Cyg and I were the last ones out of camp this morning but we didn't care. It was a beautiful morning and we only had six miles to lower elevations, town, food, and resupply. We were stoked and we hiked out. This mornings conversation dealt with pyschology and some of the experiments that have done on people in the past. Like I have said before, conversations can cover a myriad of topics. Three days ago we were discussing physics and the concept of a voule.
Our plan was to get to Erwin, go to the post office, grab lunch at the diner, go to the grocery store, and head straight back out of town to the next shelter, resupplied and with full stomaches. We hit the outskirts of town, passing by Uncle Johnny's Hostel, around 10:30 figuring we would swing by there on our way out. It took three cars before we managed to hitch a ride. I still and will always say it is SO much easier to hitch a ride when you have a girl with you!
He dropped us at the post office and from there we walked down the road to the restaraunt where we both ordered up a triple burger and extra fries along with coffee and a tea. We proceeded to try to fill that bottomless pit that was our stomache. After eating we just sat back, relaxing and marveling at how warm it was. I had actually changed into shorts and a T-shirt for the first time on this hike.
I was idly staring out the window when Cyg quietly said, "We could just stay in town tonight." I quickly looked at her and in a micro second said, OK, Fine with me;" We both started laughing and I accused her of being a bad influence to which she said something to the affect of having to try real hard to convince me!
So, I headed for the grocery store and she to the library. After taking care of business we met back up and started for Uncle Johnny's where we could get a bunk, laundry, and a shower for cheap. Later, we sat and chatted with Jacob and Gabe, brothers that were hiling but getting off for a bit to rest up an injured knee. I looked up and spotted Shlep coming off the trail. If we had pushed on we would have missed her.
The usual talk continued, food, where people were on the trail, food, injury, food ... Do you see a pattern developing here? It was great to just hang out. The hostel has a shuttle that runs into town three times a day so you could fill your belly at every meal.
To make a long story short we took a zero day the following and plans began to change. Jacob and Gabe were trying to get to NYC and Cyg was thinking of some time off and she didn't live to far from the city and I heard rumors of possibly having some work. At the all you can eat pizza buffet I ran my idea past Jacob and he thought it was a good one. The plan consited of me getting back to Atlanta, grabbing my car, coming back to pick up the three of them and then head to NY.
I called Jim and told him the plan. He said that if I could wait till Saturday he would come get me. That was fine with me and the rest of the group so we just hung out at the hostel. The weather had turned nasty again so hanging around outside was not an option. What do you do when you have a day and a half to kill. You play cards, talk,sleep, and learn to dance.
At one point on the trail Cyg and I were going over our "bucket lists" and I told her that I had always wanted to learn how to swimg dance. Little did I know that Cyg was a swing dancer so that Friday afternoon she proceeded to teach me the basics. The step is pretty basic (a six count step and the Lindy is an eight count) but it took me awhile to get the hang of it. After learning the step Cyg showed me the basic moves to get your partner to do a certain twist and the different ways to get her to come back. It was pretty amazing how just a change of hand position or pressure on the back communicates how the step out or return will go. It was a lot of fun and we spent at least an hour at it. Cyg was a patient teacher especially with two left feet like mine!
Saturday afternoon arrived and so did Jim. He threw out the, why don't you all come to Atlanta and you can leave from my house in the morning, line so we all piled into his car and went to Atlanta. Upon arrival at his place he treated us to pizza and some deadly cocktails. It was a very late night to say the least and we elevated Jim from "trail angel" to "trail archangel". Thanks for everything Jim!
The next day we started the long journey north and it rained the whole way. We made it as far as Philadelphia that first day and the next morning I dropped the boys off in Hoeboken, NJ so they could catch the ferry into the city. From there Cyg and I continued on.
By the time we reached her place I had had about as much driving as I wanted to do but there were still a couple of hours left for me until I hit Rob's place in MA. Cyg said I should just stay at her place and head out the next day. It didnt take a whole lot of convincing! From there the journey was soon over which brings me to now.
I am currently on Cape Cod working with a fellow caretaker from the Whites. We've been painting houses and we have one more to do. Starting on the 28th of April phase 2 of the adventure will start. We are going to go back to Rob's place and hike north on the AT from Dalton, MA and hopefully make it to Gorham, NH before we have to report for work. This will be about a 300 mile trek and we Are jazzed about getting started.
So, that's it for the first part of my 2010 AT trek. Phase two will be chronicled so stay tuned.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Hogback Ridge to No Business Knob Shelter
I was the first one up this morning. With our plan to do 20 miles we had to get an early start. Not that getting up was an issue! I had been awake for most of the night as it was. I had a rip saw snorer next to me and once I start "hearing" it I can no longer sleep. Not to mention I find myself falling into the breathing pattern of the snorer. This leads to prolonged periods of no breathing and then intermittent blasts of quick breath to long inhalations. Having 9 people stuffed in here meant I was right next to said offender! It finally reached a point where I flipped my bag around so I was at the feet instead of the head but by this time it was very early in the AM and soon time to wake.
I boiled water and woke Branch and Appleseed, who were with us that night. I figured I would get the water boiled before I woke Cyg. That way I could offer her water for her oatmeal and not have to deal with the early AM Cyg (OK, it's not that bad but I can take artistic license here).
Cyg and I did get out early ... We even beat Tattoo Joe out but that idea of supremacy was short lived as he caught up to us an hour or two later. The three of us hiked through the snow (yes, we are still in snow!) sometimes losing the trail but all in all having fun. After a bit Tattoo Joe decided it was time to leave the snails and move on. This was shortly before we arrived at Big Bald Mtn. where things became interesting.
All morning we had been hiking in and out of the snow. The skies were overcast but the trend seemed to be leaning toward clearing. Shortly before the summit of Big Bald the sun broke through the cloud cover. Cyg immediately started singing, "Here Comes the Sun". Sun is always welcome!
Well, we paid for that brief, sunny interlude, in spades! Within a short distance we were at the summit and the wind was ripping across the bald. It started pushing us toward one side and another as we tried to get across the top. Conversation was nill because of the wind noise. Tuck your head down and just GO! Oh, did I mention there was snow on top and it was a very, very cold wind. Add that into the mix of, Are we having fun yet?
We finally reached a spot where the wind died and there was a sign drawn in the snow showing the trail to be down the hill a bit. Problem was there were no footprints. We backtracked a bit and made our way down but the wind was not finished knocking us around yet.
At one point Cyg stopped to get out her gloves. Now, I've always had mental issues with Cyg and her gloves. My fingers can be ice cold and I have gloves on but she just hikes without them. In the wind I kept thinking her fingers were going to just drop off her hand like icicles off a roof. Her only comment was, "I need to get my gloves." I just nodded (because my jaws were frozen shut)wondering how this was going to be possible because I couldn't feel my own fingers much less move them.
She fished them out and we trudged through two more wind tunnels before dropping back below treeline where we proceeded to become misplaced yet again, for a short time. Finding trail in a lot of snow is not easy!
We hiked on, buoyed bY the adrenaline rush that Big Bald gave us and we soon made it to Big Bald Shelter, at 5100 feet and still with snow. It was around 11:30 AM and we had a decision to make, but not before it was hot lunch time. Rarely do one of us take time to actually cook lunch on the trail. Lunch usually consists of something you can throw together quickly. Cyg and I felt this day deserved a hot lunch.
We boiled our water for our perspective meals and considered our options. 10.6 miles to go along with a 2000 foot elevation drop or stay here and "mope" later on as Cyg put it. The key was Cyg's knee. It had been bothering her and we didn't want to push things if we didn't have to.
Neither of us said much as we ate but I think we had pretty much decided on the course of action. I finished eating, looked at Cyg and said,"Well?". She just looked out from the shelter and lifted her head toward the trail. We were hiking soon after that.
Little Bald came and went, still with snow but not like its brother Big Bald. We made it to High Rocks where the snow was disappearing and the sun was making a strong attempt to stay out. We to the trail to High Rocks and enjoyed the views from there for a bit and then moved on.
Spivey Gap came and went. The sun was out and the snow was gone. Amazing what dropping 2000 feet will do! Devil's Creek Gap approached and we were 2.5 miles from the goal for the day and it was around 5:30. I figured we would be in right around 7:00.
When you've been hiking with someone for close to three weeks you get to pick up on some of the subtle tonal inflections a person makes. I was tired and Cyg's feet and knee were feeling none to happy. At one point I made the mistake of saying something about how I thought we were pretty close (we weren't) and after about a half hour Cyg made a comment on how much further. I immediately flashed back to '05 when Feelin' Free and I were hiking out of Atkins, VA and how my "uh oh" radar went on then.
Cyg's testy tone, subtle though it was, meant I could be in big trouble if I didn"t tread this water very gently! Much to my relief we saw someone coming down the trail who pointed out the shelter was just around the bend. Whew, made it out of that one in one piece and without having to back pedal!
So, we did it. 20 miles and change. My first for the season and Cyg's first ever. It was not an easy 20 either with all the snow and wind. It was a well earned 20! Tomorrow would be a nice little 6 mile jaunt into Erwin. The weather looked promising. It would be a good day.
I boiled water and woke Branch and Appleseed, who were with us that night. I figured I would get the water boiled before I woke Cyg. That way I could offer her water for her oatmeal and not have to deal with the early AM Cyg (OK, it's not that bad but I can take artistic license here).
Cyg and I did get out early ... We even beat Tattoo Joe out but that idea of supremacy was short lived as he caught up to us an hour or two later. The three of us hiked through the snow (yes, we are still in snow!) sometimes losing the trail but all in all having fun. After a bit Tattoo Joe decided it was time to leave the snails and move on. This was shortly before we arrived at Big Bald Mtn. where things became interesting.
All morning we had been hiking in and out of the snow. The skies were overcast but the trend seemed to be leaning toward clearing. Shortly before the summit of Big Bald the sun broke through the cloud cover. Cyg immediately started singing, "Here Comes the Sun". Sun is always welcome!
Well, we paid for that brief, sunny interlude, in spades! Within a short distance we were at the summit and the wind was ripping across the bald. It started pushing us toward one side and another as we tried to get across the top. Conversation was nill because of the wind noise. Tuck your head down and just GO! Oh, did I mention there was snow on top and it was a very, very cold wind. Add that into the mix of, Are we having fun yet?
We finally reached a spot where the wind died and there was a sign drawn in the snow showing the trail to be down the hill a bit. Problem was there were no footprints. We backtracked a bit and made our way down but the wind was not finished knocking us around yet.
At one point Cyg stopped to get out her gloves. Now, I've always had mental issues with Cyg and her gloves. My fingers can be ice cold and I have gloves on but she just hikes without them. In the wind I kept thinking her fingers were going to just drop off her hand like icicles off a roof. Her only comment was, "I need to get my gloves." I just nodded (because my jaws were frozen shut)wondering how this was going to be possible because I couldn't feel my own fingers much less move them.
She fished them out and we trudged through two more wind tunnels before dropping back below treeline where we proceeded to become misplaced yet again, for a short time. Finding trail in a lot of snow is not easy!
We hiked on, buoyed bY the adrenaline rush that Big Bald gave us and we soon made it to Big Bald Shelter, at 5100 feet and still with snow. It was around 11:30 AM and we had a decision to make, but not before it was hot lunch time. Rarely do one of us take time to actually cook lunch on the trail. Lunch usually consists of something you can throw together quickly. Cyg and I felt this day deserved a hot lunch.
We boiled our water for our perspective meals and considered our options. 10.6 miles to go along with a 2000 foot elevation drop or stay here and "mope" later on as Cyg put it. The key was Cyg's knee. It had been bothering her and we didn't want to push things if we didn't have to.
Neither of us said much as we ate but I think we had pretty much decided on the course of action. I finished eating, looked at Cyg and said,"Well?". She just looked out from the shelter and lifted her head toward the trail. We were hiking soon after that.
Little Bald came and went, still with snow but not like its brother Big Bald. We made it to High Rocks where the snow was disappearing and the sun was making a strong attempt to stay out. We to the trail to High Rocks and enjoyed the views from there for a bit and then moved on.
Spivey Gap came and went. The sun was out and the snow was gone. Amazing what dropping 2000 feet will do! Devil's Creek Gap approached and we were 2.5 miles from the goal for the day and it was around 5:30. I figured we would be in right around 7:00.
When you've been hiking with someone for close to three weeks you get to pick up on some of the subtle tonal inflections a person makes. I was tired and Cyg's feet and knee were feeling none to happy. At one point I made the mistake of saying something about how I thought we were pretty close (we weren't) and after about a half hour Cyg made a comment on how much further. I immediately flashed back to '05 when Feelin' Free and I were hiking out of Atkins, VA and how my "uh oh" radar went on then.
Cyg's testy tone, subtle though it was, meant I could be in big trouble if I didn"t tread this water very gently! Much to my relief we saw someone coming down the trail who pointed out the shelter was just around the bend. Whew, made it out of that one in one piece and without having to back pedal!
So, we did it. 20 miles and change. My first for the season and Cyg's first ever. It was not an easy 20 either with all the snow and wind. It was a well earned 20! Tomorrow would be a nice little 6 mile jaunt into Erwin. The weather looked promising. It would be a good day.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Hot Springs to Hogback Ridge Shelter
I left Hot Springs on a bright, beautiful, and believe it or not HOT sunny day. I didn't get out till 11:30 but I was only going 5 miles to the meadow above Hot Springs. I had camped there before and it is a great spot.
I reached the meadow area around 2:00, threw down my pad , and broke out my book. I spent the afternoon reading the first Harry Potter book again .. Story behind this which I will relate in another post (I have read them all already). The sun was hot and I was loving life!
The next morning I moved on and it was still a good weather day...amazing! Two in a row... Hard to wrap my mind around. I made it to Little Laurel Shelter around 4:00, pitched my tent and settled down. There is supposed to be some rain tomorrow so I was going to play it by ear on my mileage for the day.
The day dawned and it was a mixed bag. No rain yet but you could tell it was going to. I headedout and realized I was going to the NC ridgeline walk today. A few years back they re-routed the trail so it would take you up the mountain and you would walk on an exposed ridgeline for awhile. Very pretty walk unless you were on it today.
It was cloudy and very windy up there and all I wanted to do was get off the ridge which I did though in my haste I came very close to a major face plant ... Rock meet face, face meet rock .. I did avoid it but my hands took the brunt of the impact. After landing I rolled over onto my back and played the turtle game while trying to get back on my feet.
Around noon I reached Jerry Cabin Shelter and it had begun to sprinkle a bit. Jerry Cabin has a fireplce in it and I decided I didn't really want to hike in the rain so I gathered enough wood to last the day. The fire was started around 3:00 and around 4:00 Branch and Appleseed came by. They were going to go on but the fire was too irresistable so they came in for the night.
Around 5:00 Cyg rolled in. She had said she was going to catch up and by me doing a short day just made it that much quicker. She had done a 16 mile day to get here. A couple of hours later Shlep came in and I had to tease her about how heavy her pack was. She was carrying a LOT of food.
It rained during the night but by morning it had just become overcast. Overcast but cold. Everyone had headed out except for Cyg, Shlep, and I. Over the last little while I have realized that Cyg is not an early morning person so I just wait before she is packed before discussing the day. Today was going to be either an 8 or a 15 mile day depending on how we felt.
Cyg and I took off. Shlep was taking her time and she looked like she was determined to put a dent in her food bag before she even thought about leaving. We figured we may not she her anymore this day. Off we went, into the cold and into the snow as we climbed Big Butt Mtn. Because of all the snow the trail was a bit difficult to find in places but we made our way to Flint Mtn. Shelter where we stopped for lunch.
From there it was just another afternoon of hiking. Cyg usually leads and her hiking pace fits my style so we just chat away while we hike or just let our own thoughts take us wherever they want. We ended the day at Hogback Ridge Shelter and once again we were in the snow and it was cold. We did cram 9 people into a 6 person shelter so body heat kept things cozy.
One of the people we ran into today was Tatoo Joe. He is using the AT as a "warm up" for his Pacific Crest Trail hike. He and Scott Williamson have the record for fastest thru hike of the PCT and they are planning to try and beat it again this year. Very funny guy and I realized that I would never,ever be an ultra light backpacker. I enjoy the creature comforts I carry!
Tomorrow will be a first for both Cyg and I this year. We are looking at a 20.7 mile day. Again, it will all depend on knees and conditions. If we make it we set ourselves up for a short jaunt into Erwin the following day.
I reached the meadow area around 2:00, threw down my pad , and broke out my book. I spent the afternoon reading the first Harry Potter book again .. Story behind this which I will relate in another post (I have read them all already). The sun was hot and I was loving life!
The next morning I moved on and it was still a good weather day...amazing! Two in a row... Hard to wrap my mind around. I made it to Little Laurel Shelter around 4:00, pitched my tent and settled down. There is supposed to be some rain tomorrow so I was going to play it by ear on my mileage for the day.
The day dawned and it was a mixed bag. No rain yet but you could tell it was going to. I headedout and realized I was going to the NC ridgeline walk today. A few years back they re-routed the trail so it would take you up the mountain and you would walk on an exposed ridgeline for awhile. Very pretty walk unless you were on it today.
It was cloudy and very windy up there and all I wanted to do was get off the ridge which I did though in my haste I came very close to a major face plant ... Rock meet face, face meet rock .. I did avoid it but my hands took the brunt of the impact. After landing I rolled over onto my back and played the turtle game while trying to get back on my feet.
Around noon I reached Jerry Cabin Shelter and it had begun to sprinkle a bit. Jerry Cabin has a fireplce in it and I decided I didn't really want to hike in the rain so I gathered enough wood to last the day. The fire was started around 3:00 and around 4:00 Branch and Appleseed came by. They were going to go on but the fire was too irresistable so they came in for the night.
Around 5:00 Cyg rolled in. She had said she was going to catch up and by me doing a short day just made it that much quicker. She had done a 16 mile day to get here. A couple of hours later Shlep came in and I had to tease her about how heavy her pack was. She was carrying a LOT of food.
It rained during the night but by morning it had just become overcast. Overcast but cold. Everyone had headed out except for Cyg, Shlep, and I. Over the last little while I have realized that Cyg is not an early morning person so I just wait before she is packed before discussing the day. Today was going to be either an 8 or a 15 mile day depending on how we felt.
Cyg and I took off. Shlep was taking her time and she looked like she was determined to put a dent in her food bag before she even thought about leaving. We figured we may not she her anymore this day. Off we went, into the cold and into the snow as we climbed Big Butt Mtn. Because of all the snow the trail was a bit difficult to find in places but we made our way to Flint Mtn. Shelter where we stopped for lunch.
From there it was just another afternoon of hiking. Cyg usually leads and her hiking pace fits my style so we just chat away while we hike or just let our own thoughts take us wherever they want. We ended the day at Hogback Ridge Shelter and once again we were in the snow and it was cold. We did cram 9 people into a 6 person shelter so body heat kept things cozy.
One of the people we ran into today was Tatoo Joe. He is using the AT as a "warm up" for his Pacific Crest Trail hike. He and Scott Williamson have the record for fastest thru hike of the PCT and they are planning to try and beat it again this year. Very funny guy and I realized that I would never,ever be an ultra light backpacker. I enjoy the creature comforts I carry!
Tomorrow will be a first for both Cyg and I this year. We are looking at a 20.7 mile day. Again, it will all depend on knees and conditions. If we make it we set ourselves up for a short jaunt into Erwin the following day.
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