[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
30 April 2009 - Day 16, Mile 163.7 - Solo stealth camp above Stecoah Gap -> Fontana Dam Shelter
Was able to call dad today and wish him happy birthday. We had a good visit, but it was tough because he sounded emotional when we said goodbye. He's soft-hearted, but doesn't often let it show. Tenting tonight at the "Fontana Hilton" because there are some partiers at the shelter and I don't want Gracie to bite any drunken revelers or have my sleep disturbed! I'm not particularly happy about it but after a shower, hearty meal, and lots of chocolate and advil, I'm ok. I'm beginning to think I can get up and do this all over again, but I'm also glad to be taking a zero tomorrow. My food back will actually be empty after breakfast.
This is truly a nice shelter, with flush toilets, sinks, and showers just up the hill. Perhaps I'll sleep in the shelter tomorrow night. Actually having to wear the earplugs in the tent because of all the tent talkers nearby, plus the noise from bugs.
B - rice cereal + almonds & raisins
L - hummus, asian soup, snickers
D - lentils, veggies & rice, snickers (which I got in exchange for some fuel), + some "fun size" candy bars other hikers who were leaving the trail were giving away
[Retrospective] The guidebook mentioned a spring not far from the road crossing at Stecoah Gap. I stopped in there to make breakfast, and planned to get more water, but couldn't find the spring. A group of birders arrived while I was having breakfast, and several of them offered me water and some other snacks. People are so nice and generous when they find out you're thru-hiking. It's pretty amazing. Stopped in at Brown Fork Gap shelter for lunch and to get water again. Later that day, I discovered the water filter drain tube had come unseated from the filter cartridge. This explained why the filter was working much faster than usual, and why Gracie & I would start experiencing the symptoms of Giardia a few weeks later as we neared Damascus. Some people will drink water straight from a spring. I know Gracie & I are both susceptible to Giardia because we'd both had it at least once before the hike, so I always filtered water for both of us. Being a dog, Gracie sometimes drank from streams, but I tried to limit her from doing so, and would offer her water every hour or so when I would drink.
30 April 2010
29 April 2010
Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (4/29/2009)
[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
29 April 2009 - Day 15, Mile 148.6 - Nantahala Outdoor Center -> Solo stealth camp above Stecoah Gap
I'm not entirely sure where I am, but I'm pretty sure I'm on a ridge above Stecoah Gap. Can hear a road (NC 143?) below. We could possibly have hiked the remaining 3.5 or so miles to Brown Fork Gap shelter, but the weather was looking threatening around 6pm and I didn't want to push it. This still gets us pretty close to Fontana. We're keeping a much better pace since I'm carrying Gracie's weight and she seems tired, but not unreasonably so. I think she's due for her week vacation while I hike the Smokies. I have some concerns about hiking without her. She brings me lots of security and confidence. I appreciate that she reacts to some people and I feel safe when she's around.
Sprinkles started at 8:15pm and there's thunder in the distance. Gracie seems a little nervous. I trust we'll be OK. [This attitude would shift later in the hike after some scary brushes with thunder/lightning]
Thoughts from today: This is like doing a (half-iron) triathlon every day! When I'm hiking, the sound of my backpack shifting as I move sounds like a saddle on a horse - I am my own beast of burden. Showers, laundry, and town food are nice, but I enjoy hiking, the physical exertion of it, the constant movement from place to place. It feeds my nomadic spirit, yet I am at the same time glad I have a home and a community of support. With that kind of love and support behind us, we can achieve our highest and best dreams. We can do great things - things that are great for us, whatever our goals and dreams are. People who love us want to see us succeed.
B - brown rice (baby) cereal w/apples, almonds & raisins, mocha java, egg, sausage & cheese, coke
L - instant hummus, Clif Builder Bar, potato chips
D - aloo choley, rice, snicker bar & chips [the only Indian meal I ate on the hike, the rest ended up in hiker boxes. This one was good, and I took a picture of it with my cell phone & sent it to Emily, but I never really had an appetite for Indian food after hiking all day. Tip: pack food that you always like to eat. I could survive on oatmeal, brown sugar, peanut butter, chocolate, instant refried beans/rice, and gluten-free pasta dishes and wouldn't stray far from that in the future.]
Retrospective: Met Penny & Tron at the restaurant at the NOC. Good night's rest along the river, no bears or other animals, and Eric, who was going to try to find my campsite, never showed. Had breakfast at the restuarant before heading out, and left info to forward my resupply box to Hot Springs since I got enough provisions to get us to Fontana: a couple cans of dog food - the only time Gracie would eat cheap dog food on the trail; some Gerber brown rice cereal, almonds & raisins. That night, Gracie tried to bolt from the tarp - the first and only time she showed that behavior. I was fast asleep, but had heard coyotes calling earlier in the night, so am guessing that's what she was after. I don't think I had her leashed to me, but I woke up and grabbed her and yanked her back into the tarp without even thinking as soon as I felt her move. Then made sure she was leashed to me. Scary moment. It was a long time before I let her sleep untethered again. I am a paranoid doggie mom.
29 April 2009 - Day 15, Mile 148.6 - Nantahala Outdoor Center -> Solo stealth camp above Stecoah Gap
I'm not entirely sure where I am, but I'm pretty sure I'm on a ridge above Stecoah Gap. Can hear a road (NC 143?) below. We could possibly have hiked the remaining 3.5 or so miles to Brown Fork Gap shelter, but the weather was looking threatening around 6pm and I didn't want to push it. This still gets us pretty close to Fontana. We're keeping a much better pace since I'm carrying Gracie's weight and she seems tired, but not unreasonably so. I think she's due for her week vacation while I hike the Smokies. I have some concerns about hiking without her. She brings me lots of security and confidence. I appreciate that she reacts to some people and I feel safe when she's around.
Sprinkles started at 8:15pm and there's thunder in the distance. Gracie seems a little nervous. I trust we'll be OK. [This attitude would shift later in the hike after some scary brushes with thunder/lightning]
Thoughts from today: This is like doing a (half-iron) triathlon every day! When I'm hiking, the sound of my backpack shifting as I move sounds like a saddle on a horse - I am my own beast of burden. Showers, laundry, and town food are nice, but I enjoy hiking, the physical exertion of it, the constant movement from place to place. It feeds my nomadic spirit, yet I am at the same time glad I have a home and a community of support. With that kind of love and support behind us, we can achieve our highest and best dreams. We can do great things - things that are great for us, whatever our goals and dreams are. People who love us want to see us succeed.
B - brown rice (baby) cereal w/apples, almonds & raisins, mocha java, egg, sausage & cheese, coke
L - instant hummus, Clif Builder Bar, potato chips
D - aloo choley, rice, snicker bar & chips [the only Indian meal I ate on the hike, the rest ended up in hiker boxes. This one was good, and I took a picture of it with my cell phone & sent it to Emily, but I never really had an appetite for Indian food after hiking all day. Tip: pack food that you always like to eat. I could survive on oatmeal, brown sugar, peanut butter, chocolate, instant refried beans/rice, and gluten-free pasta dishes and wouldn't stray far from that in the future.]
Retrospective: Met Penny & Tron at the restaurant at the NOC. Good night's rest along the river, no bears or other animals, and Eric, who was going to try to find my campsite, never showed. Had breakfast at the restuarant before heading out, and left info to forward my resupply box to Hot Springs since I got enough provisions to get us to Fontana: a couple cans of dog food - the only time Gracie would eat cheap dog food on the trail; some Gerber brown rice cereal, almonds & raisins. That night, Gracie tried to bolt from the tarp - the first and only time she showed that behavior. I was fast asleep, but had heard coyotes calling earlier in the night, so am guessing that's what she was after. I don't think I had her leashed to me, but I woke up and grabbed her and yanked her back into the tarp without even thinking as soon as I felt her move. Then made sure she was leashed to me. Scary moment. It was a long time before I let her sleep untethered again. I am a paranoid doggie mom.
28 April 2010
Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (4/28/09)
[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
28 April 2009 - Day 14, Mile 135.0 - Wesser Bald Shelter -> Nantahala Outdoor Center
Relaxing day at the NOC. Took a shower, had a cheeseburger, fries, and beer (Gracie got the bun) with NH Mike, Pittsburg, and Geoff. Met Lone Wolf. Gracie got to swim in the Nantahala and almost got swept down the rapids when I threw a stick too far into the current. Fortunately she's a strong swimmer and problem solver and had the sense to abandon the stick and make for the shore while I called for her frantically. I got to the NOC in advance of the box I had forwarded from Franklin, so I walked a mile to the convenience store to restock a few things and will set out tomorrow for Fontana Dam.
Trying a couple of new things tonight - stealth camping along the river near the NOC to save $. It is inconceivable to backtrack to the nearest shelter, and too expensive to get a pet-friendly cabin. I'm also sleeping with the food bag in the tent. Seems too close to civilization for bears to be a concern, plus the trash cans at the NOC are not bear-proof. Eric may end up here tonight, too. I'm a little wary of him, having only met him on the shuttle to the outfitter in Franklin, but I'm trusting that most hikers, especially thru-hikers, are on the up & up. Gracie never really warmed up to him, though, and I pay attention to that, plus, Eric knows Gracie can bite. I'll try to get as far as I can tomorrow, it's supposed to be a tough day. Eight miles uphill out of the NOC. Plan to carry Gracie's pack most of the way to Fontana to make tracks and give her feet a break. A tick jumped on me tonight as we sat at the river bank, but I didn't find any others on her.
28 April 2009 - Day 14, Mile 135.0 - Wesser Bald Shelter -> Nantahala Outdoor Center
Relaxing day at the NOC. Took a shower, had a cheeseburger, fries, and beer (Gracie got the bun) with NH Mike, Pittsburg, and Geoff. Met Lone Wolf. Gracie got to swim in the Nantahala and almost got swept down the rapids when I threw a stick too far into the current. Fortunately she's a strong swimmer and problem solver and had the sense to abandon the stick and make for the shore while I called for her frantically. I got to the NOC in advance of the box I had forwarded from Franklin, so I walked a mile to the convenience store to restock a few things and will set out tomorrow for Fontana Dam.
Trying a couple of new things tonight - stealth camping along the river near the NOC to save $. It is inconceivable to backtrack to the nearest shelter, and too expensive to get a pet-friendly cabin. I'm also sleeping with the food bag in the tent. Seems too close to civilization for bears to be a concern, plus the trash cans at the NOC are not bear-proof. Eric may end up here tonight, too. I'm a little wary of him, having only met him on the shuttle to the outfitter in Franklin, but I'm trusting that most hikers, especially thru-hikers, are on the up & up. Gracie never really warmed up to him, though, and I pay attention to that, plus, Eric knows Gracie can bite. I'll try to get as far as I can tomorrow, it's supposed to be a tough day. Eight miles uphill out of the NOC. Plan to carry Gracie's pack most of the way to Fontana to make tracks and give her feet a break. A tick jumped on me tonight as we sat at the river bank, but I didn't find any others on her.
27 April 2010
Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (4/27/09)
[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
27 April 2009 - Day 13, Mile 129.3 - Bartram Trail Intersection -> Wesser Bald Shelter
Remembered a dream I had at Rock Gap Shelter a few nights ago - Gracie & I peeked out of the shelter in the middle of the night and there were about 15 pairs of eyes in a line watching us. They were mostly small, like raccoon eyes, but there was one big animal's eyes, which I thought was a bear. The eyes were all glowing blue in the light of my headlamp. Gracie saw them and pulled on the leash and went into alert mode. I calmly pulled her back to the shelter and we went back to sleep.
Great views from Wayah Bald lookout this morning as we stopped in there for breakfast. It was really windy and I tried to cook breakfast in the lookout. It was a challenge with the wind and the bugs flying about. I could see a fire burning in the distance, controlled burn? NOC tomorrow. Hope my package has arrived, if not, I guess I'll stay on a day & hang out, check up on email and stuff.
Long day today. Made better time when I took Gracie's pack. Maybe I should just plan to carry all her stuff in the future. I may try that from NOC to Fontana Dam to see if the cumulative effort still tires her out.
Caught up to Geoff, Pittsburgh, and NH Mike today, and glad to be sharing the shelter with them. We're planning to have cheeseburgers at the NOC tomorrow. NH Mike saw two bears today and was about an hour ahead of me on the trail. Raspberry & Raindancer must have gone on to the NOC. I forgot to get a check for Lida (Gracie's boarder for the Smokies) from the bounce box in Franklin. Will have to get cash from an ATM I guess. Warmer tonight, that's nice. I'm happier with my improved hygiene and still have lots of food. Will have Lida hold my Fontana package until I leave the Smokies, I think.
27 April 2009 - Day 13, Mile 129.3 - Bartram Trail Intersection -> Wesser Bald Shelter
Remembered a dream I had at Rock Gap Shelter a few nights ago - Gracie & I peeked out of the shelter in the middle of the night and there were about 15 pairs of eyes in a line watching us. They were mostly small, like raccoon eyes, but there was one big animal's eyes, which I thought was a bear. The eyes were all glowing blue in the light of my headlamp. Gracie saw them and pulled on the leash and went into alert mode. I calmly pulled her back to the shelter and we went back to sleep.
Great views from Wayah Bald lookout this morning as we stopped in there for breakfast. It was really windy and I tried to cook breakfast in the lookout. It was a challenge with the wind and the bugs flying about. I could see a fire burning in the distance, controlled burn? NOC tomorrow. Hope my package has arrived, if not, I guess I'll stay on a day & hang out, check up on email and stuff.
Long day today. Made better time when I took Gracie's pack. Maybe I should just plan to carry all her stuff in the future. I may try that from NOC to Fontana Dam to see if the cumulative effort still tires her out.
Caught up to Geoff, Pittsburgh, and NH Mike today, and glad to be sharing the shelter with them. We're planning to have cheeseburgers at the NOC tomorrow. NH Mike saw two bears today and was about an hour ahead of me on the trail. Raspberry & Raindancer must have gone on to the NOC. I forgot to get a check for Lida (Gracie's boarder for the Smokies) from the bounce box in Franklin. Will have to get cash from an ATM I guess. Warmer tonight, that's nice. I'm happier with my improved hygiene and still have lots of food. Will have Lida hold my Fontana package until I leave the Smokies, I think.
26 April 2010
Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (4/26/09)
[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
26 April 2009 - Day 12, Mile 115.8 - Winding Stair Gap/Franklin, NC -> Bartram Trail Intersection
The trees are blaze/burnt orange outside my tent from the sundown light. Getting town chores done was hectic, but I got everything done and caught up a little on internet stuff. Nice to be clean and have clean clothes. Already have my next two showers mapped out! Don't know what I'll do (for a shower) in the Smokies, though. Rathskellers (Franklin coffeehouse) was good and relaxing, but I spent most of my time there glued to the computer. Glad I got insect wipes and antibacterial wipes to help with the bugs on Gracie and my personal hygiene. I feel better tonight for having rinsed my legs and put my feet in the creek, and clean up. I do prefer to be clean, though now I know I can handle being stinky.
Sort of camping solo tonight. NH Mike is up the hill, but I'm essentially on my own. The NOC is very close, only two days, so I should get there on the 28th, right on schedule. Lots of people ask me about hiking alone - did I choose to? and the answer is yes. Although with Gracie, I don't feel particularly alone, or at least vulnerable or unsafe. Making this trek is very much a personal goal and journey. Having spent the majority of my life tied (by choice in most cases) to the goals, schedules, and interests of others, sometimes, but not always, to my benefit, and sometimes for an expedient benefit that had later repercussions on my sense of self and well-being, this journey is a rite of passage for me. This is where I take control of my life and decide daily how I want to spend my time Today for instance, I set out from Winding Stair Gap with an idea of my destination - Siler Bald Shelter. When I got there at 1pm, it was too early to stop. I took a long lunch, wrote a brief letter, then set out with another general goal (Wayah Bald) but also thinking I might want to camp solo. Turns out I'm not really solo here, but this was a great stopping point. Still, I know if I were hiking with someone else, there would be constant negotiating of when I where to stop, take breaks, and so on, and I just don't want to do that yet. I'm quite content to hike at a comfortable pace for Gracie & me and see where we end up each day. I do feel more confident and relaxed after the break in Franklin and being back on or close to the mail drop schedule. A schedule I created for myself and can follow or not as I choose.
Wayah - Cherokee for Wolf. Knowing I was headed to Wayah Bald I felt more comfortable about camping solo. Is the wolf my totem? I don't know. Need/want to pick up a book - Blue Highways or Essential Mystics.
Gracie the Wonder Dog/Homeland security system
2 parts watchdog (bark & bite)
1 part pack mule (unless it's in the 80s)
1 part bedwarmer (must add at least 10 degrees to the warmth of the sleeping bag, bless her!)
1 part mountain goat
2 parts goofball
Her terror alert is at an elevated level on the trail. Most people I talk to think this is a good thing. We heard gunshots this evening when we got to camp and as we approached the campsite, but they've been stopped for a long time now. They sounded pretty far off and I wasn't overly concerned, just noticing.
Loving the new insoles I picked up in Franklin (thanks Susan L.!). I May need to watch for new friction spots over the next week, but so far so good. Didn't have to tape or bandage the existing blisters today, so that was great!
26 April 2009 - Day 12, Mile 115.8 - Winding Stair Gap/Franklin, NC -> Bartram Trail Intersection
The trees are blaze/burnt orange outside my tent from the sundown light. Getting town chores done was hectic, but I got everything done and caught up a little on internet stuff. Nice to be clean and have clean clothes. Already have my next two showers mapped out! Don't know what I'll do (for a shower) in the Smokies, though. Rathskellers (Franklin coffeehouse) was good and relaxing, but I spent most of my time there glued to the computer. Glad I got insect wipes and antibacterial wipes to help with the bugs on Gracie and my personal hygiene. I feel better tonight for having rinsed my legs and put my feet in the creek, and clean up. I do prefer to be clean, though now I know I can handle being stinky.
Sort of camping solo tonight. NH Mike is up the hill, but I'm essentially on my own. The NOC is very close, only two days, so I should get there on the 28th, right on schedule. Lots of people ask me about hiking alone - did I choose to? and the answer is yes. Although with Gracie, I don't feel particularly alone, or at least vulnerable or unsafe. Making this trek is very much a personal goal and journey. Having spent the majority of my life tied (by choice in most cases) to the goals, schedules, and interests of others, sometimes, but not always, to my benefit, and sometimes for an expedient benefit that had later repercussions on my sense of self and well-being, this journey is a rite of passage for me. This is where I take control of my life and decide daily how I want to spend my time Today for instance, I set out from Winding Stair Gap with an idea of my destination - Siler Bald Shelter. When I got there at 1pm, it was too early to stop. I took a long lunch, wrote a brief letter, then set out with another general goal (Wayah Bald) but also thinking I might want to camp solo. Turns out I'm not really solo here, but this was a great stopping point. Still, I know if I were hiking with someone else, there would be constant negotiating of when I where to stop, take breaks, and so on, and I just don't want to do that yet. I'm quite content to hike at a comfortable pace for Gracie & me and see where we end up each day. I do feel more confident and relaxed after the break in Franklin and being back on or close to the mail drop schedule. A schedule I created for myself and can follow or not as I choose.
Wayah - Cherokee for Wolf. Knowing I was headed to Wayah Bald I felt more comfortable about camping solo. Is the wolf my totem? I don't know. Need/want to pick up a book - Blue Highways or Essential Mystics.
Gracie the Wonder Dog/Homeland security system
2 parts watchdog (bark & bite)
1 part pack mule (unless it's in the 80s)
1 part bedwarmer (must add at least 10 degrees to the warmth of the sleeping bag, bless her!)
1 part mountain goat
2 parts goofball
Her terror alert is at an elevated level on the trail. Most people I talk to think this is a good thing. We heard gunshots this evening when we got to camp and as we approached the campsite, but they've been stopped for a long time now. They sounded pretty far off and I wasn't overly concerned, just noticing.
Loving the new insoles I picked up in Franklin (thanks Susan L.!). I May need to watch for new friction spots over the next week, but so far so good. Didn't have to tape or bandage the existing blisters today, so that was great!
25 April 2010
Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (4/25/09)
[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
25 April 2009 - Day 11, Mile 107.7 - Rock Gap Shelter -> Winding Stair Gap/Franklin, NC (written 4/26 when back on the trail)
Up early and out on the trail @ 7:35am. Took a 1 mile side trail to see Wasilisk Poplar. I keep wanting to call it Basilisk Poplar. Probably the biggest tree I've seen so far in my life. Gracie & I were dwarfed by it. Nice Trail Magic at the Gap - sodas, snacks and dog treats for Ms. Gracie, plus a lift into Franklin and Gracie's first ride in the back of a pickup (I rode with her, for safety). Enjoyed the Franklin Motor Inn, 1960s style motor court. Only thing it didn't have was a tub - I was really hoping for a good epsom salt soak.
Blog entry written while in Franklin, NC
24 April 2010
Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (4/23/09)
[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
23 April 2009 - Day 9, Mile 79.3 - Muskrat Creek Shelter -> Beech Gap Tenting Area
Slept in and took my time making breakfast and breaking camp. Rinsed some clothes in the stream and took time to hike back to Raven Cliffs to enjoy the unobstructed view and see the downed Cessna debris. Have I mentioned I've always wanted to get a pilot's license? Wanted to make Carter Gap shelter by tonight, but my noon start made that impossible. Probably could've marshalled on, but ran into Dave and Rock (section hikers) at Beech Gap and decided to camp with them. (I'd passed them the previous evening at Bly Gap). They're nice guys from Orlando, out hiking for the week (Hiawassee to Franklin). We ate dinner together sitting on downed logs, then hung bear bags. They tried to help me with mine (being gentleman, I suppose) but I had an easier time getting it done once I asked them to just let me do it myself. I really do need to lighten my food load, it's ridiculously heavy (and the bear line practically cuts into my hands as I hoist the bag).
Today I enjoyed hiking at my own pace and breaking camp at my own pace. I'd rather get going earlier and take my breaks at lunch and dinner, but today was a good experiment. Was thirsty most of the day. Water/streams are not as plentiful in North Carolina, and I didn't plan for or expect that. Will be more mindful tomorrow. Got into the 70s this afternoon and I took on Gracie's food since it was hot and water was limited. That helped her. It's starting to sprinkle now. As the sun was going down through the gap, a section of trees turned orange from the glow of the descending sun. The only real evidence of sunset other than glimpses of colored sky through the treetops. Amazing to see.
My coffee cup died (I'd carried a disposable from Georgia), so until Franklin, I'll drink from my cookpot if I need to make a beverage other than water. I'm filthy and starting to smell. I remind myself of the gorilla exhibit at the Houston Zoo.
Happy Birthday, Mom! I didn't have cell service today, but I thought of you a lot. Thought again about wanting to take care of, wanting to make it known that I'm available to take care of, my nieces and remembered a psychic reading I had several years ago mentioned something along those lines. It would be interesting to listen to those tapes again after so long. Three years, wow.
Goals for 4/24:
get on the trail by 8am
call Mom
call Amex re: bill
call re: Franklin shuttle
at least to Rock Gap shelter
Wasilik Poplar side trail
Internet/computer access in Franklin?
Highlights: sleeping in! Taking time to check out a view and the wreckage from a small plane crash. Oh yeah, I crossed my first state line yesterday and am now in North Carolina! The orange trees.
Food;
B - gluten-free cereal mix (too little water, corn did not rehydrate & was chewy), hot cocoa
L - trail mix (the last of Emily's good stuff)
D - awesome Mexican soup and chocolate
Retrospective: Dehydrated corn really must be rehydrated at a simmer for 20 minutes. Something my stove was incapable of doing (it has one setting - boil the heck out of everything) & my stomach was incapable of waiting on. Chewy veggies are still veggies. Crossing into North Carolina, the trail changed. It became suddenly warmer and more arid, and the distinction between the two states was surprising. Gracie lagged behind some when the temperatures rose, and I took on her load more frequently as a result.
23 April 2009 - Day 9, Mile 79.3 - Muskrat Creek Shelter -> Beech Gap Tenting Area
Slept in and took my time making breakfast and breaking camp. Rinsed some clothes in the stream and took time to hike back to Raven Cliffs to enjoy the unobstructed view and see the downed Cessna debris. Have I mentioned I've always wanted to get a pilot's license? Wanted to make Carter Gap shelter by tonight, but my noon start made that impossible. Probably could've marshalled on, but ran into Dave and Rock (section hikers) at Beech Gap and decided to camp with them. (I'd passed them the previous evening at Bly Gap). They're nice guys from Orlando, out hiking for the week (Hiawassee to Franklin). We ate dinner together sitting on downed logs, then hung bear bags. They tried to help me with mine (being gentleman, I suppose) but I had an easier time getting it done once I asked them to just let me do it myself. I really do need to lighten my food load, it's ridiculously heavy (and the bear line practically cuts into my hands as I hoist the bag).
Today I enjoyed hiking at my own pace and breaking camp at my own pace. I'd rather get going earlier and take my breaks at lunch and dinner, but today was a good experiment. Was thirsty most of the day. Water/streams are not as plentiful in North Carolina, and I didn't plan for or expect that. Will be more mindful tomorrow. Got into the 70s this afternoon and I took on Gracie's food since it was hot and water was limited. That helped her. It's starting to sprinkle now. As the sun was going down through the gap, a section of trees turned orange from the glow of the descending sun. The only real evidence of sunset other than glimpses of colored sky through the treetops. Amazing to see.
My coffee cup died (I'd carried a disposable from Georgia), so until Franklin, I'll drink from my cookpot if I need to make a beverage other than water. I'm filthy and starting to smell. I remind myself of the gorilla exhibit at the Houston Zoo.
Happy Birthday, Mom! I didn't have cell service today, but I thought of you a lot. Thought again about wanting to take care of, wanting to make it known that I'm available to take care of, my nieces and remembered a psychic reading I had several years ago mentioned something along those lines. It would be interesting to listen to those tapes again after so long. Three years, wow.
Goals for 4/24:
get on the trail by 8am
call Mom
call Amex re: bill
call re: Franklin shuttle
at least to Rock Gap shelter
Wasilik Poplar side trail
Internet/computer access in Franklin?
Highlights: sleeping in! Taking time to check out a view and the wreckage from a small plane crash. Oh yeah, I crossed my first state line yesterday and am now in North Carolina! The orange trees.
Food;
B - gluten-free cereal mix (too little water, corn did not rehydrate & was chewy), hot cocoa
L - trail mix (the last of Emily's good stuff)
D - awesome Mexican soup and chocolate
Retrospective: Dehydrated corn really must be rehydrated at a simmer for 20 minutes. Something my stove was incapable of doing (it has one setting - boil the heck out of everything) & my stomach was incapable of waiting on. Chewy veggies are still veggies. Crossing into North Carolina, the trail changed. It became suddenly warmer and more arid, and the distinction between the two states was surprising. Gracie lagged behind some when the temperatures rose, and I took on her load more frequently as a result.
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