A Week of Backpacking

Day 1—We got off to a great start. Gene drove us to the trail. He is such a sweetheart. We started our hike in a light drizzle which kept up off and on all day. We also had very strong, gusting winds. You have to be careful how you pee in winds like that. I hope this isn’t an omen, but D-tour lost a portion of one of her teeth. It broke off at dinner tonight. The trail was easy for our first day and short at about 9.5 miles.

Starting in the rain

Our first break was at the Audie Murphy monument

Day 2—Great big blue skies and lots of sun all day--perfect weather for going over Dragon’s Tooth. It was a long, hard 13.5 mile day, but made more enjoyable by the 29 pink lady slippers seen along the trail.

Dragon's tooth

Pink lady slippers

Day 3—We had great views at both McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Came upon a copperhead on the side of the trail today. There were a few tense moments, but my brave hiking companion flung him to the far reaches with her hiking stick. I was very tired today from yesterday, but we got into camp in the middle of the afternoon with plenty of time to get camp chores done and rest. D-tour’s tongue has been rubbed raw from the sharp edge of the broken tooth. She has tried to file down her tooth to save her tongue. We are hoping this helps. I was in my sleeping bag at 6:30 PM. We did 9 miles today.

D-tour on McAfee Knob

View from McAfee Knob

Rising Fawn below Tinker Cliffs

D-tour trying to file down her tooth

Day 4—We reached Daleville about 12:30 after a 9 miles trek. I have developed a blister on my toe. That is unusual for me. We decided to stop here for today instead of going on 5 more miles. I’ll nurse my toe and do a short day tomorrow. We picked up our food drop boxes at the outfitters and got ice cream at Kroger. We are enjoying a night in a motel made sweeter by every raindrop that falls outside.

Day 5—Very easy 5 miles to Fullhardt Shelter. We enjoyed meeting and talking to the other hikers who stopped at the shelter for lunch. My blister is doing great and I am singing the praises of Skin Shield.

This is our typical set up each night as we make camp.

Crossing a stile.  Not my favorite thing to do.

Day 6—A grueling 13.5 miles day today. My blister is better, but my knees are now screaming at me. The pack is heavy with the food I picked up in Daleville plus the extra water I have to carry because there is none along the trail. I was very disappointed to get to the shelter after such a hard day and find there was no place to pitch the tent. We had to sleep in the shelter which is one of my least favorite things to do. There was one bright spot in our day. About 30 minutes before we reached the side trail to the shelter we began to hear bagpipes. What great trail magic. A gentleman was playing his pipes just beyond the trail junction which was above the slope from the shelter. We enjoyed the beautiful sound of the pipes for quite a while this evening.

Taking a morning rest break.

Virginia is for rock lovers.

Day 7—The sky is dark and threatening rain and it is much colder. The rest overnight has not helped my knee much and I am having difficulty, especially with the descents. After about 5 miles, we decided to call Gene to pick us up. I was stumbling to the car after 9.5 miles. It would have been a challenge for me to do the 13 miles scheduled for today.

On The Trail

The time has finally come. My 4th section hike on the AT begins today. This is the first week of a hard 2-week stretch with Diane. I know I haven’t trained enough.

A big thanks to everyone for their well wishes. Model T, I hope I do you proud. You are a true inspiration to me. I’ll be thinking about you every day as I cook breakfast and dinner using a fine stove crafted by your own hands. I hope your autograph doesn’t burn off during the course of this hike.

For anyone interested in a good read about the Appalachian Trail, check out Model T’s (J. R. Tate) books—Walkin’ on the Happy Side of Misery, Walkin’ With the Ghost Whisperers, and Lore & Legends of the Appalachian Trail.

Well, we’re off. Watch for an update when we come off the trail to re-supply in 8 days. Gonna really need a shower by then.

Gear List

John Muir on trip planning—“Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence.”

The amount of fuel I take is based on the number of days I expect to be out.

Long distance hikers want to know what is being carried by other hikers. I’m as guilty as everyone else. It is all in an effort to get your pack weight down. That and the envy associated with the “latest and greatest” stuff someone else has. So here is the list of stuff in my pack, including weights and some brand names.

Tent—2 lbs 13 oz (Sierra Designs Ultra-Lightyear) (including stakes)
Rope to use with tent inside shelter—1 oz
Food bag—1.5 oz (Golite)
Rope for hanging food bag from tree—3 oz
Fuel (alcohol) in a 20 oz coke bottle, 1 lb
Cook pot with lid, pot support, pot lifter, lighter, coke can stove—9 oz
Cup—1 oz
Spoon—0.25 oz
1st aid kit—4 oz
Toilet kit (tissue, comb, tooth brush, tooth paste, 8 wet wipes)—7.5 oz
Whistle—1 oz
Repair kit (extra cleavis pins, split rings, duct tape)—1.25 oz
Flash light, photon microlight—0.7 oz
Sleeping pad, Thermarest—1 lb 10 oz
Sleeping bag—2 lbs 6 oz (Feathered Friend, 20 degree, down)
Pillow case—1.25 oz
Camp shoes (Crocs)—9 oz
Poncho—14 oz
Water bags (2) plus 1 tube and bite valve—two 1.5 liter bags 2.5 oz, tube 2.5 oz
Aquamira—3 oz
Paper and pen, puzzle pages—1 oz
Sit upon—2 oz (square of closed cell foam)
Maps—2 oz
Guide books—4 oz
Pack—4 lb (Kelty frame pack)
Phone—3.25 oz

Total Gear = 16 lb 8 oz (approx)

Rain jacket 6 oz (Sierra Designs)
Rain pants 5 oz
Baseball cap 3 oz
Gloves 1 oz
Socks (Bridgedales) (2 pair in pack, 1 pair to wear) 2.5 oz/pair
Liner socks (1 pair) 1 oz
Hiking shorts (1 in pack, 1 to wear)—Wal-Mart Starter 5 oz, Lady Foot Locker 4.5 oz
Hiking shirt, (1 in pack, 1 to wear) Wal-Mart 5 oz, LL Bean 4.5 oz
Long underwear (1 set) Patagonia capilene top, REI bottom, 12 oz
Long underwear for sleeping (silk weight) 6 oz
Bandanas (3) 1 oz each, total 3 oz
Gaiters 5 oz

Total Clothing = 4 lb 4.5 oz

GRAND TOTAL = 20 lb 12.5 oz

Tent, pad, and sleeping bag.

This is the base weight of what is in my pack and what is on my body. Add to this weight food and water. My food averages just over a pound per day plus about a pound extra in case of an emergency. I probably carry too much food. For a week, that makes right at 30 pounds on my back. I always eat the heaviest food at the beginning of the trip. I don’t drink as much water hiking as I should, but the amount of water I carry at any given time is based on the availability of water along the trail. One quart weighs 2 lbs.

I don’t add my boots into my pack weight. If I did, I’d have to cry. I’m wearing for this trip Montrail Comp XCR Fusions that weigh 2 lb 4 oz. Some of my friends like to wear low cut, light weight trail running shoes, but I have a tendency to fall so I want a sturdy boot to support the extra weight, with vibram soles to grip the rocks, high sides to protect my ankles, and Gortex to shed the water.

Toilet kit

I also carry Leki trekking poles, one in each hand. I used to think trekking poles were just something else to carry. I can’t begin to count the number of times my poles have kept me from falling all the way to the ground, or even from turning an ankle. They are worth the effort to carry just for the benefit of transferring some of the weight off my knees. And I feel so much more secure crossing streams with “4 feet” down instead of just 2.

I carry a couple things for comfort. One is a short length of rope to string up my tent inside a shelter. Normally, I don’t sleep inside the shelters, but sometimes it seems necessary. To keep the critters off me, I sleep inside my tent body and use the rope to lift it up off my face. My bones are too old for a Z-rest or a Ridgerest. I have to have the more cushiony Thermarest to keep my bones happy at night. I guess my feet are paying for the extra weight during the day, but I can’t help it.

Also note that you can not purchase a Kelty frame pack that weighs 4 lb. I have achieved that weight by cutting various parts off with a razor blade. I have tried internal frame packs and prefer my Kelty even if it is a heavier pack. It works for me.

With this on my back, I am off.

Good, Bad, and Ugly

When reminiscing about something that happened in the past, we often have the tendency to forget the bad parts and remember only the best of the experience. I’m sure I have done just that, especially right now since I am planning to go out again. Why would I want to remember the bad?

For me, one of the best parts of hiking is being outside, enjoying nature.  In spring, the wildflowers and blooming shrubs and trees are just fantastic.  Another thrill for me is meeting the other hikers.  Like I said earlier, we usually don’t have much in common, but we bond through our love of hiking.

This may sound a little crazy, but part of the thrill of a long distance hike is being able to survive in the “wilderness” with only the things I can carry on my back.  Perhaps it’s the challenge and the skills developed meeting that challenge that I enjoy.  Perhaps it’s just the simplicity of living on the trail.  Whatever it is, I truly love long distance hiking.

However, it’s not all a euphoric experience.  The truth of the matter is there are some not so much fun parts to long distance hiking. Several things come to mind and I don’t really know which one should have the distinction of being the number 1 worst thing. So let me just mention a few.

There are other things out there that are alive besides you. These are the creepy crawlies. They usually have many legs. Some of these things you can’t even see the legs but you know they are there. They are the color of the ground so you don’t see them until they are crawling on you. All spiders, centipedes and millipedes fall into this category as well as all bugs. I would also include snakes and mice in this group although they are not as much of a bother as the smaller critters.

Along this same line, but a little different are the cob webs. In the dark of night all the spiders come out to build webs that stretch across the trail right at face level. In the morning, the hiker walks into web, after web, after web until his skin is literally crawling with imaginary spiders. Once the temperature rises and the sweat starts to pour, along come the gnats. These are thirsty little demons in search of the moisture around your eyes. They hover there, at whatever speed you are walking, just inches from your face.

My favorite time of the day is eating time. Of course there is no table to put your food bag on, or anything else for that matter, to keep it off the ground. Invariably ants will find their way into my food bag. But ants are not the worst. In Georgia the flying squirrels got in to my food bag once and into Gene’s twice.

For a couple days it is not so bad, but after several days the taste of Iodine water becomes unpleasant to me. I long for a tall glass of ice cold, pure and clean water. And I can’t stand to have “floaties” in my water, either.

Well, maybe there is a number one worst thing. For me I think it might be five days worth of sweat on my clothes. Or is it just the smell of five days worth of sweat on my clothes. Whatever, it’s bad and I have this disgusted feeling about myself and a bit of nausea rising from my stomach. The flowers might be pretty but you can’t smell the roses for my shirt.

Ah, it’s good to be on the trial again!!??

Appalachian Trail, Section Three

At some point over the winter of 2004-05 we decided to spend our summer vacation on the Appalachian Trail. We were going to start in early May at Hot Springs and hike for as long as it was fun. We tentatively had a goal of reaching Harper’s Ferry, WV which is about half way along the trail. But that was not a goal set in stone. Primarily, we wanted it to be fun. We had had such a wonderful experience on our first trip and we wanted that again.

Starting at Hot Springs, NC

My parents were happy to take us to Hot Springs and see us off. It was a raining morning and light rain continued all day. Once again we were starting out without the proper conditioning for such an endeavor. Unlike the previous year when we had the luxury of short mileage days at the beginning, the second day out was 11.5 miles. Of the first 6 days, only the first was less than 10 miles. Plus we were carrying 6 days of food making for very heavy packs. Oh well, if you work and have family, hiking is probably not your first priority.

Standing in Spring Beauty on Bald Mountain

Our other hikes had been in September, so we were thrilled with the display of wildflowers. We often saw large patches of flowers along the trail—crested dwarf iris, trout lily, and trillium. As we approached the summit of Big Bald Mountain, the spring beauty was so thick it looked like snow. God, in his wisdom, knew how to keep us smiling those first long, hard days. I don’t think I was ever so happy to see anything as I was the morning of the seventh day when we crested Temple Ridge and I looked down at the Nolichucky River and Erwin, TN where the Holiday Inn awaited.

Bone Cove Road at the TN state line

Part of the fun of the trail is meeting the people. Hikers take on what we call “trail names”. I’m not sure if this is a practice particular to the AT or if hikers on the Pacific Crest, Continental Divide or other long trails have this practice. Anyway, along the trail we met Yeng and Yang, Skywalker, Santa, Phoenix, Tin Cup and many others. Gene and I, by the way, are Trekker and Rising Fawn. You generally don’t have anything in common with these folks except hiking, but, if you are hiking about the same speed, you see them often.

It's pretty unusual to see a donkey on the trail.

As we were hiking around Wautaga Lake we came upon Phoenix in his camp with a blazing fire going. He had bought and carried hotdogs and buns from the last town and was passing them out to the hikers as they came by. What a treat! These special treats are referred to as “trail magic” and they are often fresh fruit, cold drinks, or juice left on the trail by local residents. One of the best trail magic we got was a trash bag to put our trash in. Packs are heavy enough without having to carry garbage. We are always looking for a proper disposal place. Whatever it is and however it gets there, it is always appreciated.

Virginia, finally.

We walked on over mountain after mountain finally able to do 12 miles days without wanting to die. I was so excited about getting to Virginia. Gene had hiked a lot of the trail in Virginia and the open, rolling fields are some of his favorite places. I wanted to experience that, but to get into these fields the trail uses stiles or ladders to pass over the fences. We would be in a cow pasture walking along the trail littered with cow dung. We’d come to a stile and every time I put my hands on the rungs to climb over, all I could think of was all the hikers who had passed through the cow dung and climbed the ladder before me. After a few of these a day, I was an unhappy hiker.

Pastureland of Virginia

We took a break from hiking in late June. Gene’s niece was getting married at the Biltmore in Ashville, NC. We selected Pearisburg, VA for our jumping off spot. It was relatively close to Ashville and large enough to get a rental car. Plus, it is right on the trail so we wouldn’t need a shuttle. We had a week to rest which in retrospect was too long, but at the time was a gift. My knees had started to give me some pain and I felt the week would be good for them.

Sugar Run Mountain

The wedding was a grand affair and we got to see lots of family. We had our wedding clothes mailed and they were waiting at the hotel when we got there. After the wedding, we mailed everything back to Nashville including some winter gear we didn’t need on the trail any more, returned the rental car, and were back on the trail. It only lasted for a week, however. My knees had not had enough rest and were soon screaming at the end of the day. We decided to give it up.

To try to get rid of some of the stink in our shirts, I tried washing them in a ziploc bag.

We got off the trail near Roanoke after 408 miles.

Food, Mail Drops, and Re-Supply

Another frequently asked question is “Do your carry all your food?” There are several schools of thought on food. Everybody agrees that you have to eat a lot of it, but ideas about what, when, and how to get it vary widely. This is what we do plus a little commentary on what others do.

The Appalachian Trail meanders along the Appalachian Mountain chain from Georgia to Maine, some 2100 miles. Along the way it crosses roads, some just Forest Service dirt roads, some country lanes, and several times Interstate highways. Many of these roads lead to towns where it is possible to go to a grocery, laundry your very dirty and stinky hiking clothes, and get a proper bath. These towns will also have a post office. Usually the towns are 4, 5, maybe 6 days apart so the hiker only carries enough food to get him/her to the next town.

Repackaging food

The amount of food carried depends on the hiker. On the average, one pound of food will deliver 1600 calories. Gene needs about 3000 calories per day to walk 10 miles carrying a 30 lb pack. I usually eat about 2000 calories per day for the same pack weight and distance. He takes about 2 lbs of food per day and I take a little over 1 lb. So for a 5 day trip, that is 10 lbs of food for him and about 7 lbs for me. For us, that amount of food is made up in breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus 4 snacks per day. For breakfast we may have an “oatmeal on the go” bar, instant oatmeal, pop tarts, or cereal. Lunch is usually cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers plus dried fruit. I usually take 1 pouch of tuna for 1 lunch in a 5 day period. The pouches are too heavy to carry for the number of calories contained in the tuna. I do it because it is a great change from peanut butter or cheese and is a great source of protein. I burn the pouch to get rid of the left over oil, the smell, and the outer coating. Only the foil is left to carry out. For dinner, we are fans of Lipton noodles, rice, instant potatoes, stuffing and couscous. I like Ramen noodles, but throw away the seasoning pack and put in an instant soup such as black bean or split pea. We bump up the calories for all these meals with squeeze butter. I like salty snacks; Gene likes sweet snacks. He often takes a bagel or two for a snack. What you take is you own personal preference. Some hikers like to cook and really enjoy the challenge of a more gourmet meal on the trail. We also have friends who don’t want to cook at all and will even do without coffee in the interest of saving time and weight. It is all up to the individual. One of my most relaxing times on the trial is to have a cup of coffee, hot tea, or chocolate when I get to my camping destination for the night. This of course, means carrying extra fuel to boil the water. You can almost justify it with the 100 calories in a cup of hot chocolate, but with no nutritional value in coffee, it is just for the simple pleasure gained.

Town is the place to re-supply the food bag. If you are not a picky eater, then most towns will have a grocery or market that will carry a sufficient amount of nonperishable foods to do a hiker for several days. There was only one time on our second section that I had to resort to a very heavy CAN of spaghetti. That was a rough week food-wise. I think Gene actually ate angel hair pasta for breakfast. But this was an unusual occurrence and was partly due to the fact that we were hiking in September rather than then in the high hiker season of spring. Most hikers use the local groceries and markets to re-supply.

In our mail drops we had guide books, journal paper, vitamins, prescription drugs, powdered milk, and toilet items

Some hikers rely on the US Postal Service and mail to themselves at General Delivery boxes containing the food they will need for the next section. By doing this the hiker is assured of foods he likes to eat. There are two major drawbacks—post offices are not open 24/7 and it can be fairly expensive to mail food for a 6 month journey. However, this may be the perfect option for hikers on special diets or who want to save time by not going to the grocery and repackaging all the food.

Drop boxes ready to be sealed and mailed. 

On our third section hike we used a combination of mail drops and groceries. We sent drops only to the towns where we would be starting a new guide book. The guide books and maps are heavy so we only wanted to be carrying the one we were using and the guide books are not available at every trail town. We also put in those drops our prescription meds and vitamins and a few other things we wanted but felt might be more difficult to find in a small town. And it is always exciting to pick up you box at the post office and find that the person responsible for mailing it has included a dozen fresh baked cookies.

So “yes”, we carry our food, but not all of it at the same time.

Appalachian Trail, Section Two

The following year (2004) we hit the trail again beginning where we had left off the previous year. Our good friend, Herb, rode with us to Newfound Gap Road and drove our car back to Nashville. The plan for this trip was Newfound Gap in the Smokies to Damascus, VA a distance of about 250 miles. Again, we had the month of September to hike.

Starting our hike at Newfound Gap in the Smokies.  Thanks, Herb, for taking car of our car.

We had not been as diligent about staying in shape as we had the previous year. This was the year we had driven to Alaska and spent much more time in the car and sightseeing than hiking. We paid the price as we suffered through the Smokies. The Smokies are hard even when you’re in the best of condition. But we were in good spirits and were off to a good start. We were staying in the shelters as required. I had my little tent cocoon so I was happy. Some of the shelters had been remodeled which was great, but the others were dark, damp, and dreary. We were going slow, trying to build up some strength and endurance.

Morning break near Mt Guyot in the Smokies

Hurricane Francis was barreling down on North Carolina as we came out of the Smokies at Davenport Gap. We saw signs posted at the trail advising hikers that weather conditions were not favorable for hiking and “do NOT expect to be rescued”. How comforting is that? We were exceedingly glad to be going into Standing Bear Hostel. I, for one, needed a rest and a shower. Plus we could lay over there to wait out the storm if needed.

Davenport Gap Shelter in the Smokies has since been remodeled and the chain link fencing removed.

We took a “0” day at Standing Bear getting our laundry done, taking on another food supply, drying out wet gear, and resting in the sunshine. Numerous checks of the weather channel indicated the storm was still several days away, so we took an extra day’s food and hit the trail. We were able to get in 2 days of hiking before the storm hit. That second day was long and hard in the rain. The next day was a “0” day at Roaring Fork Shelter as we waited for Hurricane Francis to do her thing.

On the eleventh day of the trip we hiked down into Hot Springs, NC in glorious sunshine. I was doing laundry when Gene checked the email and we learned that my mother was in the hospital after a fall which had broken her hip. She had been hiking on Mt. Katahdin in Maine when she fell. I will not even begin to speculate why, at age 80, she was hiking a mountain rated Class 2, Strenuous by the Yosemite Decimal System for rating hikes and climbs. In any event, we were off the trail and heading to Nashville.

Waiting for the Greyhound Bus.  That was an all new experience, also.

I cannot praise Bluff Mountain Outfitters enough for their assistance in getting us out of Hot Springs and on our way to Tennessee. They took back some of the food we had bought for our next section and found us a shuttle to Knoxville where we got the Greyhound to Nashville. Instead of a month and 250 miles on the trail, we were out for 11 days and hiked 67 miles.