Clingmans (the highest point on the AT) but Rooster and I got there before the rest of the group so I convinced him to go up to the lookout with me so that we could experience that on Easter Sunday. After seeing Clingmans we backtracked and headed down a side trail to the parking lot .6 miles away. We were pretty much breaking trail in slushy puddles over a foot deep all the way to the lot. Once we arrived we looked around for Roosters mom but she was no where to be seen. The lot was completely empty. And then it started to rain. It was already pretty cold out and slightly windy so we hid out in the parking lot bathrooms while trying to get in touch with Roosters mother. Once we finally got through to her we found out that she was in fact waiting at the bottom of Clingmans Dome Road (7 miles away) and was unable to get up the road because it was closed. It was March 31st and the road does not open for the season until April 1st! Our options were to walk back up to the trail and then walk 7 miles to New Found Gap on the trail or to just walk down the road which pretty much follows the trail and ends in the same spot. At this point we were soaked and cold and had already walked 10 miles so we opted for the easier terrain. I tried to stay super upbeat and positive. I was actually excited because although we were in unexpected circumstances, I thought “this is where the good stories come from”. We ended up having a really nice and fun walk. The park rangers came up the hill twice to assist hikers off the hill who had hurt themselves. The road was not paved for the first four miles but it was much easier to handle than the trail. Once we finally got to the parking lot we all climbed into two trucks and got taken into Gatlinburgh!

My original plan was to avoid Gatlinburgh as I heard it is basically a large tourist trap but I ended up having so much fun. Jennifer, Roosters mom, took us back to her camp site and fed us an unbelievable amount of food. She is a great cook which made it even better! After this we went to a nice hotel- the claryon, took hot showers and had an excellent night sleep. *Side note- we typically will split a hotel room between four people in order to save money, you would not believe how smelly and messy a room with four hikers and all their gear spread out will get!! The hotel included an all you can eat breakfast so I woke up at 7, ate a TON of food then took advantage of the hottub and heated pool! When I got back to the room everyone had made the decision to take a zero day. We spent much of the afternoon at the campground doing laundry and enjoying the sun, Jennifer made us even more food, a huge brunch; she is a true trail angel! In the evening we went back to the hotel, Talula and I dressed up as crazy tourists to go on a beer run and ended up doing a wine tasting, I was pleasantly surprised with the dry merlot I tried! We then went back and joined the others for a hot tub followed by dinner at the brewery, whiskey shots for Thunder Foots birthday, and moonshine tastings. We sure know how to make the most of our zero days!

We headed out the next day around noon. I wanted to walk the the trail from Clingmans to New Found but the road was still not open (they were waiting for the ice to melt) so I accepted that my road miles would have to count as an even substitute. We got dropped off at the gap and continued our Smokies journey. The weather had turned and the sun was out but the mountains were covered with sheets of ice. Luckily I had picked up a pair of yacktrax at the NOC so I did not have a hard time with the ice however many of my friends fell a lot. Two days later we were out of the smokies and so I thought the craziest weather would be behind us, boy was I wrong. The rain started early in the morning and it was freezing as we went up in elevation. The wind picked up and as we were walking chunks of ice were being flung off the trees and pelting our heads. After only about 10 miles we came to a shelter at lower elevation and decided to set up camp. The small leanto shelter was full so we all set up our tents. It was around 2:00 PM when we were all settled in and no one came out of their tents until after 12:00 the next day. We had been waiting for the sun to come out and dry our gear but it was late to the party so we finally packed up our wet gear and moved on. After 5 miles we came across Max Patch, our first real bald. On the patch the sun was shining, the sky’s were clear blue and the wind was blowing. Over 20 hikers were drying out their gear and relaxing in the sun. Most decided to push on but a few of us decided the weather and views were too amazing to skip out on so we stayed knowing the next day would be 20 miles into Hot Springs. The night on Max Patch was my favorite night in the trail so far. The sunset was one of the best I have ever witnessed and the sky was clear and bright with stars. Sunrise was also beautiful and lead to a warm sunny day of hiking.

I arrived in Hot Springs, NC on Saturday evening. Hot Springs is a true trail town with most stores and amenities geared toward the hikers, it was also the most fairly priced town we have been to! You walk directly into town on the trail, it runs down Main Street and heads back into the mountains on the other side of town.

Our group was staying at the campground for the entire time we were in Hot Springs (we took two zeros) but there are also a couple of hostels in town and hotel/cottage options. We camped and also rented small bunkhouse cabins at the campground. Our cabins were right on the river so we spent a lot of time sitting in hammocks on the water, listening to music and enjoying total relaxation. My friends River Rat and Nom Nom who I had met at Neels Gap drove all the way from Auburn to hang out again which was really amazing! I was surprised to find that I was more relaxed than I have ever been in my life. With no job or bills or real responsibilities in my life right now I was able to appreciate the flow of the river, the blooming trees, the puffy clouds and the good company and not let anything distract me from the here and now. I think that this was a very refreshing and amazing experience and I hope that everyone is able to find moments like this in their lives.

Hiking out after two days off made for a tough day yesterday. The temperatures have also climbed into the high 70s and while the weather is beautiful it also brings a new set of obstacles; sunburn, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and bugs!! In the past two days I have acquired at least 20 new bug bites, and this was while wearing Deet 100. Mosquitos love me and I know that dealing with them may end up being one of the most mentally challenging aspects of my hike.

We camped past the shelter last night because there has been a mass virus affecting hikers between Hot Springs and Erwin (our next resupply). It was our first fairly warm night on trail and it was really nice to sleep without all the layers and liners for once! Today we stared out early in order to beat the heat. I took a long lunch before the steepest climb of the day then made my way 2 miles further to a meadow and stream where the rest of the crew joined me for an afternoon rest. The plan was to wait for it to cool down a bit then hike 5 miles further to camp for the evening. Right as we were packing up to leave, a hiker came back up the trail to let us know that due to a controlled fire the trail is closed less than two miles in front of us. It should be open again in the morning. For now we decided to camp in the meadow because there is a water source here. Talula and PePa had pushed on before the rest of group so they are camping where the trail is closed. Talula texted me to let me know that rangers had brought up water for everyone stuck there an that they are camped on a bluff overlooking the fire. Oh and also that I missed an amazing sunset. I am a little jealous but also perfectly content falling asleep to the sound of the stream that is 10 feet from my tent.

I’ve now been typing away on my phone for close to five hours (in- between stuffing my face and sitting by the fire). Tomorrow we have to do close to 20 miles to make up for today’s shortfall and it is already almost 11:00 (way past hiker bedtime 🙂 ) I have been posting a lot of photos on Facebook but when I have wifi or strong 3G I will post my favorites on here for those followers not on Facebook. I’ll try to write again soon!

Let them eat snow!

After my restful day in Franklin I hit the trail on Saturday with PePa, Brown Sugar and Brian (now Mr.Frodo… his sisters think he has hobbit feet so they gave him a gold ring to carry around his neck to Katahdin!) All four of us had new superfeet insoles and I was sporting my new Keen boots so we took the 11:00 shuttle back to the trailhead and decided to do a short 8 mile day to the next shelter. We got lucky on the hike, it was foggy and misty but we did not run into any rain. My feet felt amazing in my new gear and the terrain was relatively easy, I found myself hiking with a huge smile on my face, feeling a renewed sense of excitement and optimism.

We got to camp fairly early but the shelter was already filled up. Sleeping in the shelters allows you to keep your tent dry in the rain and snow but I prefer the privacy of my tent to a shelter any day. We got set up, made dinner at the picnic table (a shelter luxury) and settled in by the fire. Around 7:00 three men walked in to the area as it started to sprinkle. I said to them in passing “better get those tents set up”! They smiled and walked down the hill. I went into my tent and emerged after a half an hour to see that they had made a shelter out of a piece of lowes tarp using their hiking poles. Their sleeping pads and bags were laid out under this tarp directly on the ground and they were on a hill. This “shelter” would have worked out great on a warm summer day with no rain in the forecast (we were expecting a downpour). It turns out these three were boyscout leaders from Charleston out for a guys weekend without the kids who are “no fun because they are lazy”- their words. The men thought they would get to a nice empty shelter and they brought the tarp as extra wind protection to hang on the open side. They left their tent in the car. Ummmm… Needless to say, they got soaked. It poured all night and everyone was awaken at 6am with a thunder-burst that reverberated through the mountains. (I woke up feeling pure terror-it was great!)

Around 730 I realized the heavy rain had subsided to a light sprinkle so I broke down camp (keeping my wet rainfly in an outside pocket of my bag and my relatively dry tent and footprint inside my bag) put on all my rain gear as well as my gaiters and left camp before most people had finished their breakfast. I hiked alone all day (11 miles) and made it to the shelter before anyone else. I decided to forego the shelter opportunity so that I could practice setting up my wet gear and also because I knew that the rest of my group would not get a spot and I did not want to sleep snugly close next to 5 other people I did not know. It had rained most of the day and was a very inspiring and beautiful hike. The rain left the woods glistening and I stayed warm and dry under my gear, it was also pretty warm out (close to 50) so I was grateful not to be dealing with freezing rain.

Again I got lucky setting up camp, it was around 2:45 and the rain let up for a few hours. I hung my rainfly from two trees as I set up my tent, I then wiped down the fly with my camp towel to get rid of as many of the big water drops as I could. I set up the fly very taught so that any remaining moisture would stay away from the screen on my tent. I then climbed inside and slowly removed all my gear making sure to keep wet things away from clean and dry items. I hung my gaiters by their straps on my hiking poles under my vestibule so they could dry out and I proceeded to cook 2 oatmeals, 2 dinners and eat 2 tortillas with peanut butter from the comfort of my sleeping bag (I had survived the day on one snack bar and 3 snickers minis and was starving!) After cleaning up I retreated to my sleeping bag as the temperatures quickly dropped, I put on headphones and fell asleep around 5:30 PM and pretty much slept through until 8:30 the next morning. (This is what happens at a cold wet camp).

I woke up the next morning snug in my bag but realized it was pretty dark in my tent.. This was because I had been snowed in! PePa let me know that it was “really bad out and getting worse” and that we would all be hiking together to make sure everyone made it through the day okay.. I was fine with this! I quickly packed up and PePa helped me take my tent down. The poles were frozen together so I had to spit/suck on them to get them apart… Not the most pleasant experience! Packing up was freezing but once we got moving I warmed right up, I was very happy that I had the gear to stay warm and dry in all these conditions. The 12 mile trek was pretty exhausting, about half of it was downhill as we dropped from 4600 feet to sea level but again I was working on a snack bar and three snickers for my energy along with about two cups of water (I kept my drinking tube thawed all night but it froze up on the hike) and the handfuls of snow I kept eating. The hike was actually pretty fun despite the exhaustion. I love the snow and it was beautiful as it coated every surface in the mountains. It was fun hiking with the group and I fell three times but did not get hurt… at 3:30 we arrived at our destination, the Nantahala Outdoor Complex (a big river rafting complex that the trail runs through). We grabbed beer and snacks at the general store, threw our things in the bunkhouse and had an amazing and huge dinner at the restaurant that sits above the river. Many of our friends that we have met and continuously ran into over the past couple of weeks took a zero day at the NOC so after dinner we all caught up and hung out in the common room, it was a really fun evening. My parents will be here today (I am writing this at 4am, probably can’t sleep because I slept so much last night!) I am going to take a zero day with them tomorrow then head back into the woods! Should reach the smokies by Friday night, hopefully the snow starts melting before I get there!!

Four Season Backpacking on the AT

As I mentioned in my previous post, the weather over the past couple of weeks has been a roller coaster. The week before I started the trail the mountains were slammed with snow, since I have started there have been 70 degree hiking days with 40 degree nights but I have also woken up to an inch of snow on the ground and hiked all day with temperatures not going above freezing and wind chills close to zero. The next three days are calling for freezing rain and snow. It’s also hard to get exact weather predictions because all forecasts are for local towns but most campsites and shelters are between 4000-5000 feet and get wind gusts like you would not believe. Oh and I forgot to mention, the Smokies have over three feet of snow in some parts and my schedule has me there for a week starting next weekend.

When you are on the trail for a thru hike, moving forward is your full time job. Typically when planning a thru hike people set aside savings for zero days in fun towns along the way but plan to spend most nights camping along the trail. For future thru-hikers I would suggest also having a “rainy day” fund set aside, especially if starting your hike early in the season. While you may think you can tough it out, you may also find yourself sick or even hypothermic in these type of conditions, even if you are as prepared as you can be. I would also suggest setting aside money for gear changes early on and make sure you have a great pair of wind proof gloves and a wool hat for packing up and hiking on the cold mornings.

Over the past week MANY people have quit the trail all together (a combination of wether and also how strenuous the terrain is). Two people in the group that I was hiking with have gotten very sick, one with pneumonia who will need to go home for now and the other with a nasty cold that will have him checked in to the motel for a few more days. Also, on the first really cold night we were up half the night in our shelter because one of the people in our group was wet and could not stop shivering or get warm and there was a fear that he might get hypothermia so Sir Packs A Lot (a local guide who was with us) was constantly checking on him, giving him more clothing and feeding him warm liquids.

I personally have had a hard time sleeping because of the cold so I have had to make some gear adjustments and adjust the clothing that I sleep in. I had spent close to 5 hours pre-trail deciding if I wanted to buy a bag liner and what kind to get. I ended up buying a silk liner because it is the most lite weight, it helps with the bag temperature and you can wash it which helps to keep your bag cleaner. My bag is only rated 25 (I bought this based on the naive assumption that the nights would not be colder than this.. Ha!), I wish I would have gone for the slightly heavier 15 degree bag. Three days ago I ended up buying the sea to summit thermolite liner that adds up to 25 degrees, it is almost an extra pound of weight but I have been so much warmer with it. I have also doubled up on my thick wool socks, wear my wool hat and only wear light weight long underwear in my sleeping bag. This combination has finally brought me a comfortable night sleep in the cold temperatures. (I found that wearing a sweatshirt or too much clothing in the bag was causing me to sweat which in turn made me colder). Next up will be figuring out how to get warm and not get my sleeping bag wet after walking in freezing rain all day and then setting up my tent in the freezing rain 🙂

Poor weather conditions have lead to a lot of changes in our hiking plan since the last time I wrote. On Sunday (St.Patricks day) Casey (Aqua Man) , Erin (Brown Sugar) and I started out with the intention of hiking only 7 miles. We ended up pushing on and hiking 13, setting us up to hike out 4 miles Monday morning for our Nero day in Hiawassee. We got to camp just as the sun was setting feeling very proud of ourselves. The rain was not “forecasted” to start until 11am Monday so I felt optimistic that we would be nice and dry on our 9am shuttle into town. (Another naive assumption). The rain started to come down around 6:00 am. We packed up in the rainy dark and set out for the shuttle around 7:30. It was actually a really beautiful hike as it stared to lighten up and the woods were filled with a thick rainy fog. Knowing my pace on this terrain has been about 2 miles an hour, I started to worry about missing the shuttle and getting stuck in the rain. About half way down the hill I started to run (literally run-with a 35lb pack on my back and on feet and knees that have had me hobbling). I made it to the road by 8:45 and when Casey finally caught up to me he dubbed me Quick Switch (now my trail name 🙂 ).

After our Nero day the plan was to spend the next seven days hiking to NOC with no re-supply or hotel stays. That night at the fire all anyone was talking about was the upcoming weather.. Rain rain and more rain. The next day we planned on hiking 12 miles instead of 8 in order to get us closer to Franklin, NC (in case we needed to get off trail). As I pulled into the agreed upon campsite no one was there. Knowing that I was last in our pack for the day I pressed on three more miles to the next shelter and arrived after 15 miles as the sun was going down. Pure exhaustion and slight annoyance is a good description for how I felt. I found out that the group plan was to head into Franklin the following night, after just two nights out. After waking up to snow (I think I am the only one who was warm during the night) everyone was more set on this plan. We did 12 more miles (much of this without water because all of our water and purification drops were frozen) bringing our two day total to 27.

I originally planned to get back on trail this morning but the overload on miles has my feet in a frenzy. I decided to take a zero today with everyone else and headed over to the local outfitter. I picked up a new pair of boots and also green super feet insoles. (Everyone swears by these for arch support and shock absorption). My feet are taking me to Maine so I hope that this further investment will help make the miles less painful. For the last few days every step has been excruciating and my blisters have not gotten any better.

We will be heading back out tomorrow morning. We still have 30 miles to the NOC, I currently plan on making this a three day trek but if the rain is absolutely freezing and I cannot get dry I may try for two more 15 mile days (despite by better judgement).

I know this entry may seem to have a negative tone but that is not at all my intention. Despite the less than ideal weather and painful feet, I am still having a ton of fun and I embrace the nasty conditions as opportunities to learn more about myself, push my limits and broaden my experience. The trail is stunning and the people continue to amaze me. We have had countless acts of trail magic in the last week including a spaghetti lunch at one of the gaps and a free all you can eat pancake breakfast put on by a local church in Franklin. We got to spend two nights with Andrew (River Rat) a previous thru hiker and his buddy Justin (Nom Nom). They were section hiking for the weekend and small world- Casey went to college with Andrew. They were hilarious and Andrew shared many stories from his time on the trail. I recently crossed into North Carolina and yesterday crossed the 100 mile threshold. Although my feet are sore I can feel my body strengthening with each day and my fitness improving.

I have a few more notes from the trail that Ill share while I’m thinking about them:
-A canvas water bag (I have a 4L MSR) seems to be less likely to freeze than the plastic water bags like the platypus.
-If the temperatures are below freezing make sure there is no water in the drinking hose connected to your water bag! (Also keep water in your pack to decrease likelihood of freezing and keep purification drops warm if they are your only method of water treatment)
-Tuna fish packets can freeze but after 8 miles hiking up hill, frozen tuna on a wrap is just as good as a gourmet meal.
-Ear plugs are a must for hostels, shared motel rooms, and busy camp sites; you never know when you will come across a heavy snorer!
-Hike your own hike, I have already learned the hard way that pushing myself too hard just to keep up with my friends was not a good choice for my health.