Lessons Learned from an October Section Hike on the AT – Damascus to Bland

(Repost of a section hike and lessons learned)

Continuing my third round of completing the Appalachian Trail with a lengthy hike of over 120 miles. My only catch this time is I had eight days to complete it. Thus it required me

The climb north to Buzzard Rock yields a great view

to do heftier miles for longer periods of time (averaging 15 miles) and without rest. It also occurred during a drought time on the trail which has seen little in rainfall.

Water Issues. I talk about this issue in another blog, but my trip required a good idea of reliable water locations. I carried the guidebook pages and maps. I did ask hikers along the way what water was available and most had a hard time remembering. But what I did hear at least boosted my confidence that there was fairly adequate water availability.

Most bridges went over dry areas unless they were bigger creeks

Murky Water sources. The evening of Day One saw me camped by a black pond as my water source. In all the miles I have hiked, I have never had to pre filter water. But in this case it was a must to avoid the sediment clogging my Sawyer filter. I took a bandana (glad I had two with me for this hike!) and ran the water through. The bandana worked perfectly to collect the dark sediment. I then filtered the water through the regular Sawyer filter. While the water was still discolored, it was free of particles and treated.

Elevation and Weather. It pays to know the weather ahead of time. The hike began in summer-like

Snow and cold wind on Chestnut Knob

70s but I knew at the end I would face cold conditions. What I didn’t count on also was snow on Chestnut Knob! SO I had both extremes, warm and snow in a week section hike. Be sure to check the weather up to the minute and prepare for weather extremes, taking into account the elevation in which you will be hiking. I felt weird carrying cold weather gear at first, esp. with hikers bouncing along with light packs for the summer temps, but at the end of the week, I used everything I had and glad I packed what I did.

Other Hikers. I must say, on this trip I met the friendliest hikers out there. Everyone greeted me. I saw lots of southbound thru-hikers also as they are heading for final destination of Springer Mtn in GA, only weeks away (and boy were they happy!). It was great to see such a collection of friendly hikers out there enjoying the trail. The only issue I saw among most – no one was wearing blaze orange!!

Animals. In this section of trail it is not so much the bears but ponies and longhorn cattle! In several instances, the cattle stood directly on the trail. The horns were quite intimidating, I must say. I did

what I usually do with bears, talked to them like my dogs in a confident manner and they thankfully moved. But it was still nerve-wracking.

Overuse. Because of the persistent high miles over rough terrain, I am now nursing a fairly bad anterior tibial tendonitis on my right leg. Even after four days of basically no walking t is still bothering me. So the rule is – don’t overdo or you will suffer the consequences! And that is something I ought to know by now! Check out tips on my Overuse blog.

Sunset at Thomas Knob Shelter

Observations and Lessons Learned on Section Hikes Series:

Bland to Catawba

Amicalola Falls To Stecoah Gap

Stecoah Gap to Spivy Gap

Observations in Winter Backpacking - Shenandoah

Five Reasons to Attend Hiker Festivals and Workshops

Sometimes the expense, time away, and distance to attend a hiker festival or workshop may not seem like a worthwhile investment. But having just returned recently from The Gathering – the Appalachian Long Distance Hiker (ALDHA) premier festival that occurs every October during Columbus Day weekend, I have discovered several really good reasons for taking the time out to come gather with other hikers – 

1.     Education. Despite the trail miles we may have put on or the adventures we have seen, there is always things we can learn from others. The Gathering I just attended had a multitude of workshops covering a variety of topics: from various hiking trails found around the world, to How To, to preserving the trails we love. All of them provided ways to learn.  Even if the festival does not have workshops, attending informal gatherings provides time for feedback about different hiker topics and thus, education (for instance I received valuable info on the Florida Trail and the Benton MacKaye Trail just by chatting with hikers). You can take your backpack to many events and have a shake down from fellow hikers and discuss gear options. And speaking of invaluable education – be sure to check out the all day workshop we conduct in March to get ready for spring hiking (registration opens in December).

 

2.       Networking with hikers. It’s important to meet old and make new friends in the world of hiking. They are the people who best understand the difficulty found on the trail, or loneliness of a hiker who can’t find others who understand their passion or their goals. This kind of networking provides advice, friendship, ideas, companionship, and fun!

3.       Adventure. Going to new places, even hiker festivals, provides an outlet for an alternate adventure. I mean, in one sense, we all hike to experience adventure away from the mundane. A hiker festival or gathering provides an outlet also for the adventuresome spirit, when one never knows WHAT will happen or the people you may meet! It can and often does, surprise you.

 

4.       Fun. Festivals are fun. They are magnets for having a good time around a campfire at the tenting area, for joking about things that have happened, to just reveling in the hiker atmosphere such as in the hiker parade at Trail Days in Damascus and having a good, old fashioned water fight!

5.       Make New Dreams. I have had my dreams for future hikes stimulated by hiker gatherings. I have found out about new trails or information about a trail or area I plan to go  – and by those that have done it. Maybe you also nurse a dream of getting that pack weight down or finding a new friend to hike with, or doing a thru hike. Festivals, Workshops, Gatherings, Rucks, etc. provide a great opportunity to make your hiking dream a reality.    

      Hiker Festival Page

Book Release Party Day 5 - What are Friends For?

Day 4 of the Book Release Party for Mountains, Madness, and Miracles celebrates friendships. The Appalachian Trail brings together a closeknit circle of friends unlike any other community. No matter your background or where you come from, when you are out on the trail, you are one hiking together. You are there enjoying the triumphs and the hardships, sharing about gear, the trail, and the next meal. And you develop friendships that last way beyond the hike itself.

Hikernutt and I were reunited on the trail in Maryland where I worked as a ridgerunner

Today's special guest is an interview with one of my close friends I met because of the Appalachian Trail. Her trail name is "Hikernutt."  Without her friendship in the Smokies, I doubt very much I would have lasted. You see, I was ready to quit when I ran into her. She kept me going with encouraging words and a smile you will never forget. I talk about her in my book, but now, find out more about this great hiker and friend of the trail.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am 47 years old and love to hike.  My husband and I started hiking back in 2000. We went out for a four day trip, met lots of great hikers that we are still in touch with today and we have been hooked on hiking ever since. We spent every weekend and week long vacations on the AT. In 2000 we made it to Fontana and then in 2001 we picked back up at Fontana and every weekend and week long vacation we could fit in we were on the trail and finally made it Damascus VA where we ended our hike together. We would get out ever weekend and hike somewhere. Then in 2007 I decided to leave my job of 18 years and try to do a thru Hike on the AT. I had met Blissful when we were starting through the Smokey Mountains. I was so scared heading into the Smokies and I don't know why, I had been through the Smokies several times but this was different for some reason. Then on the first night I met Blissful and we sat and talked and all my fears went away. It was so great meeting her.  

Why did you decide to hike the Appalachian Trail?

My husband and I hiked it together in 2000 and 2001 and I feel in love with the beauty and magic and peace the Appalachian Trail brings to me.  I can be in such a bad mood or down in the dumps and go for a hike and within 15 minutes I feel so much better, even on the worst days on the AT. 

How did you meet Blissful and Paul Bunyan?

Hikernutt and I at Newfound Gap in the Smokies

I was starting to enter the Smokey Mountains and was scared, I was stopped for a break and here came Blissful and Paul Bunyan.  We managed to stay at the same shelters every night and hike together most of the time during the day. If it had not been for meeting Blissful and Paul Bunyan I probably would not have made it through the Smokies.  

  

Thinking back on your trail experiences so far, what have been the highlights for you?

Meeting all the great people and learning so much about myself, learning that I can take care of myself.

For those thinking of the hiking the Appalachian Trail, what are two things you recommend?

Always listen to your body, and don't get in a hurry. The mountains are not going anywhere.

What is your favorite piece of hiking gear?

My Mountain Hardware -15 degree sleeping.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?

Happy

On Charlies Bunion, in the Smokies

To Order Mountains, Madness, and Miracles  - 4000 Miles along the Appalachian Trail

In Print - Amazon and Barnes and Noble

E-book - Kindle  or  Nook

The Joy of an Inner Circle

It's time for Blissful Hiking to take to the trail and hike, and what better place than to traverse the trail that I undertook some six years ago with my then teen son (which we completed in September, 2007). As I begin my three week adventure on the Appalachian Trail from the Approach Trail north, I thought I'd share this excerpt from my upcoming book - Mountains, Madness and Miracles (preorder available right now from Amazon) and our first day on the hike.Oh, the value of a hiking inner circle!

I'll see you back here in a few weeks with doubtless more adventures and insights to share!


 Excerpt- Mountains, Madness and Miracles - 4,000 Miles Along the Appalachian Trail

I shoulder my pack that seems to be gaining weight the longer I stand there. I take up my hiking poles, whisper a prayer, and begin the Approach Trail. We walk but a half mile when Paul Bunyan falls behind. Calling to him around a bend in the trail, he ignores our plea to catch up and hike as a family. He claims he will take this at his own pace, if at all. I try not to let doubt creep in, even as I struggle with sudden pains erupting out of nowhere in my foot and knee. It appears everything is in rebellion. 

Dread washes over me. What am I thinking, in all honesty? How can I possibly do some trail from Georgia to Maine? All the plans, the preparations, the dreams, are about to come crashing down in defeat on day one—before I even arrive at the official start of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain.  

            We complete the mile up the Approach Trail to the top of Amicalola Falls. There I take off my pack and struggle with the feeling that I’m making the worst mistake of my life. I can hear it now when we arrive home in defeat. The sympathetic looks mixed with “I thought it would be too much.” Or other sentiments meant to comfort but act as barbs instead. 

I turn to see Paul Bunyan stumbling up the trail. He throws down his pack in an act of surrender. I can tell from his face what he’s thinking, and it’s not looking good. . .

The son

You got that right. And this is what I’m thinking. I’m not going any farther on this stupid thing. Man, I can’t believe how steep it is. I’m not cut out for this. This is a joke. Maybe if I lag behind, we’ll stop and rethink this plan. 

At this point I’m still wondering what’s going on and what we’re doing. It all seems weird to me. Maybe we’ll get to the top of the mountain and say, Okay, let’s go back down and maybe head out again tomorrow and see what happens. This will only be a one or two night thing. It can’t go on for weeks. No way.   

Me

            Sigh. It looks like we may be turning around here at the rest room, atop the waterfalls that gives the park its name. One mile on the Approach Trail and we are throwing in the towel, before we even see the first white blaze. The unthinkable is about to happen. We are going to head home in utter defeat. Oh God, how can this be?

            Suddenly a man clutching a cigarette appears from around the rest room, his head wrapped in a bandanna. He introduces himself as Flint. Immediately I recognize the name from a hiking website on the Internet. His wife contacted me a few days before via the site where I’m keeping my online trail journal. She mentioned her husband’s plan to start March 5 and that his name is Flint. I already have a connection to the trail! 

Our hiking inner circle that first day on the Approach Trail

The next moment we’re joined by Dr. B, the man we met at the arch where we exchanged pictures. We all begin talking about the hike. . .and then we begin hiking together. I don’t think any more about giving up or that Paul Bunyan lags behind. We’re officially part of a hiking circle that will become the mainstay of long-distance hiking—a league of fellow hikers who hold to some wild, farfetched dream of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.    

            Not long into the hike I realize the value of that inner circle. When we come to a trail intersection, Dr. B and Flint wait patiently for Paul Bunyan to catch up. They refuse to leave him behind. They acknowledge him as a vital member of the group. They take their time, enjoying a slow, relaxed pace on a fine spring day. And with that patience, Paul Bunyan seems to have more energy. 

The doubts are taking flight. We are not going home after all. We are on our way north by way of a trail.

Ongoing Battle over Acts of Kindness

Picture from last year's Hiker Picnic we held up in Shenandoah on Memorial Day Weekend


Believe it or not, there is an ongoing battle right now on White Blaze with regards to Trail Magic and Hiker feeds. Some are vehemently opposed to giving food to hikers on the AT. They say they are on "vacation". They don't need people giving them handouts. They say there are people starving and that we should devote time and energy to those who truly hunger. Or thirst. Or they say that one should give back to the trail not by nursing the hikers but by taking care of the trail through maintenance.

All are valid points in their own right. But who is to say what is right and wrong with regards to bestowing kindness on our fellow man? In our own feeble minds, we look through a glass darkly. Who is to say that though the hiker on a trail might be on a vacation of sorts by taking time away to hike, his soul and heart longs for a friendly face, for an answer to some unspoken question in their hearts, for an answer to satisfy a true hunger in their souls? For hope? I am not going to sit on some throne and decide who is "worthy" of hiker food. Or if my time and attention should go to some other more noble cause in someone else's mind. To me, this is a noble cause. I have a desire to reach out to other hikers making this trek on a lonely trail. It is my mission field, so to speak, to greet wanderers with food, a friendly smile, and to talk about the trail and life. And if it opens up, to also share about the hope that is within me and a hope I need every day just to make it myself.

Last year we had some 18 hikers visit with us. One stayed for hours. And at least seven of those hikers who stopped at our picnic I saw again in New England where they recognized me and said it was a memorable time on their hike and did not forget it.

We made a memorable impression that stayed with a group of hikers for miles upon miles and months, too, after they saw us in Virginia. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Maybe that will propel others to extend acts of kindness and maybe end up feeding a soul who may not hunger in their flesh because they have the money to buy food; but hunger elsewhere and be satisfied. To know that (S)someone cares....

So judge not lest you be judged.

NOTE: Our next hiker picnic will be at Smith Roach Gap, Shenandoah NP on May 27th, 2011. Come on out and greet hikers and bring some food and drinks.

Review of Bluebird's Book

Bluebird says - "Life isn't over till you're six foot under, and if you're on this side of the dirt and breathing, you're alive! So, for God and your own sake - LIVE!"

Wow! Powerful words to begin this book that chronicles a journey along the Appalachian Trail.

I followed Bluebird's journal in 2006-7 as a precursor for my own Appalachian Trail hike, and I was thrilled that she decided to publish her journal. It was truly inspiration for me as I prepared for my own journey, just to see another older woman like me get out there and enjoy creation at its finest. She writes the book as a diary, day by day, and each day there are new discoveries to be made. And she is the epitome of Hike your own Hike! Even when she found her hike sidelined with injury that forced her off, she continued her dream, completing the trail the following year with grit and determination.

Lady Hikers, if you want to dream a dream and see how one has lived it, even when the going gets rough, read Bluebird's book!

ORDER here.

Hiker Picnic!

For the first time this year, hubby Skipper and I decided to host a "Hiker Picnic" to welcome thru hikers to Shenandoah National Park at Smith Roach Gap (near Hightop Hut), not far from the park entrance at Swift Run Gap. We cooked up hot dogs, beans, had chips, brownies and cookies and got to meet 18 hikers out doing the trail or sectioning. Heard plenty of stories and shared some stories of my own of what happens farther north of their location. Even met some guys from New Brunswick and a hiker from New Zealand as well a couple who had lost everything in a devastating fire and decided to come hike the trail.
Some names I recall are the divas Egg and Storm, Ironman, Tin Man, Red Leg, Tord, Old Goat and Check Six among others.

A great day for us and one we will remember.

Blissful with new hiker friends on the trail. We were glad to meet them.

Shenandoah National Park - North Section

I had the great opportunity to hike with fellow White Blazer Mercy from the Florida Keys in what began an eight day adventure section hiking Shenandoah National Park. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive as this would be the first time I would carry all my own gear. What follows is a day by day journal of the events, divided into north, central, and south districts.

October 19, 2008

From Rt 522 to Tom Floyd Wayside; 3.1 miles

Mercy and her yellow lab (I call her Mercy Dog) arrived around 1 PM where we visited and had lunch before our journey to the start of our week-long hike into SNP. Began at Rt 522 near Front Royal where the trail crosses. Began the steady climb up the ridge and I got my first taste of hiking alongside a dog - new for me! Arrived at the shelter area by 4:30 PM where we each found a tentsite, though mine ended up in a pile of rocks. Mercy offered up some hot chocolate in her heavy duty Nalgene container which was good as the temp began to fall and all I had for supper was a PB and J sandwich. We had a small fire and talked until hiker bedtime at 8 PM. I had a cold night that night and was wishing for my 15 degree Marmot bag.

October 20th

From Tom Floyd Wayside to Gravel Springs Hut; 10.5 miles

Day began early before the sun rose with the change of season. Hiked up to a view at Possum Rest then went to obtain our backcountry camping permits. Interesting walking with a dog seeing to her needs. Saw beautiful views from Compton Peak and the Marshalls. Mercy takes it real easy on the uphills so I went ahead and met up with her at look-outs or other points along the way. We arrived at Gravel Springs at 4 PM to set up our tents. Met one flip flopper who was about ready to finish his hike of the entire AT at Waynesboro. His name was Yogi.

Tent site at Gravel Springs

October 21

From Gravel Springs to Pass Mtn Shelter; 13.5 miles

Mercy elected not to go over Hogback Mtn and walked the Skyline Drive for the first few miles while I headed over the modest mtn. Met up with two elderly ladies section hiking the AT and enjoyed chatting with them. Met up with Mercy at Rattlesnake Pt overlook where she exclaimed her delight at seeing not one but two bears on her journey. Continued on toward Elkwallow when Mercy spotted her third bear of the day and my first - and young adult foraging. Arrived at Elkwallow Wayside for hamburgers. Then a tough climb out of the gap with my hamstring bothering me after a slight pull the previous night while trying to get out of my tent (!). Had a tough time mentally for a while until I saw the central section of the park displayed before me and found courage in such splendid scenery. I continued on to Pass Mtn shelter while Mercy nursed growing blisters. There I set up my tent. Some section hikers were in residence at the shelter. Made up my turkey dinner courtesy of the ATC cookbook and really liked how it turned out. Quite tasty. Cold windy night and my tent blew down once.

Part II in next blog.

Hikers, Hikers Everywhere!

It's that time of year - the hikers seem to be massing near Shenandoah to enjoy the brilliant fall colors - and yes, I will too. A fellow hiker and I will thru hike Shenandoah coming up, taking it all in and enjoying each and every day. I will post about our day-by-day experience when I return.

But I had the opportunity yesterday to have breakfast with a thru hiker I met on the trail back in '07 named Boo Boo. At the time she and her friend, Music Man, were at Pico Camp in Vermont, heading south, while Paul Bunyan and I were heading north. We have stayed in contact and saw each other at Trail Days. Since she was in town, we were able to enjoy breakfast.

So we sat in our booth at the IHOP, catching up on everything trail-wise and life-wise. For some reason though, I had the distinct impression that a table near to us was interested in our conversation. Why that could be, I didn't know.

Until a man walks up to my table and introduces himself. He is 357 Magnum who thru hiked the trail the same time we did. In fact, he left Springer on the exact same day, and we had seen off and on during our hike! I could not believe it was him. He was there with his family from North Carolina to see autumn in Shenandoah. But to be there at the same restaurant as I am talking with a fellow hiker- it was too fantastic.

But this is one of these great times that I cherish, especially the camaraderie and also the unexpected surprises. Thank you, Lord!