EDITS: first, I named the hostel wrong, this is the Greasy Creek Friendly, not the Hiker Friendly. Second, Snap has a blog, which has pictures. She doesn't seem to update it much, but you can see some of the people I'm hiking with. Check it out here: www.maggieandbeki.blogspot.com
Updating two days in a row. Taking a nearo (near zero, that is) at the Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel, ~22 miles out of Erwin. The woman who runs this made me a FANTASTIC turkey sandwich, almost exactly like the one I'd been dreaming of the other day. Ah, sweet heaven.
So... after my 23ish mile day getting into Erwin, thanks to the damn detour around the Forest Service's controlled burn area (which included the shelter I planned to stay at), I only planned on doing a 4 mile day out of town; just up to the first shelter. When I got there, a girl named Motor Butt was there, bundled up in her sleeping bag in the middle of the day, reading the shelter register (where hikers leave little journal entries). Said that she and the weather (rainy, cold) were fighting. We get to talking a bit, and I mention I live in Michigan... she giggles. I'm like, what's so funny about Michigan? and she says she just met a girl from there. I'm like, it's Snap, isn't it? And it was. Apparently they left the very same shelter just 15 minutes before I got there.
Well of course I had to run after; I'd been trying to catch that group for a week, dammit. So onward 12 more miles. Sigh. But I caught them up on Unicol Mountain, and hiked the last 2 miles with my crew. Much better than hiking alone. And I'm impressed with myself, actually. Just a couple weeks ago, I nearly died in the Smokies doing 10 miles nonstop; yesterday, I did 11 miles without stopping even for a drink of water, hardly took a breather. Now, usually I sweat a ton, like I have a personal water source on my forehead (salty, unfortunately). With it being cool the last 2 days, I can go much longer.
Not trying to brag or anything, just kinda amazed by how quickly I'm adapting to the hiking, my legs feel so strong. Been pulling some big miles, even injured I was doing 15s and 16s. But I don't want to keep it up. I'd like to pull into camp earlier, and be able to relax. Hopefully my crew is down with that. Anyways, when it's hot and the springs dry up, big days can be harder to pull off. And really, this is a vacation of sorts. Why make it into work?
Anyways, it was freezing last night. I didn't sleep at all, really. When I did wake up, there was snow waiting outside the shelter, and a steady 20mph wind. Getting going was hard this morning, even with only 6 miles planned. I definitely have more respect for my dad for working out in cold like that for so many years. Though it's not bad to hike in, once you warm up. But--and mom, I'm sorry for this--but I really can see why he hates the cold, even though I think it's warmer right now in Detroit than it is down here. I'm in full long johns, fleece, and rain coat. Y'all are probably in shorts.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Erwin TN
No rain, no pain, no Maine. Heard that a few days ago, and think it's a great motto for this hike. I've had plenty of rain the last two days, and more today, since I plan to hike out of this hostel at least a few miles. It was so full last night I didn't even get a bunk, had to set up the tarp on the lawn. Shower was nice though, and the breakfast at the diner was so fattening and delicious. It's really amazing how much time you can spend fantisizing about food. I probably whiled away an hour or so yesterday thinking about a chicken sandwich. Yeah, that's right, a chicken sandwich. And if I could find a Taco Bell anywhere down here, I'd be in heaven.
Coming out of Hot Springs was a hard day for me. Hatchet really wanted me to get off the trail with him, hang out a month or so, then hike southbound from Maine with him. But I know if I got off the Trail for any amount of time, I'd quit. And there's no guarantee he's gonna be able to hike this year, his leg is in bad shape and he won't get it looked at. So that, coupled with the pain I was in, made the hike out of there hard. But I made it up to Max Patch, a bald about 10 miles out of town. Absolutely beautiful views, the sunset was amazing, so was the sunrise. It was clear all night, which was great because there was a meteor shower occuring. What luck to be out of the trees on a mountaintop, and to have clear skies! That goes down as one of the best nights of my life.
And as far as my injuries, most of my pain is gone. Hot Sauce gave me some Ibuprofen 2 days ago, and probably saved my hike in doing so. I was so frustrated with the state of my foot that I was on the verge of quitting. Then, limping into camp, he offered me the drugs, and it helped immensely, felt tons better the next day. Then Cayenne gave me a little baggie of some, she calls it vitamin I; that has also helped. I'm not big on drugs and such, but maybe they're not all just poision with a few good side effects. Or they are, but sometimes it's worth it.
But yeah, people out here are great, with everyone looking out for everyone; my opinion on humanity improves daily.
Coming out of Hot Springs was a hard day for me. Hatchet really wanted me to get off the trail with him, hang out a month or so, then hike southbound from Maine with him. But I know if I got off the Trail for any amount of time, I'd quit. And there's no guarantee he's gonna be able to hike this year, his leg is in bad shape and he won't get it looked at. So that, coupled with the pain I was in, made the hike out of there hard. But I made it up to Max Patch, a bald about 10 miles out of town. Absolutely beautiful views, the sunset was amazing, so was the sunrise. It was clear all night, which was great because there was a meteor shower occuring. What luck to be out of the trees on a mountaintop, and to have clear skies! That goes down as one of the best nights of my life.
And as far as my injuries, most of my pain is gone. Hot Sauce gave me some Ibuprofen 2 days ago, and probably saved my hike in doing so. I was so frustrated with the state of my foot that I was on the verge of quitting. Then, limping into camp, he offered me the drugs, and it helped immensely, felt tons better the next day. Then Cayenne gave me a little baggie of some, she calls it vitamin I; that has also helped. I'm not big on drugs and such, but maybe they're not all just poision with a few good side effects. Or they are, but sometimes it's worth it.
But yeah, people out here are great, with everyone looking out for everyone; my opinion on humanity improves daily.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Hot Springs.
Something is wrong with me, something is SERIOUSLY wrong with me. On the walk in to Hot Springs this morning, I found myself feeling strangely happy--yes, happy--to hear car traffic. It was like music to my ears. I never would have thought I'd feel that way about the sound of engines. Seems like I've spent years dreaming of being far, far away from them, and here I am, feeling comforted by them. Weird.
So yeah, I'm in Hot Springs this morning. Had a cup of coffee at a diner (having way too much food in my bag to consider buying any) and was really enjoying the music they had on. James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, acoustic stuff like that. Damn I miss music, probably one of the things I miss the most actually. Hatchet and I had on a great country station at Standing Bear, for as long as the rest of the people there would stand it, and it was like a little bit of heaven. I may end up buying a crank-up radio like Hatchet had for my listening pleasure, it's worth the weight.
Been hiking alone the last few days, as I mentioned Hatchet is off the trail. I meet up with people in the evenings but I'll admit, it's been hard lately. Hatchet would usually walk behind me, because I walk so slow that he joked that he never got tired (meanwhile I'm gasping my way up the hills, haha). He'd always be running his mouth, and the conversation really moved the hike along. Now I'm playing a serious mental game with myself, fighting off discouragement. I hope I can catch up to Snap, Snack, and Clayton (who now goes by Enoch, meaning "walks with God"). Now that I'm mostly healed up, I might be able to keep up with them.
Well, beautiful as this town is, the daylight's burning and I must be on my way. Hope everyone is well at home, I miss you all. Onward to Erwin!
So yeah, I'm in Hot Springs this morning. Had a cup of coffee at a diner (having way too much food in my bag to consider buying any) and was really enjoying the music they had on. James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, acoustic stuff like that. Damn I miss music, probably one of the things I miss the most actually. Hatchet and I had on a great country station at Standing Bear, for as long as the rest of the people there would stand it, and it was like a little bit of heaven. I may end up buying a crank-up radio like Hatchet had for my listening pleasure, it's worth the weight.
Been hiking alone the last few days, as I mentioned Hatchet is off the trail. I meet up with people in the evenings but I'll admit, it's been hard lately. Hatchet would usually walk behind me, because I walk so slow that he joked that he never got tired (meanwhile I'm gasping my way up the hills, haha). He'd always be running his mouth, and the conversation really moved the hike along. Now I'm playing a serious mental game with myself, fighting off discouragement. I hope I can catch up to Snap, Snack, and Clayton (who now goes by Enoch, meaning "walks with God"). Now that I'm mostly healed up, I might be able to keep up with them.
Well, beautiful as this town is, the daylight's burning and I must be on my way. Hope everyone is well at home, I miss you all. Onward to Erwin!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Smokie Mountain Madness
Well, Franklin was ridiculous. Almost got kicked out; shouldn't have let the hippie group sneak in the motel room for showers and sleeping. Live and learn, I guess. We've outrun them since then, intentionally. I miss the music around the fire, though.
The smoky mountains were also ridiculous. Hatchet's leg gave out the day before, so he stayed at a hostel this last week while I hiked through them with Clayton (the Kansas guy) and Snap and Snack (that is, Rebbecca and Maggie, the Detroit girls). We left Fontana around 2:30, with 13.5 miles ahead of us. The dam was closed, so we had to go the 2.8 mile detour. My left ankle was pretty fucked up already, thanks to me running down a mountain trying to keep up with Hatchet and some girl we'd met a couple days prior. So, we hike up, and up, and up out of Fontana to the ridgeline and the 3 inches of snow that was up there. And then it starts getting dark.
Well, I've never been so exhausted in my life. We took no breaks, except when my crew waited for me to catch up, which means they got breaks, I didn't. I eventually had no choice but to put myself into a trance so I wouldn't feel any pain, and just push on. It worked, and I finally caught up with Maggie and just followed her. Didn't want to be hiking alone in the cold dark, especially with the thick fog that was forming. We finally made it to the Mollies Ridge shelter around 9 or so, and I swear the last hour of hiking I was not in my right mind. It was like I wasn't even there, there was just the breathing, and the walking.
I couldn't even eat when I got there, just sat by the fire trying to remember who I was, and get my breathing back to normal. Never breathed so deep and pure in my life. I dried off the sweat as best I could, having nothing to change into, crawled into my sleeping bag, and slept.
The rest of the Smokies was just a fog of pain. Great views, true, and great weather, but I limped the whole way through. Today, my ankle is feeling 80%, but my right foot bones are terribly sore from favoring the left ankle. Yesterday it was the foot and the knee. It never ends. Had my first serious thoughts of quitting yesterday because of it, but I saw a family of deer on the trail just looking at me, and took it as an omen. I'm here at Standing Bear Farm taking the day off, hoping that it will help. Hatchet is back, he actually met us at the Davenport Gap shelter (just a couple miles from here) this morning and carried my pack down to the road, where I hopped a shuttle in to the hostel. Good to have my hiking partner back. Found some boots here that pretty much fit, too, so I'll be giving them a shot. But rest assured, I do plan to hike in my mocc's when it's dry. Gotta live up to my name, dammit.
This hostel does beer runs too. Yay!
The smoky mountains were also ridiculous. Hatchet's leg gave out the day before, so he stayed at a hostel this last week while I hiked through them with Clayton (the Kansas guy) and Snap and Snack (that is, Rebbecca and Maggie, the Detroit girls). We left Fontana around 2:30, with 13.5 miles ahead of us. The dam was closed, so we had to go the 2.8 mile detour. My left ankle was pretty fucked up already, thanks to me running down a mountain trying to keep up with Hatchet and some girl we'd met a couple days prior. So, we hike up, and up, and up out of Fontana to the ridgeline and the 3 inches of snow that was up there. And then it starts getting dark.
Well, I've never been so exhausted in my life. We took no breaks, except when my crew waited for me to catch up, which means they got breaks, I didn't. I eventually had no choice but to put myself into a trance so I wouldn't feel any pain, and just push on. It worked, and I finally caught up with Maggie and just followed her. Didn't want to be hiking alone in the cold dark, especially with the thick fog that was forming. We finally made it to the Mollies Ridge shelter around 9 or so, and I swear the last hour of hiking I was not in my right mind. It was like I wasn't even there, there was just the breathing, and the walking.
I couldn't even eat when I got there, just sat by the fire trying to remember who I was, and get my breathing back to normal. Never breathed so deep and pure in my life. I dried off the sweat as best I could, having nothing to change into, crawled into my sleeping bag, and slept.
The rest of the Smokies was just a fog of pain. Great views, true, and great weather, but I limped the whole way through. Today, my ankle is feeling 80%, but my right foot bones are terribly sore from favoring the left ankle. Yesterday it was the foot and the knee. It never ends. Had my first serious thoughts of quitting yesterday because of it, but I saw a family of deer on the trail just looking at me, and took it as an omen. I'm here at Standing Bear Farm taking the day off, hoping that it will help. Hatchet is back, he actually met us at the Davenport Gap shelter (just a couple miles from here) this morning and carried my pack down to the road, where I hopped a shuttle in to the hostel. Good to have my hiking partner back. Found some boots here that pretty much fit, too, so I'll be giving them a shot. But rest assured, I do plan to hike in my mocc's when it's dry. Gotta live up to my name, dammit.
This hostel does beer runs too. Yay!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Franklin NC
Well, I made it to my first new state! North Carolina has much bigger mountains than GA, it's great. Loving the downhills; the climbs are damn hard on me though. I renamed Albert Mountain; it's now officially Asskick Mountain. 360 degree view from the top, if you climb the old firetower. Too bad I didn't have any pics left on my roll of film. But I had one of my newfound hiking partners take a shot and email it to me so at least there's that. Me and Hatchet have sorta teamed up with these two guys from Kansas, they've been a bunch of fun; one of them is the one who took the pic. Also been trying to hike with those girls from Detroit I mentioned before... problem is we go a little faster and no one wants to slow down; we sometimes meet up with them at the campsites, more often not. It's a work in progress.
I'm in Franklin tonight, somewhat against my wishes, as Hatchet was thinking about giving up and wanted to rest his legs and boost his spirits. He's currently getting drunk. It's a bit early for me, and truth be told I'm kind of annoyed to have to spend another night in town so soon after Hiawassee, but I don't want to lose my hiking partner. Doing this trail really depends on the people you're with. The physical part can be tough, but my body is adapting. Even my foot is mostly better, as long as I hike in my moccasins. The hardest part can be the mental part. Was feeling pretty depressed the other morning; insomnia struck and I ended up thinking about a lot of shit I shouldn't be. It makes hiking hard, because your head isn't in it. Fortunately I have so many cool people around me most of the day that I can at least keep going. Eventually things get better.
Still, I'd rather be spending my nights and zero days in the woods. You don't bleed money out there. I have a long way to go to get to Maine, and I seem to spend 80 bucks or so when we stay in these towns, and I want to do this on the cheap. I just gotta get that through Hatchet's head.
I'm in Franklin tonight, somewhat against my wishes, as Hatchet was thinking about giving up and wanted to rest his legs and boost his spirits. He's currently getting drunk. It's a bit early for me, and truth be told I'm kind of annoyed to have to spend another night in town so soon after Hiawassee, but I don't want to lose my hiking partner. Doing this trail really depends on the people you're with. The physical part can be tough, but my body is adapting. Even my foot is mostly better, as long as I hike in my moccasins. The hardest part can be the mental part. Was feeling pretty depressed the other morning; insomnia struck and I ended up thinking about a lot of shit I shouldn't be. It makes hiking hard, because your head isn't in it. Fortunately I have so many cool people around me most of the day that I can at least keep going. Eventually things get better.
Still, I'd rather be spending my nights and zero days in the woods. You don't bleed money out there. I have a long way to go to get to Maine, and I seem to spend 80 bucks or so when we stay in these towns, and I want to do this on the cheap. I just gotta get that through Hatchet's head.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Hiawassee
Well, my hiking partner, Hatchet (so named because he carries a hatchet), has convinced me to stop for a zero day here in Hiawassee, GA. Got us a motel, even. It's pretty nice, actually... I'm showered, and have a few beers in me, and life is generally good. About to head down to the all-you-can-eat chinese restaurant, can't wait. I'm pretty happy about the fact that all the people we started hiking with are still in it, and are pretty much just behind us. There's all kinds of cool people out here; one group had so much food they were giving it away (already cooked!) to kill weight, and one of them is a damn fine harmonica player. There's also a girl with a half-size guitar, we've had some jam sessions up in these mountains so far! Every day I meet some cool people, and that's been one of the best parts so far. Even though the fog and rain haven't let up for more than a day so far, I'm having a great time. My body is beginning to adjust to the rigors, though I may have a stress fracture in my right foot...I have no way of knowing but it does tend to hurt. Well, stomach is growling, gonna head out. Hope everyone back home is doing well, I'll try to update again soon.
-Moccasin
-Moccasin
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