More coming soon, I didn't have time to upload the most recent ones from the Smokies yet.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Indecisively Named Blog Post
I couldn't decide what to name this post. I had a bunch of ideas as I was walking, and I'll just talk about each of them.
"Weekly"
Since I've been keeping to my proposed schedule so well...
Since I've been keeping to my proposed schedule so well...
"Roads. Right things. Nobody shits in the well."
It's a joke from The Wise Man's Fear about civilization. After leaving the Smokies, we almost immediately crossed under powerlines, crossed our first interstate (I-40?), and stayed at a hostel. It was odd to see so many people and cars and litter, since we had been in a National Park for about a week. (Ignoring Gatlinburg).
It's a joke from The Wise Man's Fear about civilization. After leaving the Smokies, we almost immediately crossed under powerlines, crossed our first interstate (I-40?), and stayed at a hostel. It was odd to see so many people and cars and litter, since we had been in a National Park for about a week. (Ignoring Gatlinburg).
"You should have seen that sunrise (with your own eyes)"
From the song 3x5. This was for the morning after we stayed at Max Patch, when we saw a great sunrise. We did take pictures, but it really didn't fit into a picture frame. The entire time I stayed there was great. Spyro had to wait at Standing Bear to get a package from Ari, and I got to Max Patch hours before him, and called all of my family. (Though both my dad and mom said almost the same thing. "Hi. Great to hear from you. I have a meeting now." *click* #exaggerated) I really enjoyed lounging around enjoying the panoramic view and talking to people.
From the song 3x5. This was for the morning after we stayed at Max Patch, when we saw a great sunrise. We did take pictures, but it really didn't fit into a picture frame. The entire time I stayed there was great. Spyro had to wait at Standing Bear to get a package from Ari, and I got to Max Patch hours before him, and called all of my family. (Though both my dad and mom said almost the same thing. "Hi. Great to hear from you. I have a meeting now." *click* #exaggerated) I really enjoyed lounging around enjoying the panoramic view and talking to people.
"Leapfrog"
Normally when I'm hiking, I take a short break every hour or two, but coming out of Hot Springs was hot. Spyro said he would have much rather visited Warm Springs. So on 4/13 we kept passing people who then passed us a half hour later when we stopped. Eventually the group of us who were hiking (me, Spyro, Dr. Zoom, Wet Stray Dog) all stopped at a pond and laughed about it as we got water.
Normally when I'm hiking, I take a short break every hour or two, but coming out of Hot Springs was hot. Spyro said he would have much rather visited Warm Springs. So on 4/13 we kept passing people who then passed us a half hour later when we stopped. Eventually the group of us who were hiking (me, Spyro, Dr. Zoom, Wet Stray Dog) all stopped at a pond and laughed about it as we got water.
"Rain, Sleet, Snow, AND Hail"
The next day was a rainstorm, but the day after the weather got bad. (I have the opinion that the weather should pick which side of 32 degrees it wants to be on and stay there.) In the morning it raining, and we stopped for lunch at a place that was also a hostel (that I have to ask Spyro for the name of every time). The owner was trying to convince us that the weather was bad enough that we should stay there, and mentioned that it was sleeting further down the trail. (I never actually saw the sleet.) When we continued hiking it was snowing, and then there was maybe-hail, which was tiny ice pellets. Dr. Zoom thought it wasnt, and I trust him because he's a doctor. (He's not actually a doctor.) When we stayed in Highback Ridge Shelter, Zoom set up his tent inside the shelter, to the amusement of everyone inside. (There was room in the shelter because tents are generally warmer.)
The next day was a rainstorm, but the day after the weather got bad. (I have the opinion that the weather should pick which side of 32 degrees it wants to be on and stay there.) In the morning it raining, and we stopped for lunch at a place that was also a hostel (that I have to ask Spyro for the name of every time). The owner was trying to convince us that the weather was bad enough that we should stay there, and mentioned that it was sleeting further down the trail. (I never actually saw the sleet.) When we continued hiking it was snowing, and then there was maybe-hail, which was tiny ice pellets. Dr. Zoom thought it wasnt, and I trust him because he's a doctor. (He's not actually a doctor.) When we stayed in Highback Ridge Shelter, Zoom set up his tent inside the shelter, to the amusement of everyone inside. (There was room in the shelter because tents are generally warmer.)
"Double Nero (All across the sky?)"
At this point I was getting pretty fatigued. I hadn't had a 0 since Fontana Dam. (Though there was a Nero in/around Gatlinburg) (AFAIK Spyro doesn't get fatigued. He's been hiking faster than me since the second week, and so has had more rest while we're hiking. I've been closing the gap recently.) So we took a double Nero around Uncle Johnnys, which gave us more than 24 straight hours of rest, with two great rounds of Kings right in the middle of it. I also went to a Holy Thursday Mass at the local Catholic Church, which was the only service I've been to since starting the trail. The double Nero really helped me transition into the 20+ mile days that we've been doing since.
At this point I was getting pretty fatigued. I hadn't had a 0 since Fontana Dam. (Though there was a Nero in/around Gatlinburg) (AFAIK Spyro doesn't get fatigued. He's been hiking faster than me since the second week, and so has had more rest while we're hiking. I've been closing the gap recently.) So we took a double Nero around Uncle Johnnys, which gave us more than 24 straight hours of rest, with two great rounds of Kings right in the middle of it. I also went to a Holy Thursday Mass at the local Catholic Church, which was the only service I've been to since starting the trail. The double Nero really helped me transition into the 20+ mile days that we've been doing since.
"Happy Holidays"
This one would only work if I posted it on Easter. The morning of Easter I made sure to say "Happy Easter" to the first group of hikers that I walked past, and they didn't respond as expected. They said "Happy 4/20" back. (I hadn't been keeping track of the date.) We decided that the politically correct thing to do would be to say Happy Holidays to include everybody. Also, considering the amount of people who smoke on the trail, 4/20 was much more actively celebrated.
This one would only work if I posted it on Easter. The morning of Easter I made sure to say "Happy Easter" to the first group of hikers that I walked past, and they didn't respond as expected. They said "Happy 4/20" back. (I hadn't been keeping track of the date.) We decided that the politically correct thing to do would be to say Happy Holidays to include everybody. Also, considering the amount of people who smoke on the trail, 4/20 was much more actively celebrated.
"A History of Magic (by Bathilda Bagshot?)"
We have been getting ridiculously lucky with trail magically recently. The day before Easter, we got magic twice, a guy from the church I went to at Indian Grave Gap (BT), and from Rob at Iron Mountain Gap. We saw signs saying that there would be Easter Morning magic, and arrived there with the "Happy Holidays" group. It was the leftovers from a local church's Easter morning breakfast delivered by Tailgate, a section hiker with less than 100 miles in the Whites left, and it was great. Later that day, I walked by the shelter that we were supposed to eat lunch in, and I ran into some previous thru-hikers while I ate, and they were happy to give me some snacks and take my trash.
We have been getting ridiculously lucky with trail magically recently. The day before Easter, we got magic twice, a guy from the church I went to at Indian Grave Gap (BT), and from Rob at Iron Mountain Gap. We saw signs saying that there would be Easter Morning magic, and arrived there with the "Happy Holidays" group. It was the leftovers from a local church's Easter morning breakfast delivered by Tailgate, a section hiker with less than 100 miles in the Whites left, and it was great. Later that day, I walked by the shelter that we were supposed to eat lunch in, and I ran into some previous thru-hikers while I ate, and they were happy to give me some snacks and take my trash.
And then, yesterday, before getting into Damascus, we got double magic again! There was a metal bear box that had a cooler of soda and some snacks from the local church, and then Polar Bear gave us some snacks and enough bottled water to keep us from having to walk 0.3 for a spring. (Thru-hikers will gladly walk 20+ mile days, but we love to bitch about water sources that require more than a half mile round trip. There is a definite differnence between a short 0.2 to a water source and a long 0.2)
"22 miles is my upper limit" or "DAMASCATHON!!!"
After our first 22 mile day on 4/23, I was pretty beat. I told Spyro that I probably shouldn't push any further than that for a little while. Mobius told me that I should push my limits, and I realized that we were staying 26.3 miles from the center of Damascus. (You can see where this is going...) The next day we pushed hard in the morning, and managed 15 miles before we took lunch. We ran into Dr. Zoom, who had pushed 25 the day before and was doing the Damascathon. (I got him water down a long 0.2, since there was no point in making multiple people make the walk. I carried 7 liters up that side trail. Most workout my arms have gotten yet.) So after 5 we hit a campsite and decided to press on. We hit the TN-VA state line, and pressed on. The last mile or so was slow, and the bottoms of my feet hurt, but I feel great after a 0.
After our first 22 mile day on 4/23, I was pretty beat. I told Spyro that I probably shouldn't push any further than that for a little while. Mobius told me that I should push my limits, and I realized that we were staying 26.3 miles from the center of Damascus. (You can see where this is going...) The next day we pushed hard in the morning, and managed 15 miles before we took lunch. We ran into Dr. Zoom, who had pushed 25 the day before and was doing the Damascathon. (I got him water down a long 0.2, since there was no point in making multiple people make the walk. I carried 7 liters up that side trail. Most workout my arms have gotten yet.) So after 5 we hit a campsite and decided to press on. We hit the TN-VA state line, and pressed on. The last mile or so was slow, and the bottoms of my feet hurt, but I feel great after a 0.
"Descent into Madness"
I've picked up a walking stick, named him Wilson, and have started thumbing my earlobe and humming when I see a pretty girl. Kidding, though I did pick up the walking stick. Though from what I hear, my next post may be "VA: Descent into Madness"
I've picked up a walking stick, named him Wilson, and have started thumbing my earlobe and humming when I see a pretty girl. Kidding, though I did pick up the walking stick. Though from what I hear, my next post may be "VA: Descent into Madness"
Pussel-gut
Thursday, April 10, 2014
[Derek] Higher, Faster, and a Trail Name
As of this writing, we've completed over 15% of the Appalachian Trail. Woo-hoo! (In other words, we've covered over 340 miles on the trail, not counting side trails and the Approach trail.)
Last time I posted was from Fontana Dam, NC. A lot has happened since then - we've traversed most of the border between NC and TN, including the Great Smoky Mountains.
When we ascended into the Smokies from Fontana, we entered one of the national parks that has a lot of rules on hiking and camping. The one the affected us was the fact that you MAY NOT camp anywhere in the Smokies, and you must make a reservation for every shelter you plan to stay at. Luckily, alternative arrangements are available for thru-hikers. You still have to buy a $20 pass and commit to exiting the 70-mile stretch of trail within the Smokies within 8 days, but you're allowed to sleep at any shelter you want and camp outside the shelter iff* it fills up. Section-hikers with reservations get to kick us out of shelter, though. Lame.
*if and only if
Anyways. The Smokies are mainly known for 2 things: containing the highest point on the AT (Clingman's Dome, at about 6644ft), and for having notoriously bad weather. Out of 6 days in the Smokies, 4 were rainy, wet, or freezing - and many trees on the ridges had rime ice on them! (See pics below, rime ice is formed on the windward side of a tree from fog or wet air freezing onto it.) However, some of the views we got were well worth the weather - much of the Trail ran along mountain ridgelines, giving us fantastic vistas across the mountains and into the valleys. Clingman's Dome in particular had awesome views once every few minutes (when the fog temporarily blew away).
We stopped in Gatlinburg, TN during the Smokies for resupply. I heard someone describe it as "Myrtle Beach without the beach" - quite accurate. It was as touristy of a town as you could imagine, with a main strip with attractions and free moonshine tastings (welcome to Tennessee, I suppose) and it was packed full of vacationers. Even though the town was only about 15 miles away from the mountains, it was probably 20 degrees warmer and sunny! So we had ourselves a gigantic meal at Texas Roadhouse and enjoyed the sun while it lasted. No, we did not do a moonshine tasting and yes, we regret it!
After we descended from the Smokies, we stayed at a farm-turned-hostel called Standing Bear Farm. That day was my 22nd birthday - getting out of the Smokies was an awesome present! We sat around a campfire that night, making friends by sharing out the delicious fancy chocolate bar from my parents, and I started lighting sticks on fire. As I didn't have a trail name yet, somebody suggested "Pyro", but that didn't quite fit. Then "Spyro", after the dragon, was suggested. I figured it was a good name with a good story and it seemed to fit - so it stuck!
A trail name is essentially a fanciful alias that you go by on the trail. Everyone has one, so I don't actually know the real names of people I've met - I've met Trademark, Morning Wood, Spice, Apple, Titty Cakes, Solo, Sprout, Mutton Chops, Robin, and many others so far. It's part of the culture of the Trail.
We're starting to consistently do between 16 and 20 miles per day now (instead of between 10 and 15) so that we can ramp up our pace and make up for the lost time at the start. At this point, we're in Erwin, TN and expecting to be in Damascus, VA (a well-known trail town) in just a little over a week. Looking forward to getting to Virginia at last!
Pics below: Permit box in the Smokies, view from Clingman's Dome, me in front of the Clingman's observation tower, NC/TN state line (one sign of many), rime ice on trees, our cabin at Standing Bear Farm, Pussel-gut* flying a tent, panoramic view from Max Patch.
*Matt's trail name
EDIT: seems like the Clingman's Dome and state line pics didn't upload right, appending them to end end of the post. The Blogger mobile app is not very good.
Friday, April 4, 2014
[Derek] Pictures of Georgia
Now up here (and linked from redfern.io/thru)! And more blog updates coming soon.
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