10 Things I've Learned in 10 Days on the Trail

Hey again! I can't believe it's been 10 days on the trail! Part of me feels like I've been hiking forever, while another part feels like I only got started yesterday; it's a very strange dichotomy. Over the last several days, I've been putting together a little list of things I've learned so far on the trail, and I've figured that it might be worth sharing. So, without further adieu, I present to you all "10 Things I've Learned in 10 Days on the Trail."

1. Hiking is hard

Like, really hard. I thought I was in good enough shape, and I thought that I had decent enough hiking experience. I was wrong. The very first climb up Springer Mountain left me huffing and puffing, and it has been a (literal) uphill battle from there. It turns out that nothing can really prepare you for spending 8-10 hours a day lugging a 40lb pack up and down mountains.

2. Hike Your Own Hike

Some folks hike fast, some folks hike slow. Some guys pride themselves on carrying the lightest packs possible, while others don't mind carrying a few extra pounds of comfort. In the end, we're all out here for our own reasons and to our own ends. You've got to respect that.

3. Trail Magic is Magical

I can't even begin to describe how wonderful Trail Magic can be. Imagine stumbling down a mountainside 30 miles from town. It's hot, you're tired and dehydrated, you've still got 5 miles before your next campsite. Suddenly, you hit an old dirt road and are greeted by a group of former hikers handing out hot food, cold drinks, and energy rich candy from the back of an SUV, all free of charge (BIG shoutout to Sherpa and Frankenfoot). Everyone you meet is supportive of your hike and wants to do anything possible to see that you make it to the end. THAT'S Trail Magic, and it is awesome!

4. Planning Ahead Actually Kind of Matters

Who would have thought that blindly blazing into an 8 mile dry stretch of trail with only half a liter of water was a bad idea?

5. Old Folks Can Rock and Roll

I have been surprised by the number of old geezers I've run into on this trail; I've been INCREDIBLY surprised every time one of them breezes up a hill while I'm breaking my back trying to get to the top!

6. The Extra Mile is Worth It

After a tough day on the trail, the sight of a blue blaze (the mark of a side trail) can seem extremely unappealing. But following those blue blazes has taken me to some of the most awesome and beautiful bits of Appalachia that I've seen yet.

7. The Trail Calls to all Kinds of People

When I set out for this hike, I imagined that there was a certain "type" of person who hiked the AT. I couldn't have been more wrong. From "Twigs and Berries," the barefoot twins hiking in loin cloths, to Jack the 11 year old, I've encountered all kinds of interesting and wonderful people on the trail.

8. Just Pee Already!

This one's a bit more practical for any of you folks thinking about taking off on some wilderness adventures. It's most useful when it's freezing cold outside, and you're all bundled up in your sleeping bag. If you have to pee, get up and do it! Apparently, your body has to expend a decent amount of energy keeping that extra liter of water at a toasty 98°F, and this steals heat from the rest of you. I guarantee you'll be warmer and happier if you get up and get it done!

9. Calories per Ounce / Eat the Heavy Stuff First, You Idiot

While I certainly appreciate the pre-departure trip to Wal-Mart with Mom, I certainly didn't appreciate carrying 20 lbs of food down Springer. I think I'm getting the hang of this "hiker food" thing, as I'll elaborate in a future post.

10. No Pain, No Rain, No Maine

Simply put, if you don't hike through pain and you don't hike in the rain, you'll never make it up to Maine.

Celebrating 100 miles on the trail!

At Mulligan's Sports Bar in Franklin, NC.

Hi mom!

Update: NEARO at Haiwassee

Hi again! I'm checking in from a semi- comfortable room at the Budget Inn in Hiawassee, Georgia. All's well so far on this journey/quest/thing I've got going on. 70 miles down, only 2115 to go!

I'm taking my first "NEARO," or near zero mileage day, today. What that means is that, rather than spending a full day on the trail, I hiked 3.5 miles from last night's camp to the nearest road, hitched a ride into town (which was surprisingly easy!), and am getting to spend an afternoon/ evening back in civilization. So far I've had a footlong Bacon Chicken Ranch Melt at Subway, a cup of Starbuck's coffee, and a deliciously cold Mountain Dew. I'm also planning on hitting an All You Can Eat joint (or "AYCE" in hiker-speak) for dinner in a bit. Town life is kind of nice!

The last four days have been decent enough, if a little rough at times. It turns out that hiking in the Appalachian MOUNTAINS involves a LOT of uphill hiking, and uphill hiking is actually kind of hard. Between the blisters, Charlie horses, stubbed toes, and agonizing moments of frustration when you think you've made it to the summit (but it turns out there's another 100 vertical feet ahead), it's been a taxing time to say the least. I've actually determined that the creators of the AT must have had a bit of a sadistic streak in that they decided that the trail needed go to the TOP of every single mountain in the state of Georgia, regardless of whether or not there's a decent view (I've seen 2 in 70 miles). I personally see no problem whatsoever in going AROUND a mountain or two, but what do I know? 

Anyhow, all's well that ends well, and the relaxing nights in camp spent with like-minded individuals and kindred spirits make it all seem worthwhile. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the people I've met and gotten to know so far are the best part about the trip, and by a long shot. It's altogether amazing how many wonderful and interesting people I've met in only 8 days on the trail! There's been Ben and Ben, Rail Thin Johanna, Charlie the Guardian of Tortoises, Dan and Jane the hilarious retired couple from Boulder with their outlandish and amazing stories, Greg the Missionary, Big Chief and Sean, and James from Maine.. just to name a few of my hiking companions from the last few days. 

Rundown of the Last 4 Days

Easter Sunday: I hiked out of Neel Gap at 8:30 into a crisp, clear morning. Pulled a pretty easy 11 mile day, and stopped for the night at the Low Gap Shelter area. Low Gap is a wonderful campsite with lots of tent space and a fantastic water source. While there, I met "LC" a total hippy hiker who was attempting a thru hike with his two dogs; his keen powers of perception led him to remark that Easter happened to fall on the 20th of April, and he spent the next several hours celebrating accordingly ("Oh my God, it's such a beautiful day, I love you all. Am I talking to much? I feel like I'm talking to much."). Also met an ATC Ridgerunner named Zach. He was a cool guy with a REALLY cool job; he basically spends 5 days a week on the trail picking up trash and reporting damage. Hit the sack by 8PM. 

Monday 4/21: Hiked out of Low Gap to the site of an old cheese factory (no longer standing, unfortunately), covering a distance of 13.4 miles over tough terrain. Apparently, a fellow back in the lat 19th century had a dairy farm in Blairesville, GA, and he sent the milk up into the mountains to make cheese in the cooler temperatures; supposedly, it was pretty good. The site is, supposedly, also haunted...but I wasn't bothered by any hillbilly ghosts wielding cheesy banjos or anything, so I think that might be an exaggeration. Hit the sack by 8PM.

Tuesday 4/22: After two big days, I took it easy and hiked 9.4 miles to the Deep Gap Shelter area, AKA "Mouse Palace." Got a bit of rain around midday, but the thunderstorms that were forecast luckily passed me by. At approximately 2:15PM, I decided that I hated mountains and everything they represent; I will be making a formal complaint the the Appalachian Trail Conservancy concerning the lack of cable cars and/or escalators available on the trail. At 3:00PM, I ate a Snickers bar and felt much better. Hit the sack by 8PM.

Wednesday 4/23: Hiked down from Deep Gap to Dick's Creek, where I hitched a ride into Hiawassee. Ate like a king, took a shower, resupplied, and did some laundry. I smell nice again. It's weird. Hitting the sack by...9PM. 

Below is another round of random pictures from the journey thus far. Check back soon for my next post "10 Things I've Learned in 10 Days on the Trail."

Four days' worth of trail food... all for under $20

The "Mouse Palace" AKA Deep Gap Shelter

Taking a break at Unicoi Gap

Flowers and Stuff

Heading out from Neel Gap, the only place on the AT where the trail goes through a building

Neel Gap

So, after four days in the Georgia wilderness, I've arrived at my first pit stop, Neel Gap. I had initially planned on doing a short term resupply, and maybe grabbing a shower, before hiking out to the next campsite. However, a very long, cold, and rainy night at Lance Creek convinced me to shell out the $17 for a bunk in the hostel beneath the store. No regrets!

To recap my last four days: cold, cold, cold and wet, wet. So, in general, it was a good time!

I hiked up Springer Mountain on the first morning, then pressed on for another 8 miles, where tented at Hawk Mountain the first night. Temperatures dropped down to 30° minus wind chill! That was a cold night.

On the next day, I hiked a pretty easy (with the exception of Sassafras Mt., which was a rough slope) 8 miles over to the Gooch Mountain shelter, where I slept in the upper loft. It was certainly warmer, but the mice, snoring neighbors, and hardwood floor made for a lot of tossing and turning.

Day three was another smooth day off hiking from Gooch shelter, through Woody Gap, and on up to Lance Creek, where just about everyone and their dog decided to make camp when a spring storm rolled in. The rain really hit about 4pm, and I spent the next 16 hours stuck in my tiny one-man tent. Not having taken a shower in three days off mountain hiking, that was an... interesting experience. The outside temperature was in the low 40s, but being wet made it feel much colder!

Today's hike included over 3000 feet of elevation change over the course of 6 miles, all in mild rain. Yikes! Blood Mountain is the highest point on the trail in Georgia, so the worst is over...at least until after Fontana.

After a hot shower and a hotter meal, I'm just about ready for bed!

Below are some photos, in no particular order, to slow a taste of trail life so far. This Blogger app won't let me insert them into the text.

Check in soon.

Almost there!

24 hours, 5 cups of coffee, 3 filthy terminals, 2 trains, 2 buses, and a short walk later, I'm catching some R&R at a Barnes and Noble in north Atlanta. Only 90 miles to go!

The Night Before, and Final Gear List

Tomorrow, I begin my journey on the Appalachian Trail. More appropriately, I begin my journey TO the Appalachian Trail, but I'm counting it as close enough! 

Here's what my load out looks like as of 3:00 this afternoon.

Turns out, that's all you need for six months on the trail! In the picture, you can see many of the items I listed in my "gear" post a few weeks back, including the Eureka Solitaire tent (second bag from right), my old sleeping bag, my cookpots, and the Sawyer Squeeze water filtration system. Some additions and modifications that I've made since that post include upgrading to a ThermaRest ProLite sleeping pad from this piece of garbage, investing in some quality hiking clothes, stealing a Carhartt beanie from the lost and found at work (sorry, Jared), and getting a decent first aid kit together. 

I've also made some serious changes to my cooking system. While I had been originally planning on packing a homemade alcohol stove along the lines of the stuff found over at Zenstoves, I've found that my ability to construct these things is, at best, sub-par. In light of the many crushed soda cans, small cuts, and grumbled curse words that went into my efforts, I've decided to 

go with a prefabricated alcohol stove by 

Here's a beautifully scored and ridiculously long-winded demonstration of how a Trangia stove set works

Well, you've got to love the Swedes!  However, since I have neither the desire to spend $300 on fancy Swedish products nor the patience to deal with them (IKEA is my nightmare), I've gone with a much simpler (and cheaper) setup which only utilizes the BURNER portion of the Trangia cooking systems, demonstrated below.

And here's the bag I'm supposed to fit it all into :/

Actually, there's quite a bit of "dead" space in the bag. The total weight right now is about 30 lbs. 

Be bear aware!

Bear safety tips courtesy of Grand Teton NP