Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Today was my thirtieth day on the trail, if you omit the eight days I left the trail to attend a conference.
I won't go so far as to say I've become a "lean, mean, hiking machine" in that time, but I feel I've gained much more experience and confidence than I had when I started.
| Weather | Mostly sunny, warming to the low-70s |
| Trail Conditions | Two big climbs, but not steep |
| Today's Miles | 15.7 miles |
| Trip Miles | 375.5 miles |
With that comes a better understanding of what it takes to be successful in a thru-hike. With this, I'm changing some of my habits. For instance, I'm waking up earlier to get out of camp sooner.
Leaving camp this morning at 8:15 by no means was getting up at the crack of dawn, yet I was the first hiker out of camp. That's progress for me.
Getting an earlier start hasn't added more miles to my day, at least not so far. I'm hiking about the same distance as before, but now I'm ending the day sooner. This gives me more time to relax at the end of the day.
To be sure, I'm enjoying my hike more these days.
Admittedly, the trail has had a lot to do with my extra vigor. For the most part, it has been smoother and wider lately, with few rocks, roots, or steep climbs.
The trail was smooth and easy as I left my campsite near Cherry Gap Shelter.
The weather has played a big part in my positive attitude. The temperature has been warmer but hasn't yet been too hot.
Best of all, there hasn't been much rain. Since my miserable day last Friday, rain has only fallen once, and that was overnight.
There has been plenty of water on the trail lately. That means I haven't needed to carry more than a liter at a time. The added number of streams also gives me a reason to take more short breaks.
I stopped at one stream that was just a little trickle of water cascading down the rock face of a hill next to the trail. Even little streams like this one are helpful because they are on the trail. I don't have to go far to reach them.
The trail made several climbs and descents today, but they were short enough to not be tiresome. The elevation changes have been more gradual in the last few days.
There haven't been as many wildflowers lately, but I'm still seeing occasional reminders that this is still springtime. One of these was a large patch of dwarf larkspur on the side of a hill. The purple flowers were highlighted by brilliant sunshine streaming through the trees.
After walking about three miles, I crossed a highway at Iron Mountain Gap. This junction was near the state line. Traveling north of here would be on Tennessee Highway 107. The road changes just a few yards in the other direction to become North Carolina Highway 226.
A sign was posted on a tree a short distance from the road crossing. It warned of fire danger ahead, but it was obsolete. There has been plenty of rain lately, which has all but eliminated the risk of fires.
The sign was put here last year when drought was a severe problem in the area.
The climb out of Iron Mountain Gap was stretched over a couple of miles, so it wasn't too strenuous.
After a gradual descent of two more miles, I ran into Skittles and Jeff at Greasy Creek Gap. They were standing on the trail and considering their options. If they took a side trip of about seven-tenths of a mile, they could get to Greasy Creek Friendly. Their idea was to pay the hostel's owner to drive them to a diner for lunch.
After a considerable amount of discussion, they decided to go for it.
By the way, you read that right. Greasy Creek Friendly is the name of the hostel. The owner named it "friendly" because she had been in a drawn-out battle with a hostile neighbor. After contending for years with his harassment, she went to court and got a judge to order the neighbor to stop his constant abuse.
I decided to push on instead of going off trail for a sandwich but told Skittles and Jeff I hoped to see them again.
The climb out of Greasy Creek Gap was considerably more substantial than the one out of Iron Mountain Gap. The route up to Little Rock Knob was nearly 1,000 feet of climbing in three miles.
I met Van Man once again as I approached the top. As he was doing yesterday, he was walking southbound.
When he attempted to explain his hiking plan yesterday, but I didn't grasp what he was doing. Seeing him again gave me a chance to ask about that again. What he said now made sense to me.
Van Man told me he drops off his son Darren on the trail to hike northbound, then he drives north to another trailhead where he can leave the van. He then hikes south to a prearranged spot where they camp. The next day he'll hike north with his son until they get back to the van. They might then go into a town with the van, or Darren will keep walking. Van Man will then drive north again to repeat the sequence.
Van Man doesn't get to hike every mile of the trail this way, but he does get to spend a lot of time with his son. I can appreciate that.
So far today, the up-and-down pattern of the trail hadn't offered many opportunities for views. The best spot for that came at the top of Little Rock Knob. Getting there required a long and winding path before reaching the top of the ridge.
I could see distant mountains from the top. They were becoming greener by the day as the trees in upper elevations begin to leaf out.
After descending from Little Rock Knob to Hughes Gap, I saw a large granite marker. This was similar to the gaudy one I saw a few days ago near Sam's Gap.
Maybe I shouldn't let these monuments bother me so much, but they do. They are gratuitous and out of place in a wilderness setting. They are not "Leave No Trace."
Heading up from Hughes Gap, the trail began its ascent toward Roan Mountain. When I started hiking this morning, I thought I might try to reach the shelter near the top of the mountain. By now, my enthusiasm for that idea was waning.
The shelter is located at the highest elevation of all shelters on the AT, and it has a reputation for being cold and drafty. It's also said to be a popular place for bears and mice.
With the time approaching 4 p.m., I shifted my plan and decided to stop at Ash Gap. The Guthook app said tenting space there was limited and a water source was a long way away. Still, this seemed to be a better, more comfortable option for me than Roan High Knob Shelter.
One reason I revised my plan was I expected the climb up Roan Mountain would be difficult. It wasn't nearly as bad. There were only a few steep sections and they were short. The trail included several switchbacks to make the climb easier.
I reached Ash Gap at about 5:30 p.m. The ground was covered in a thick, lush nap of grass.
A couple of hikers were camped nearby when I arrived. One was a thru-hiker named Haze, who was hiking for a few days with his friend, Dave. Haze told me he recently retired as an emergency room physician.
A few more hikers arrived after I set up my tent. Twisted, Nails, Rusty, Salsa, and Magic Taters all managed to find a space to pitch their tents despite what the app said.
Skittles and Jeff arrived later after a successful side trip for lunch at a diner.
Ash Gap was less than 1.5 miles from the top of Roan Mountain. It was also about 800 feet lower in elevation. The air was chilly but comfortable.
After crawling into my tent, I thought about what I'd learned so far in my first 30 days on the trail.
I've figured out how to stay focused on what I need to do to successfully reach Maine. At the same time, I feel I'm maintaining some balance by enjoying my surroundings and time with people.
In my first month of long-distance hiking, I've learned how to keep my energy up by consuming calories all day long. I'm trying to do a better job of recognizing the importance of getting the right kind of nutrition and not rely only on sugary snack bars.
I always knew the trail wasn't just a physical challenge, but now I'm experiencing that. Being away from my wife, family, and friends is difficult. Putting up daily with the discomforts of bad weather and an aching body make this hike as much an emotional challenge as a physical one.
Do I know it all now? Of course not, but it's starting to feel like I have the skills I need to go the distance.
It's a buck dancer's choice my friend, better take my advice
You know all the rules by now, and the fire from the ice
Will you come with me, won't you come with me?
Wo-oh, what I want to know, will you come with me?
This trail report was published on