Tough Choices and the Virginia Blues

Hello, my friends, it's been a while! I know that I've been really lazy with this whole "blog writing" thing, but I've been busy having fun and doing cool stuff. So get off my back, alright?!

 

Anyhow, I'm writing from Waynesboro, VA, where I'm taking a break from the fresh air and sunshine to lounge by the pool and work on evening out my tan. 

Spoilers: It's dirt

The hike's been going well, but I do have to admit that I've come down with a nasty case of the "Virginia Blues." This is a common phenomenon on the A.T., and it pretty much boils down to a change in perspective. You see, after hiking 7 or 800 miles up from Georgia, many people (myself included) can't help but to reevaluate their motivations and desires; to reshape their "hiker schema" to realign with the realities of coming so far on such a massive undertaking.  The truth of the matter is, that despite countless hours of internet research on things like wilderness first aid, blister care, gear reviews and general A.T. factoids, none of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into. Now we do. 

It's snakes. We've gotten ourselves into an endless sea of snakes.

The question, then, becomes, "what do we do with that knowledge?" (A secondary question being, "did I use the right number of commas in that sentence?") Without getting to deep into epistemological philosophy, it's my personal belief that knowledge isn't really good for much if we don't use it enrich ourselves and inform our choices. And the knowledge I've gained so far, about both myself and the trail, leads to me one conclusion: "You ain't getting to Maine this year, and that's OK." But that doesn't mean I'm quite finished yet!

 



Seriously, who's going to give up on this?!

I've decided to slow things down, to stop worrying about how many miles I need to make, and to start really enjoying every step of this awesome adventure. If that means I don't make it to the end, then I guess I won't make it.  I started this hike thinking that anything less than hiking all 2,185 miles of this trail would be a "failure," but I'm begging to see that that's not the case. Every day that I'm out here is a success; every sunset is a victory; every rolled ankle, busted kneecap, and sore muscle is a mark of pride, saying, "here I struggled, and here I conquered." I might not finish this hike, but I sure am loving every minute of it.

Wind Rock, VA

Late Afternoon@ Tinker Cliffs

Newly Dug Trail

The 200' Apple Orchard Falls

Doesn't get much better than this

McAfee Knob, VA

UPDATE: Pearisburg, VA

Hey again! It's time for another update on my fantastic journey along the Appalachian Trail. I've made it to Pearisburg, VA (mile 631) where today I'm taking my first true NEARO in 200 miles. Feels good, man.

The last stretch since Damascus (mile 467) has been pretty tough, but enjoyable.

I've been hiking for the last little bit with my buddies Nemo, Bullfrog, and Rogue the Hound. We've been having a pretty good time! We have some big days, and we have some small days (the latter usually involving beer). Overall, we're slowly making our way to Maine, which is the ultimate goal of this whole endeavor. Que sera sera, amigos. 

One of the highlights of my trip since the Grayson Highlands was a FANTASTIC bear encounter I had near Jenkins Shelter. It was nearing dusk, and I was walking along the trail with a head full of comparative analyses on morality in science fiction (don't judge: you start to think of weird things when you have 10+ hours per day with yourself). As I'm meandering along, contrasting Picard's defense of Data with Luke's treatment of 3P0, I hear an enormous crash in the woods to my right. Making the slow transition from inward to outward awareness, I realize that, sure enough, there's a 500 pound bear crashing through the woods not 20 yards away from me... talk about a wake up call!  Beneath the titanic crashing, I also hear a slight scratching and realize that a young cub is scooting up an old elm tree not 15 feet off the other side of the trail. Uh-oh!

Now, I certainly don't claim to be an expert on behavioral models for bears in the wild, but I'd like to think that I know enough about the creatures not to get ANYWHERE between a mother and her cub. In light of such basic knowledge, I stop dead in my tracks. My mind races as I desperately search the archives of my brain for things I've read on what to DO in these kind of situations. After careful consideration, the consensus was: TALK SOFTLY AND SLOWLY BACK THE HELL UP! So, that's what I did, and it worked out quite well (if I do say so myself). Boo-boo was watching me from the safety of his tree as mama bear angrily eyeballed me from the ridgeline to my right. As I round the corner and get out of the bear's line of sight, my heart is racing at about 200 bpm! 

But all's well that ends well, and I gave the bears about 15 minutes to regain their composure (or maybe the other way around?). After the break, I hitch up my pack and start to loudly "YO BEAR" into the woods. As I approach the scene of the incident, I anxiously check the trees to make sure Boo-boo has gotten down to safety. Seeing no signs of the cub up in the trees, I carefully proceed. I'm still "YO BEAR"-ing at this point, and I hear a rustle on that same ridge to my right. Looking over, I see mama bear in all of her glory: she's standing on her hind legs about 50 yards off the trail. I look at her, and she looks at me, and she's absolutely GORGEOUS! Realizing that I'm neither a threat to her nor her cub, she gives me one last once-over and crashes back into the trees on the far side of the ridge. It was an absolutely amazing experience. 

And that's about all I've got for today, but who knows what the next 100 miles will bring? 

Bonus Pic: Campsite on Lick Creek. I didn't stop to get a picture of the bear, because I'm not an idiot (sometimes).  

Ponies and the Grayson Highlands

Hey again folks, just a quick update while I'm charging up in a Subway in Bland, VA (mile 590!!).

Things are going swimmingly here on the AT. Almost literally, if it keeps raining like it has been. Anyhow, about a hundred miles back, I had the great pleasure to hike through Southwestern Virginia's famous Grayson Highlands, and I'd have to say that it was my favorite bit of trail so far. The highlands were just so different from anything I've hiked, and there were wild ponies to boot!  It was truly an awesome experience. I don't have enough juice to do the highlands justice with words (if, indeed, it is possible), so I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Storms over the mountain

Rhododendron is in bloom!

At Long Last: UPDATE: Hampton, TN- mi.419

All right everybody. Nice to see you again; it's been a while. I last checked in from Clingmans Dome, the 200 mile mark and the highest point on the AT. A lot has happened since then, and I'll try to give you all the short and skinny of it.

For starters, I took two weeks off the trail to attend a couple of graduations. My older sister, Shelby, finished up her stint at the Vanderbilt Divinity School where she has been studying to become a Methodist preacher. Who'd have thought? My younger sister, Katy, graduated from my Alma Matter in San Antonio. It was really nice to spend some time back in the real world and see friends and family, but, alas, the trail called me back. On May 21 I flew out of Dallas to Asheville, NC (courtesy of a Buddy Pass from my fantastic uncle Ty. Thanks a million!!!). From Asheville, I hitched a couple of rides with some lovely people to Hot Springs. Finally, I was back on the trail!

Since Hot Springs, I've had all kinds of adventures, met all kinds of people, seen all kinds of sights, and put in nearly 200 more miles on the Appalachian Trail. During this time, I've had the enormous pleasure to hike through some of my favorite bits of the AT located along the NC/TN border (As an aside, if you've never visited the FANTASTIC state of North Carolina, I highly encourage you to do so. Asheville is great, Hot Springs is great, the little towns and villages along the way are great, and the scenery is absolutely out of this world.) 

I also had my first near death experience! Well, not quite, but it scared the BEJEEZUS out of me. Here's how it went down:

I was finishing up a tough day. 17 miles of walking might not sound like much, but hiking with a 40 pound pack in the rugged mountains of North Carolina can make an easy walk into a grueling ordeal. I had spent the night before at Uncle Johnny's River Hostel in Erwin, TN with quiet the cast of characters and was, to my shame, a little bit hung over for the first bit of the day. Anyhow, it's about 6pm and I'm cruising down the northern slope of Unake Mountain, feeling sorry for myself, and imaging all of the wonderful things which I'll have to eat in the next town. Now, there's this trick that a lot of hikers use when going down a gentle slope that basically amounts to working up a slow jog; this helps you move a lot faster, and makes the going easier on your knees. I was giving it a shot. I'm pretty much jogging down this mountain, not paying attention to anything other than my aching feet and rumbling stomach, when I hear an angry sound. A VERY angry sound. A very angry sound from this guy:

I challenge you to take a non-blurry picture of a pissed off rattlesnake.

That's right, folks, I just about stepped directly on a very upset rattlesnake. After screaming like a child, jumping nearly 10 feet in the air, and desperately back-peddling for my life, I noticed that my buddy Mr. Rattlesnake was busy... He was busy munching on a big, fat red squirrel! It was something straight out of National Geographic, and I got to enjoy a full 15 minutes of watching this guy eat. That is the second time in my life that a mouthful of critter has saved my legs from a nasty snakebite (the first being a cottonmouth at Lake Whitney), so I'd say that I'm a pretty lucky guy!

Other than that little scare, the hike's been pretty tame, albeit awesome. The balds of NC and TN have provided some breathtaking views, my body has started to get used to the abuse, and I'm making lots of new friends to supplement those I left when I got off the trail. 

Here's a few pictures of the last couple of weeks. Until next time, happy hiking!

Laurel Falls, NC

Jones Falls, NC

Sourpatch on Big Hump Mountain

Middle Earth, or NC?