Monday, March 6th, 2017. 7:30am.
I got up this morning at 4am, but didn’t want to get out from under the covers until after 5. By the time I went through the repacking, checking supplies, etc., it was well after 6:30. I also had to make sure I charged all the electronics. The solar and stick I did last night on the drive up, but because I keep the cell with me when I sleep, I had not had it plugged in. It was literally at 1% when I plugged it in this morning and is just now, at 7:30 on the last few minutes before reaching 100%. I probably shouldn’t be working on my blog while I charge, but I’m a fast typer.
In my defense, it was raining at 4am and continued until around 5. After that, my only concern was how damn cold it was outside. Holy Carola! I’m serious when I say this, I completely forget the rest of the country isn’t warm like south Florida. I’m debating to take my bigger jacket. I know what happens when you do. Not even a few miles in you start sweating. If I wear the one in the pack, the one that actually would compress if I didn’t need it, I’d have to open back up the pack I just packed tight… Decisions. Decisions.
The plan was to be on trail at 6am. That didn’t work out so well for me. Now I’m hitting the road by 8. I will hike in 6 hours, then hike out.
Stopped at the outfitter and got a spork and some tuna, plus a rain poncho. The time is now 8:20. Time to get this show on the road.
(Disclaimer: The rest of this was written after the fact. It’s actually now March 11th, Saturday)
So, hitting the trail on this day was bleak. It looked like at any minute it could rain. From time to time the wind would kick up and chill me to the bone. Typically, you bundle up when you first get on the trail and by the time you have been walking maybe 15 minutes, you start shedding layers, because otherwise you sweat. You can pretty much at that point go without heavy jackets, gloves and hats because you keep moving and warming yourself as you do. Don’t stop though, because very quickly when you take a break, you cool down and have to throw everything back on again. Vicious cycle.
So, most of my morning I kept leapfrogging with a large group of twenty somethings. They were slow moving, but I would take a break and they would pass, then they would take a break and I would pass. This went on for a while until I finally left them in the dust. Other than them, for most of the morning it was random couples and single guys hiking that day. I think what struck me though was actually how many people there were out there considering how cold it was.
The morning was cloudy. There were no leaves on any of the trees. This would have allowed for great views, but it was also pretty foggy. The overall look of the woods that day was kind of creepy and calm and cold, still very enjoyable. By the mid afternoon, the sun would peak in and out and I noticed many of the hikers were starting to shed layers, including me.
I have to be honest, although I was looking to put in some heavy miles that day, I kept taking breaks and eating and trying to enjoy the views and really give myself the time to enjoy the experience, as I was only going to get that one day out. It was really peaceful and the more I hiked, the more I wished I could just keep going and not have to hike out later that day.
At Tesnatee Gap I took another break where the giant group of twenty somethings and another group of four twenty somethings were all relaxing. I relaxed too and let them all push on ahead of me. Once I did get going again, quickly I came across an Osprey rain cover that had obviously fallen off someone’s pack. I figured it had to belong to one of the two groups ahead of me, so I picked it up and carried it with me. At Hog Pen Gap I found I was correct and returned it to its owner who was relieved to say the least and thanked me over and over. Apparently, he is at the very beginning of his journey all the way to Maine. Gonna kind of need the rain cover.
Eventually I made my way all the way to Low Gap. By this point my phone was almost entirely dead. I had been recording my miles with Strava which seems to suck the life out of my phone when I use it, but it’s awesome at keeping track of my training speed, mileage, etc.. I figured I’d plug it in to one of my two charging options when it began to run low, but whoops, I brought everything I needed to do that except the chord to attach the chargers to my phone. Ugh. So, I considered Low Gap my turnaround point, ended Strava and turned the phone off, just in case I might need to use it for emergency purposes later. I figured better to be off than dead all together. I took a break and headed back to Neel’s Gap and my truck.
I had left Neel’s early in the morning and by the time I found myself at Low, it was after 2:30pm. So, heading back I figured I would find myself walking in the dark for a bit, but I didn’t realize for how long. Because of the weather, it seemed to get dark early. And I’m guessing the walk back took longer because the elevation changes were not in my favor. Things I didn’t take into consideration. As night began to set in, and darkness started to surround me, the winds picked up and the cold just got colder. It felt like it just might start raining, and I prepared for the worst by picking up the pace.
As I hiked back I had noticed the hikers on trail were dissipating. It’s as if everybody had already made camp by 4pm. I had thought this odd until I had to continue walking past that time of day and into the dark. No kidding! They made camp early because as night set in the weather was miserable. Duh.
I made it back OK though, cursing the last three miles as the worst three miles I have ever experienced in my life, but we know that’s not true. I was just tired and really looking forward to getting the boots off and under a snuggly blanket. I ended up walking the highway in the dark back to the truck which was parked in Day Hiking about an eighth of a mile from the trailhead. I figured there was a connection to the trail somewhere. So, I wouldn’t have to do that, but I didn’t want to experiment and find out I was wrong in the dark late at night. So, I took my chances and held my headlamp in my hand and bolted as fast as I could down the shoulder of the road. There were a few cars and trucks that passed going pretty fast for a 35 mile an hour zone, and it did cross my mind I might get nailed, but I didn’t. I’m thinking this was a good thing. LOL
When I finally hit the parking lot I had to make my way past some creeper in a Mobil home who stared me down as I walked the drive, but he left shortly after I got in the truck. Lots of cars were still parked in the lot, but nobody was about. I got myself in the truck, got comfortable, and crashed out hard.
Not too many blisters, or anything, but I did roll my ankle a bit out there once or twice as I was loosing my energy for hiking, but nothing too bad. I figured all and all I felt pretty good for covering close to 25 miles. Thing is, I know what my body will feel like when I go to do the drive home. This is not my first quick trip up here. I know what it feels like to hike hard one day, drive home the next. Muscles don’t like exercise, then atrophy. Doesn’t make for a limber situation, but I had no choice. I had work on Wednesday. Time to truck it home. And besides, I really missed my boyfriend. If I made the miles in the right timeframe, I would be able to make a pit stop and see him before having to hit Fort Myers.
