Rocks and Cliffs

May 12th

Weather: sunny, warm

Miles travelled: 18.8

Total miles on AT: 727.8

Hiking was nice and easy all day. We stopped after only 2.5 miles for a break at McAfee Knob, famous for its awesome pictures, to get some of our own. It wasn't actually as scary as it looks!

After that, we had some ups and downs and then an incredible half mile cliffside walk with stunning views. 

When we were done with our sightseeing and gawking, we started getting serious about walking; we had a goal to get to town by 5, because we were meeting Andreas and wanted to get showered and all our town errands done with time for a leisurely dinner.

Hiking was hard; there were lots of rocks and it was hot and sweat was dripping down my face and back. I was wearing pants due to fear of lyme disease but was starting to think the leg freedom would be worth the risk.

We finally hobbled into town, only ten minutes after our self-imposed goal. Andreas had generously invited us to share his hotel room because there was no additional charge, and we were both incredibly grateful and took him out to dinner-- barbecue. It was a hiker frenzy at the barbecue place, every other person a hiker. The group I started with (Wrecker, Sweet Eyes, and Mouse) were there too. 

We chatted for an hour and a half over our mediocre food, which I hardly tasted because I was so invested in the conversation. Andreas talked about his reasons for hiking the trail and how unsatisfied he had been with his career for a long time. He thru hiked twenty years ago and knew about the hardships, but he's starting to have second thoughts about coming back to finish after Harpers Ferry because he's struggling mentally-- he said the worst part is going to bed sticky. 

We finally got to sleep at about 10:30, but none of us slept well for various reasons. I kept waking up having rolled accidentally to South Pole's side of the bed, after which I would apologize profusely and return to my far corner, chastising my subconscious.

Wednesday, May 13th

Weather: sunny and hot

Miles travelled: 18.6

Total miles on AT: 746.4

We all woke up late because the room was dark and the sun didn't enter enough to let us know it had risen. We went down to the continental breakfast at 7:20 and ate as much as we could fit; waffles, eggs, donuts, bagels, juice, toast, apples. It was a well stocked breakfast bar. As we ate, we discussed our plans to get to Harpers Ferry. Andreas thought South Pole's and my 40-mile challenge was crazy and he would definitely not do it, but he's considering two 30-mile days. The one trip-up is that there's supposed to be a really good hostel that you don't want to miss 20 miles before Harpers Ferry, which we wouldn't be able to spend the night at if we did our 40-mile challenge on that day.

We took our time packing up and left 15 minutes after Andreas, at 9:30. I felt really good and set a fast pace, but soon felt sick to my stomach and had to slow down. The trail was good and graded well, and we finally had the privilege to feel chilly, a feeling we hadn't encountered in a long time. We cherished it. I was wearing shorts too, having decided I couldn't tolerate pants.

The hike was hard. I struggled mentally and walked slowly. I felt incredibly drowsy. I was reminded of how easy and comfortable it would be if I just went home to my soft bed and pillow and clean clothes and good food. It's so hard to eat enough and I never do, especially if I walk as far as I have recently.

I was happy to reach the shelter at the end of the day, and it was .2 mile off the trail, but when I got there I discovered horrible tenting sites. I didn't want to sleep in the shelter because I wanted a good night of sleep. With much disappointment, South Pole and I filled up on water and made our way .2 mile uphill back to the trail. I had prepared myself for night hiking, but within half a mile we found a good flat spot and set up, close to the Blue Ridge Parkway but acceptable. We struggled to throw a rock to hang a bear bag. I was hopeless, but South Pole managed after many failed attempts. 

My shoes are now in tatters, the soles separating and huge holes in the upper fabric, so I'm hoping they'll last me another 140 miles, where my next pair is awaiting me. Fingers crossed!

Thursday, May 14th

Weather: sunny and hot

Miles travelled: 23.6

Total miles on AT: 770.0

I woke up at 5 to the sound of a shrill bird. It soon abated and I grumpily got another hour of sleep before crawling slowly out of my tent and sleepily packing up. South Pole had oatmeal for breakfast and I started trying to think of breakfast foods I could eat that were more substantial than a snickers and sons dehydrated fruit. 

We started hiking at 7:40, on an uphill. I get exhausted from a poor night of sleep and my pack hurt no matter where I positioned myself. I began to think my pack pains since Springer had less to do with adjustment and more to do with my pack, and wondered if it would be worth $200 for another pack that might not even be any better...

I struggled all morning, chewing gum and trying to entertain myself with interesting thoughts and stories. I started feeling homesick and though about my mom and dad and brother and stepdad and my cat. I wondered if Seth would ever catch up, although it's seeming more and more unlikely. I wondered how far ahead Andreas was. I thought about my low supply of snacks and hoped I would have enough to make it to town without having to cook a dinner midday. 

After about 3, I started really feeling good. We had a lot of climbing left but I felt like I could take a challenge. Since I had to go into town for food anyway, I suggested to South Pole that we hike 30 miles so that we could get to the road early tomorrow, with time to try to hitch in and back. I got really excited about the prospect of a last minute challenge and started to feel happy. We chatted excitedly for a while as we trudged slowly uphill. It was a long day of ups but we were feeling the challenge bug (South Pole refers to herself as a "challenge junkie" and I think we must be cut from the same type-A mold).

On the final stretch to our dinner point, the hill just seemed to keep going forever. It technically was not the longest hill, but by that point we were tired and hungry and had already walked 22 miles and it was the most difficult. We would see a bit of sky ahead and think we were at the top, only to get there and find a switchback and more hill as far as the eye could see. It was a huge struggle to get to the shelter, but when we did, we were happy to see Andreas having his dinner. He said he didn't want to get too far ahead of us. 

We told him about our 30-mile plan and my need for snacks and he just dug through his food back and brought out a ton of candy bars and said he didn't want to carry them anyway. I was saved! South Pole and I decided to stay for the night. I was disappointed to not be able to reach my 30-mile goal for the first time but my feet were throbbing and I was happy to have good company and a potential good night of sleep.