4/1/13: I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter yesterday. If you're anything like us... You were hoping a bunch of girl scouts would be hanging out on a random NC mountain road handing out cookies, sodas and other Easter goodies. That didn't happen but we must have prayed incredibly well to those trail gods because Cliff Dodson (Tabasco) picked up (3) fellow hikers (from Maine, NJ & Ohio) and myself in Franklin, NC and escorted us to Asheville, NC for a zero day! Willow, Mr. Rogers, Luscious (trail names) and I (Rainbow Bright) are going to purchase food and gear today. Last night Joanna (who was my gear guru and my saving grace) came by for dinner and chatted all night about AT hiking. Terri Dodson, as usual, was a very gracious hostess and fabulous cook.
It's been (11) days on the trail and feels like I've been doing this forever. The weather has been unusually bad for this time of the year, but all who remained have managed to keep their spirits high.... (there seems to be a high dropout rate so far.) Right out of the gate we've experienced almost every kind of weather condition including snow, freezing rain, fog, more rain with crazy winds, and sunny...
Thus far, I think the most exciting point for me has been crossing the NC border. Until this point I was the 'GA girl hiking in GA' with a bunch of people from all over the country and even the world. But now I'm "away" from home just like everyone else. I've hiked with Australians, British, Canadians, and lots of Germans (due to a 2007 German documentary).
Two days ago we hiked Albert Mountain which has a ridiculously steep incline that includes cliff side trails and boulder climbing. All throughout the ascent I was thinking about the horrible things I was going to say about this place. However, once I scrambled over those last boulders and saw the beautiful Smokies, I have only raves bc it looked and felt awesome!! To top it off, the peek is the (very exciting) FIRST milestone, 100 miles!
4/2 - 4/3/13: Following a stupendous and
relaxing visit in Asheville, NC, Cliff carried us back to Franklin, NC to
resume our trek. (The visit and the “Dodsons”
were awesome!!!! Thank you from the
bottom of our hearts and stomachs). We
actually hiked about 2 hrs and took a nap in the “meadow” which could be habit
forming. We’re about 6 days from the
Smokies and (1) day from NOC where it will take all day to climb 3,000 ft.
straight uphill…..I feel myself already complaining out loud. I've given my secretari-mom instructions for
my first box to be mailed to Fontana Dam, NC and to update the blog.
Hey there! Glad to see you have made the first 100 miles! I know it's a real milestone. Especially this season. Congrats on the fortitude. I'm so happy you have Joanna as a mentor for the trip. She's a very strong and intelligent woman (I think she could take me)I know Albert mountain was 26 degrees and 50mph winds when I got there. I know it sure was worth the view though! I'm so happy to hear you picked up a great trail name and friends. i had lost my two partners the day I got to Albert Mountain and you can attest, the bonds you make are strong and the friendship keeps spirits high and strides long. It can be emotional when you have friends drop out. I was just in Gatlinburg last weekend and got snowed in. I hope it clears up a little for you. Clingmans and Newfound Gap were both closed due to the heavy snow. If you happen to make it to Newfound Gap on the weekend, there are always two great trail angels there. (mountain mama and Godspeed) they have always tried to go there and bring good food and a ride into town. I hope you see them. I bet the scenery in white is amazing though. I took a hiker named Van Gogo to the gap from town. He was very happy to do so. Good Luck and watch out for all the heavily rutted sections in the park!
ReplyDeleteJust for future reference, hiking is so much like natural childbirth. Throughout the ascent, it hurts and you are too far out to do anything but persevere. Quitting really is not an option and the worst part is that you CHOSE to do this. I mean really? Who chooses this much discomfort and pain. And you have these moments on the way up where you stop and find something small but memorable. For example a couple of chipmunks that scramble across the trail right in front of you in hot pursuit of eachother, oblivious to everything but their playing or a happy black bear munching ripe huckleberries. Then, after all of that work, you reach the top and when having a baby that would be the birth. Suddenly, you realize why you did it in the first place and how much you would have missed if you were sitting at home comfortably in front of your tv instead. It is all worth it. And then you have the descent which in my opinion is always harder but buoyed by the joy of reaching the top. This is good discipline for other areas in your life. Ohh and hopefully you will get to experience the wild goats in the Shenandoahs. They like to lick the salt off of hikers.
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