Well thunder chased me into the shelter. Rather listen to snoring men than deal with wet tent etc.
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Day 18 - Fontana "Hilton" Shelter
Took me 8 1/2 hours to go a hard ten and a half miles today. I stop a lot to take pictures. In fact I've taken a lot of pictures. Wish I knew how many pictures a 16 gig card shooting raw and highest jpeg setting can hold on this camera. Tim?
I'm plenty tired. Set up my tent at the Fontana "Hilton" Shelter. It's called this because it's the only AT shelter with a bathroom/shower in a nearby building. I've had a shower but there are no towels so had to put my dirty clothes back on while dripping wet. Also bathroom was filthy and I'm not picky. Didn't dare remove my plastic camp shoes. The shelter overlooks Fontana Lake. Pretty location. It is filled with about 8 or 10 young men and I decided I wanted my privacy so that's why I'm not staying in the shelter. It's amazing so many are here because I see almost no one on the trail these days. (Two of the speed demons are spending a second night. So I can't see how it benefited them to go twice as fast as me) It's sad that almost all the thru-hikers are weeks ahead of me. I think I'll be alone a lot now. I read the comments in the shelter logs from the people I knew. Tomorrow I get picked up here to go to the McGarvey family reunion. Not sure when they'll be able to bring me back to the trail. When I start again I begin the stretch of the AT that goes through the Smoky Mt. National Park. The first day is suppose to be one of the top difficult days on the trail.
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I'm plenty tired. Set up my tent at the Fontana "Hilton" Shelter. It's called this because it's the only AT shelter with a bathroom/shower in a nearby building. I've had a shower but there are no towels so had to put my dirty clothes back on while dripping wet. Also bathroom was filthy and I'm not picky. Didn't dare remove my plastic camp shoes. The shelter overlooks Fontana Lake. Pretty location. It is filled with about 8 or 10 young men and I decided I wanted my privacy so that's why I'm not staying in the shelter. It's amazing so many are here because I see almost no one on the trail these days. (Two of the speed demons are spending a second night. So I can't see how it benefited them to go twice as fast as me) It's sad that almost all the thru-hikers are weeks ahead of me. I think I'll be alone a lot now. I read the comments in the shelter logs from the people I knew. Tomorrow I get picked up here to go to the McGarvey family reunion. Not sure when they'll be able to bring me back to the trail. When I start again I begin the stretch of the AT that goes through the Smoky Mt. National Park. The first day is suppose to be one of the top difficult days on the trail.
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Day 17 - Bug Screen
I should have said the mighty chestnut is reduced to a short-lived understory tree because of a tiny fungus and man.
Tonight is the first time I have camped near the trail and not at a shelter. I wanted to go a few miles closer to Fontana Lake where I will get picked up to go to the McGarvey family reunion. If I arrive tomorrow evening I will be able to get a shower before I get picked up. Saw only a couple people on the trail today and I expect no one camping near me tonight. It was a tough day especially around a place called Jacobs Ladder. Started at 7:15 am and stopped at 6:00 pm for 11.6 miles. Very tired. Happy to be in my tent with all the bugs trying to get me but can't because a screen separates us. Yeah. They had enough of me all day. Although very tired, it was a good day.
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Tonight is the first time I have camped near the trail and not at a shelter. I wanted to go a few miles closer to Fontana Lake where I will get picked up to go to the McGarvey family reunion. If I arrive tomorrow evening I will be able to get a shower before I get picked up. Saw only a couple people on the trail today and I expect no one camping near me tonight. It was a tough day especially around a place called Jacobs Ladder. Started at 7:15 am and stopped at 6:00 pm for 11.6 miles. Very tired. Happy to be in my tent with all the bugs trying to get me but can't because a screen separates us. Yeah. They had enough of me all day. Although very tired, it was a good day.
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Day 17 - Blueberries for Pam
The trail runs mostly along ridge tops. It's the getting up and down to those ridge tops that's the torture because of that nasty word "gaps"
You walk through a continuing changing forest. Sometimes it's a ground cover of the mighty chestnut brought low by a tiny fungus and man. Sometimes you walk through pines and their needles soften the trail. Sometimes blueberry shrubs overhang the path and cover the forest floor. The berries are green now and I look forward to when they're ripe. Although after reading the Hunger Games I might briefly pause before stuffing them in my mouth. I also can picture a bear sitting in the middle of the trail stuffing her mouth. Question: does a bear take the berries off the branches with her paws or her mouth? And sometimes you walk through birch forests with their stunning bark that I never grow tired of seeing. Lots of plants overhang the path and you brush by them as you walk. This morning that means constantly getting wet from last night's rain still on their leaves. Lots of hydrangeas with early flowers overhang the trail. And the flame azaleas are just stunning!!
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You walk through a continuing changing forest. Sometimes it's a ground cover of the mighty chestnut brought low by a tiny fungus and man. Sometimes you walk through pines and their needles soften the trail. Sometimes blueberry shrubs overhang the path and cover the forest floor. The berries are green now and I look forward to when they're ripe. Although after reading the Hunger Games I might briefly pause before stuffing them in my mouth. I also can picture a bear sitting in the middle of the trail stuffing her mouth. Question: does a bear take the berries off the branches with her paws or her mouth? And sometimes you walk through birch forests with their stunning bark that I never grow tired of seeing. Lots of plants overhang the path and you brush by them as you walk. This morning that means constantly getting wet from last night's rain still on their leaves. Lots of hydrangeas with early flowers overhang the trail. And the flame azaleas are just stunning!!
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Day 17 - Spider Webs & Speed Demons
Glad I saw my brother's message. A major thunderstorm came through about 6:30 and I was so happy to watch it from inside the shelter (a nice double-decker with a little porch). With me were Laura the retired army nurse/intelligence officer, Tunes who sang and played his guitar, and 2 speed demons who go about 20 miles a day and I will never see again.
This morning is clear and cool. A far cry from yesterday when I couldn't wear my glasses because they were so fogged up. I was first on the trail this morning. I know because I caught all the spider webs built at face level. Since my mouth is open sucking in air, I do a lot of spitting. So I've developed a new pattern of walking with my sticks. I take a step and then swing them vertical in the air before me. I look like a Russian solder marching with their legs straight in front of them. Can't wait till the speed demons pass me.
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This morning is clear and cool. A far cry from yesterday when I couldn't wear my glasses because they were so fogged up. I was first on the trail this morning. I know because I caught all the spider webs built at face level. Since my mouth is open sucking in air, I do a lot of spitting. So I've developed a new pattern of walking with my sticks. I take a step and then swing them vertical in the air before me. I look like a Russian solder marching with their legs straight in front of them. Can't wait till the speed demons pass me.
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Day 16 - Biting Gnats & Thunder
Today was a tough day. 7 unrelenting miles uphill in hot, humid weather!! The padding is drenched on the shoulder straps and inside back of my pack. It's like putting on a wet swim suit. Just arrived at the shelter and was considering 4 more miles to a place without a shelter but it has started to rain. My brother says a lot of rain is headed this way :( so I might stay in this shelter tonight. Bad thing is there are hundreds of biting gnats in the shelter. Thanks for the heads up brother.
And for those who have asked, the Freedom Girls took their own pix and showed it to me. I did not actually witness their act of freedom but I fully support them.
I'm tired but not hurting. I'll have 2 long days with possible rain starting tomorrow. I hear thunder now so it's a night with the bugs.
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And for those who have asked, the Freedom Girls took their own pix and showed it to me. I did not actually witness their act of freedom but I fully support them.
I'm tired but not hurting. I'll have 2 long days with possible rain starting tomorrow. I hear thunder now so it's a night with the bugs.
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Day 16 - No Longer Naked
Today I walk. And a long uphill will be my first task of the day.
I'm no longer naked. A friend loaned me a Canon G10. And while with my Canon 5D I felt dressed like a guest on millionaire's row on Derby day, and now I feel dressed for the infield of the Indianapolis 500, I'm grateful for a way to hold the moment. I had thought when I sent my good camera home it would be good to simply experience life instead of observing life, but I was wrong. I felt empty. And now if I don't get a few good pictures I can blame the camera.
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I'm no longer naked. A friend loaned me a Canon G10. And while with my Canon 5D I felt dressed like a guest on millionaire's row on Derby day, and now I feel dressed for the infield of the Indianapolis 500, I'm grateful for a way to hold the moment. I had thought when I sent my good camera home it would be good to simply experience life instead of observing life, but I was wrong. I felt empty. And now if I don't get a few good pictures I can blame the camera.
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Monday, May 28, 2012
Day 15 - Nantahala River
Set up my tent last night on limited, semi-flat ground near another woman hiker. She got up before a hint of light in the sky and started packing. She was using a flashlight but I know it wasn't helping her because it was aimed into my tent most of the time. Clack of pans, rip of zippers, rustle of synthetic fibers mashed into stuff bags, crunch of granola. Heard it all for 30+ min and then blissfully boots walking away. I got out of my tent a little later than normal because I wanted all the other nearby campers to know that wasn't me waking everyone up. But you have to admire someone that can get up and go. It takes a lot of inner strength to get going so early. Life on the trail.
Two Englishmen came into camp. Their plane landed at 2 a.m. They slept in a hotel for 4 hours and then caught a shuttle to the trail and then hiked 11 miles. I was walking by their campsite that evening when one of them climbed into his hammock/tent. It promptly sank to the ground still tied to the trees. I heard him say to his companion: "My back's on the ground and I don't care.". Poor guy. Couldn't help but laugh, I hope in sympathy.
I love walking through the tunnels cut through the rhododendron thickets. Their twisted forms and their thick, dark canopy are straight out of Tolken's Middle Earth. Early men through here cursed these thickets because it's impossible to walk through them. The only choice was to find a way around or cut through, an arduous task.
What makes me sad is to see all the magnificent American chestnuts rotting on the ground from a fungus blight. New chestnuts come up from the old roots and when those trees reach 5 to 10 inches in diameter the blight kills them too. The forest is filled with dead trees with new chestnut sprouts growing below them, all doomed. I had no idea there were so many young trees trying to grow. Maybe somehow one will become resistant to the fungus. And then there's one of my favorite tree the hemlock also doomed from the woolly adelgid. The hemlocks in these mountains are almost all dead. We're going to lose them all. It's a disaster.
The good thing is that the poison ivy that literally covered the ground in the Georgia mountains doesn't like this higher elevation.
Many pretty wildflowers along the trail including Clintonia, the wood lily. The trilliums have seed pods now.
You learn to hate the word "gap" cause that means what goes down must go back up. Today after normal up and downs on the trail, I walked down 4 1/2 miles for an elevation loss of about 4300 feet. Tomorrow I walk back up for about 8 miles for an elevation gain of about 5000 feet. Then more up and downs.
The big down hill of today took me to the Nantahala River where the trail passes a great outdoor center and outfitter. Anything you want to do on a mountain river you can do here from renting kayaks, rafts to trout fishing. It's a really nice place and very friendly. I'd heard about their pizza on the trail and it was excellent!!! But the BEST thing is I'm staying in a bunk house and just a few buildings away are showers and a washer dryer. They even supply a towel and shampoo all for $19. I'm now totally clean. I ate hot food (on the trail I eat cold food) and I'm watching a beautiful river roll by. Google the Nantahala Outfitters at Wesser N.C. to get a look at this place. A true oasis!!! And tonight I sleep inside four walls on a bunk bed. Also my food boxes from Lauren and Lucy were here from a month ago. Life is good.
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Two Englishmen came into camp. Their plane landed at 2 a.m. They slept in a hotel for 4 hours and then caught a shuttle to the trail and then hiked 11 miles. I was walking by their campsite that evening when one of them climbed into his hammock/tent. It promptly sank to the ground still tied to the trees. I heard him say to his companion: "My back's on the ground and I don't care.". Poor guy. Couldn't help but laugh, I hope in sympathy.
I love walking through the tunnels cut through the rhododendron thickets. Their twisted forms and their thick, dark canopy are straight out of Tolken's Middle Earth. Early men through here cursed these thickets because it's impossible to walk through them. The only choice was to find a way around or cut through, an arduous task.
What makes me sad is to see all the magnificent American chestnuts rotting on the ground from a fungus blight. New chestnuts come up from the old roots and when those trees reach 5 to 10 inches in diameter the blight kills them too. The forest is filled with dead trees with new chestnut sprouts growing below them, all doomed. I had no idea there were so many young trees trying to grow. Maybe somehow one will become resistant to the fungus. And then there's one of my favorite tree the hemlock also doomed from the woolly adelgid. The hemlocks in these mountains are almost all dead. We're going to lose them all. It's a disaster.
The good thing is that the poison ivy that literally covered the ground in the Georgia mountains doesn't like this higher elevation.
Many pretty wildflowers along the trail including Clintonia, the wood lily. The trilliums have seed pods now.
You learn to hate the word "gap" cause that means what goes down must go back up. Today after normal up and downs on the trail, I walked down 4 1/2 miles for an elevation loss of about 4300 feet. Tomorrow I walk back up for about 8 miles for an elevation gain of about 5000 feet. Then more up and downs.
The big down hill of today took me to the Nantahala River where the trail passes a great outdoor center and outfitter. Anything you want to do on a mountain river you can do here from renting kayaks, rafts to trout fishing. It's a really nice place and very friendly. I'd heard about their pizza on the trail and it was excellent!!! But the BEST thing is I'm staying in a bunk house and just a few buildings away are showers and a washer dryer. They even supply a towel and shampoo all for $19. I'm now totally clean. I ate hot food (on the trail I eat cold food) and I'm watching a beautiful river roll by. Google the Nantahala Outfitters at Wesser N.C. to get a look at this place. A true oasis!!! And tonight I sleep inside four walls on a bunk bed. Also my food boxes from Lauren and Lucy were here from a month ago. Life is good.
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Day 14 - Freedom Girls
I'd like to know the idiot that pitched my tent on a slope so that I spent the whole night rolling into the tent wall. Oh.......I guess that was me. Sigh.
I also wonder how long it will take me to learn to protect the mouthpiece of the tube to my drinking bag that goes from inside my backpack to where I can drink as I walk. Every time! I set my pack on the ground I let the mouthpiece drag through the dirt. The thing should come with a cover for dummies like me.
Living with little privacy we all pretend not to see what would embarrass a fellow hiker. i.e. I came out of the woods to cross a forest road and a man was totally naked changing clothes. I slipped back into the woods for a few minutes.
I met a nice looking man on the trail who sorta reminded me of Allen Bush. We were resting and exchanging pleasantries when he mentioned how bad the bugs were this year (AGREED). I said I was cautious of ticks because of lime disease. Then he went off about how it was caused by a government experiment gone wrong and everyone in Conn. knew about it but no one talked about it. Even Sam Upshaw wouldn't come up with that conspiracy theory. He was getting so worked up I quickly got back on the trail and then hid in the woods for a while after he passed. You never know what's going on in a nice looking face's mind. Oh and he stopped looking anything like Allen.
Towards evening I climbed the Wesser Bald Fire Tower and there me up with 4 wild and wonderful women who recently met on Facebook. They were hiking together for a week and called themselves the Freedom Girls. We could see the ridge we had just walked down and it looked impressive looking at it from above. They intended to sleep up there to watch the sunset/sunrise. I thought about it but decided to walk down .8 of a mile to the shelter because I needed water. After I set up my camp I walked back up the trail to watch the sunset with them. (Note to Susan Reigler: J J carries Fluffy, a soft toy dog, with her around the world. She mountain climbs in places like Pakistan and the Tetons. She also had a small bear, Duffy, tied to her backpack.) Anyway when I returned they had taken a picture of themselves on the fire tower stripped to the waist with arms outstretched over the mountains like the scene in Titanic. Sadly by that time it was too cold up there for me to mimic them. It was fun to see a real sunset because most of the time we're in thick woods. The next day they told me the fog was so thick during the night they couldn't see 5 feet away and their stuff was soaked from the fog/dew. I walked the .8 of a mile back down to camp with my great head light (photo staff gift) singing Row Row Your Boat over and over. I figured no bear would be interested in someone that sang so poorly but I was a little nervous.
I'm sad the Freedom Girls have left the trail because they made me happy to be around them. One of the problems of being such a late thru-hiker is that almost all of them are way ahead by now. (I'm planning a flipflop: hike halfway north and then go to Maine and hike back)
Fashion note: men are wearing kilts on the trail (and some women are now wearing the kilts made for men). I don't ask the question.
I was resting with one of the Freedom Girls when she looked up the trail and said "here comes some bare-chested men. I may be 40 but I still enjoy eye candy." See why I'm sorry to lose them on the trail?
I'm feeling great. Tired but not too tired. I'm going much slower and going shorter distances. My brother says the turtle often wins the race. I hope this turtle can finish the race.
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I also wonder how long it will take me to learn to protect the mouthpiece of the tube to my drinking bag that goes from inside my backpack to where I can drink as I walk. Every time! I set my pack on the ground I let the mouthpiece drag through the dirt. The thing should come with a cover for dummies like me.
Living with little privacy we all pretend not to see what would embarrass a fellow hiker. i.e. I came out of the woods to cross a forest road and a man was totally naked changing clothes. I slipped back into the woods for a few minutes.
I met a nice looking man on the trail who sorta reminded me of Allen Bush. We were resting and exchanging pleasantries when he mentioned how bad the bugs were this year (AGREED). I said I was cautious of ticks because of lime disease. Then he went off about how it was caused by a government experiment gone wrong and everyone in Conn. knew about it but no one talked about it. Even Sam Upshaw wouldn't come up with that conspiracy theory. He was getting so worked up I quickly got back on the trail and then hid in the woods for a while after he passed. You never know what's going on in a nice looking face's mind. Oh and he stopped looking anything like Allen.
Towards evening I climbed the Wesser Bald Fire Tower and there me up with 4 wild and wonderful women who recently met on Facebook. They were hiking together for a week and called themselves the Freedom Girls. We could see the ridge we had just walked down and it looked impressive looking at it from above. They intended to sleep up there to watch the sunset/sunrise. I thought about it but decided to walk down .8 of a mile to the shelter because I needed water. After I set up my camp I walked back up the trail to watch the sunset with them. (Note to Susan Reigler: J J carries Fluffy, a soft toy dog, with her around the world. She mountain climbs in places like Pakistan and the Tetons. She also had a small bear, Duffy, tied to her backpack.) Anyway when I returned they had taken a picture of themselves on the fire tower stripped to the waist with arms outstretched over the mountains like the scene in Titanic. Sadly by that time it was too cold up there for me to mimic them. It was fun to see a real sunset because most of the time we're in thick woods. The next day they told me the fog was so thick during the night they couldn't see 5 feet away and their stuff was soaked from the fog/dew. I walked the .8 of a mile back down to camp with my great head light (photo staff gift) singing Row Row Your Boat over and over. I figured no bear would be interested in someone that sang so poorly but I was a little nervous.
I'm sad the Freedom Girls have left the trail because they made me happy to be around them. One of the problems of being such a late thru-hiker is that almost all of them are way ahead by now. (I'm planning a flipflop: hike halfway north and then go to Maine and hike back)
Fashion note: men are wearing kilts on the trail (and some women are now wearing the kilts made for men). I don't ask the question.
I was resting with one of the Freedom Girls when she looked up the trail and said "here comes some bare-chested men. I may be 40 but I still enjoy eye candy." See why I'm sorry to lose them on the trail?
I'm feeling great. Tired but not too tired. I'm going much slower and going shorter distances. My brother says the turtle often wins the race. I hope this turtle can finish the race.
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Saturday, May 26, 2012
Day 13 - Tired and Happy
People are really nice to thru-hikers. Today I was at the Wayah Bald Fire Tower which is reachable by vehicle and a couple on a motorcycle offered to fill my water containers with ice water. Yeah!
Been thinking a lot about my Dad. A year ago this weekend he died. I also remember Uncle Jim and Grey Sebree who both died this year. Walking alone on a trail gives you time to remember.
Although because of the holiday weekend there are a lot of hikers. Last night in the shelter log I found notes from Rockin Robin and the other 3 women thru-hikers and Packman and even fertility goddess. It makes me sad to be so far behind them.
Lots of mountain laurel and flame azaleas in bloom. Trail was prettier than when I left it. But the vegetation has grown tall and the bugs are much worse.
Not a bad day of hiking but I only did 8 miles. Still I'm tired and happy to camp near the next shelter. At least this one has a decent privy. The last few have the seat facing the open doorway and anyone walking by gets an eyeful.
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Been thinking a lot about my Dad. A year ago this weekend he died. I also remember Uncle Jim and Grey Sebree who both died this year. Walking alone on a trail gives you time to remember.
Although because of the holiday weekend there are a lot of hikers. Last night in the shelter log I found notes from Rockin Robin and the other 3 women thru-hikers and Packman and even fertility goddess. It makes me sad to be so far behind them.
Lots of mountain laurel and flame azaleas in bloom. Trail was prettier than when I left it. But the vegetation has grown tall and the bugs are much worse.
Not a bad day of hiking but I only did 8 miles. Still I'm tired and happy to camp near the next shelter. At least this one has a decent privy. The last few have the seat facing the open doorway and anyone walking by gets an eyeful.
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Friday, May 25, 2012
Day 12 - Back on the Trail
Well I'm back on the trail. My son-in-law, Jamie, brought me back to where "trail angel Nina" plucked me off the trail when I was hurting. Jamie and his family are camping near Gatlinburg, partly to help me get back to the AT. Sad to say good-by to Jamie. 5 or 6 times I almost called him to come back and get me. I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to do this. I no longer trust my body. I know what awaits me on the trail. My immediate goal is to make it through the Smoky Mountain National Park in the next couple of weeks (but I'm taking a few days off to photograph a McGarvey family reunion).
Thankfully today was an easy walk. I'm going slow and keeping the mileage down for awhile.
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Thankfully today was an easy walk. I'm going slow and keeping the mileage down for awhile.
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Saturday, May 5, 2012
Trillium Leaves the Trail
Today I intended to get back to the trail, but I woke up too dizzy to lift my head from the pillow. The consensus of the people I'm with is it's a result of running out of blood pressure medicine 4 or 5 days ago. I didn't know that there would be any problems before I made my next food drop which included a refill of my medicines. In addition my knee is still a problem. So Nina is taking me home Sun or Mon, probably for good. She also drove all the way to Franklin to get my food package and medicines. Is she an angel on earth or what?
I so appreciate the incredible support I've had for this endeavor. You all have been wonderful!!!!!!! And I feel loved. Maybe that's all I need to learn from this walk. ~Trillium
Friday, May 4, 2012
Day 11 - Trail Angels
Today I rest. Tomorrow is uncertain.
On Wed., day 11, just as my cell battery started beeping, I read this email message from Nina McMahon, "We will be within a few miles of Franklin in about an hour. We have a comfy and a hot shower not too far away." I was 12.8 miles from the next road crossing, about 15 miles west of Franklin. I had something to look forward to that evening and night. The lack of hygiene is really getting me down. The sweat, the sunscreen, the dirt, the body odor all depress me when I crawl into my sleeping bag. I feel clammy and greasy. I have bug bites all over me.
I try to watch for ticks. I'm scared of lyme disease and there's a lot on the trail a little further north they say.
The walk Wed. was fairly conventional except for Albert Mt. Which reaches 5200 ft. It was a 2.5 mile uphill but the last 500 feet were gained in .2 of a mile. Which means using hands to pull up over rocks on a path steeper than stairs. It was the hardest 30 min. on the trail so far. I say 30 min. but I don't know because I don't have a watch. I was out of food, water and battery power when I reached the small remote road. A wonderful Asian couple let me use their phone to leave a message for Nina and I tried to describe how to find me. I also got a call through to Alicia so she could try to talk to Nina. Then I sat down to wait however long it would take for Nina to find me. The Asian couple had hiked 2 hours from their car and they were headed back down the trail towards their car. They returned to me sometime later because Nina had sent a text asking them to let me know she was coming for me. I then talked to her myself and that's when I began to realize what a sacrifice she was making for me. Her mountain home is an hour and a half away and she had 5 house guests just arriving. (the Asian couple then again headed back down the trail towards their car. Real trail angels!!!!!!). I was happy to sit and rest but increasingly embarrassed by asking Nina to come for me!!!!!!! She found me which took meeting just the right man to get better directions. I tried to keep the window down a bit as we headed for her sweet mountain home in the prettiest spot in the U.S. It had been 5 days since my last shower, but whose counting? All day walking I changed the words of a song to: 5 days on the trail and I'm going to get a shower tonight. The first thing I did was get clean and wash my clothes while she her husband and guests followed their original plans to go out for pizza and beer. There was plenty of food in the house and I was extremely happy to go to bed early.
Truthfully, I've been discouraged the last couple of days. I'm so exhausted after 12 or 13 miles. That's not enough daily mileage and I leave early and walk steady all day. No problems at all with my feet but my right knee is hurting. It wants to give when I try to stand up and going down steep hills are torture. The last night in the tent when I tried to get out of my tent in the middle of the night I barely avoided falling back on top of my tent.
So today I took what's called a zero day and hung out with Nina and her friends. It has been a satisfying day. Tomorrow I head back to the trail for hopefully a half day of walking. I have a food pick up in Franklin and I dread a full pack of food again.
It has come to my attention that some of my friends are leaving messages for me on the blog but I don't see the blog. I just post messages to the blog from my phone. I'm not seeing the blog itself. I don't even know what pics Lauren is posting on it.
I'm more than grateful to Nina for being there for me when I needed her. Everyone of you who know her thank her again for me. She's my gift of the day for the last two days.
On Wed., day 11, just as my cell battery started beeping, I read this email message from Nina McMahon, "We will be within a few miles of Franklin in about an hour. We have a comfy and a hot shower not too far away." I was 12.8 miles from the next road crossing, about 15 miles west of Franklin. I had something to look forward to that evening and night. The lack of hygiene is really getting me down. The sweat, the sunscreen, the dirt, the body odor all depress me when I crawl into my sleeping bag. I feel clammy and greasy. I have bug bites all over me.
I try to watch for ticks. I'm scared of lyme disease and there's a lot on the trail a little further north they say.
The walk Wed. was fairly conventional except for Albert Mt. Which reaches 5200 ft. It was a 2.5 mile uphill but the last 500 feet were gained in .2 of a mile. Which means using hands to pull up over rocks on a path steeper than stairs. It was the hardest 30 min. on the trail so far. I say 30 min. but I don't know because I don't have a watch. I was out of food, water and battery power when I reached the small remote road. A wonderful Asian couple let me use their phone to leave a message for Nina and I tried to describe how to find me. I also got a call through to Alicia so she could try to talk to Nina. Then I sat down to wait however long it would take for Nina to find me. The Asian couple had hiked 2 hours from their car and they were headed back down the trail towards their car. They returned to me sometime later because Nina had sent a text asking them to let me know she was coming for me. I then talked to her myself and that's when I began to realize what a sacrifice she was making for me. Her mountain home is an hour and a half away and she had 5 house guests just arriving. (the Asian couple then again headed back down the trail towards their car. Real trail angels!!!!!!). I was happy to sit and rest but increasingly embarrassed by asking Nina to come for me!!!!!!! She found me which took meeting just the right man to get better directions. I tried to keep the window down a bit as we headed for her sweet mountain home in the prettiest spot in the U.S. It had been 5 days since my last shower, but whose counting? All day walking I changed the words of a song to: 5 days on the trail and I'm going to get a shower tonight. The first thing I did was get clean and wash my clothes while she her husband and guests followed their original plans to go out for pizza and beer. There was plenty of food in the house and I was extremely happy to go to bed early.
Truthfully, I've been discouraged the last couple of days. I'm so exhausted after 12 or 13 miles. That's not enough daily mileage and I leave early and walk steady all day. No problems at all with my feet but my right knee is hurting. It wants to give when I try to stand up and going down steep hills are torture. The last night in the tent when I tried to get out of my tent in the middle of the night I barely avoided falling back on top of my tent.
So today I took what's called a zero day and hung out with Nina and her friends. It has been a satisfying day. Tomorrow I head back to the trail for hopefully a half day of walking. I have a food pick up in Franklin and I dread a full pack of food again.
It has come to my attention that some of my friends are leaving messages for me on the blog but I don't see the blog. I just post messages to the blog from my phone. I'm not seeing the blog itself. I don't even know what pics Lauren is posting on it.
I'm more than grateful to Nina for being there for me when I needed her. Everyone of you who know her thank her again for me. She's my gift of the day for the last two days.
Photos Added
Pam's camera arrived home safely yesterday. The photos from the last disk have been added to the following posts:
Day 4 - Pack Weight & Camera Decision
Day 5 - Night Life
Day 5 - Budget Motel
Day 7 - Tent
Day 7 - Exhaustion
Within each post, you can click on any image to view a slideshow of the images in that post. You can also view all the Trillium on the Trail images by clicking the link below.
Day 4 - Pack Weight & Camera Decision
Day 5 - Night Life
Day 5 - Budget Motel
Day 7 - Tent
Day 7 - Exhaustion
Within each post, you can click on any image to view a slideshow of the images in that post. You can also view all the Trillium on the Trail images by clicking the link below.
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| Trillium on the Trail |
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Day 10 - Search for Water
Made it to Carter Gap Shelter. 12.5 miles. I'm exhausted and it wasn't even that hard a trail. One mt.: Standing Indian Mountain with a 2 mile uphill and 4.5 downhill. At least in N.C. they believe in switchbacks. I'd rather walk farther then walk straight up. Most of the day was spent on dry ridgeline through scrub forest exposed to very hot sun. Not pretty. I drank 5 liters of water from morning to when I ran out near Beech Gap. I wasn't worried cause map showed water there. I was feeling a little dizzy. When I arrived I asked the brother/sister hikers where the water was located and they said there wasn't any. Just a muddy puddle. That concerned me cause I still had 3 miles to go. I experienced dehydration earlier in the spring when hiking the Millennium Trail at Bernheim. I didn't want to go through that again. Then a section hiker, Mike, came out of the woods with water. He went further down the hill and the muddy start is where the little spring began. It was possible with patience to get water. I drank 1 liter and then filled up with a second one to carry. I used my handkerchief to filter out sediment and debris. Note to self: don't trust other people. Check it out yourself!!! Then not far down the trail were multiple streams. Sigh. I don't think I can walk the 15 miles to the road tomorrow where I hope to get a ride into Franklin and my next food drop.
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Day 10 - Newsroom Dream
We all have vivid dreams. Last night I dreamed it was my last week at work but they had already blocked my Gannett email and I couldn't move my pictures. I went to find Mary Ann to tell her about the problem and when I got off the elevator everything was changed in the newsroom. It had been remodeled and was beautiful with new desks and blue carpeting and lots of people busy working. I was invisible as I walked by everyone. They didn't acknowledge me at all. I broke down in tears and then I woke up.
Very hot and muggy. Bring back the cool, foggy weather. But rain might happen next 2 days. Dread that.
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Very hot and muggy. Bring back the cool, foggy weather. But rain might happen next 2 days. Dread that.
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Day 10 - Water Nymph
Today I walk.
I can't believe it's Derby week and today is the boat race.
Walked 3 hours and taking a lunch break. I'm about a third of the way to my stopping spot for the night. Packman and Cousii (the thing that goes around a beer can. Sp?) showed up at camp last night. Happy to see them. Today they plan to go 19 miles so I might never see them again. It's sad when you lose someone on the trail that you've gotten to know. The last of the churchmen and his son went home yesterday. They were good company. Packman has a gentle soul. Cousii is a navy man and seems like a wonderful young man.
Note to Scott: fertility goddess got into camp yesterday but she was some distance away so I didn't interact with her except I passed her on the trail late in the day. She was sitting on a rock in the middle of a small stream nearly hidden by a rhododendron thicket singing softly to herself like a water nymph. I will regret for the rest of my life that I was too exhausted to take off my pack and dig out my cell phone for a picture. That was the great thing about my front pack. The camera was always easily accessible.
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I can't believe it's Derby week and today is the boat race.
Walked 3 hours and taking a lunch break. I'm about a third of the way to my stopping spot for the night. Packman and Cousii (the thing that goes around a beer can. Sp?) showed up at camp last night. Happy to see them. Today they plan to go 19 miles so I might never see them again. It's sad when you lose someone on the trail that you've gotten to know. The last of the churchmen and his son went home yesterday. They were good company. Packman has a gentle soul. Cousii is a navy man and seems like a wonderful young man.
Note to Scott: fertility goddess got into camp yesterday but she was some distance away so I didn't interact with her except I passed her on the trail late in the day. She was sitting on a rock in the middle of a small stream nearly hidden by a rhododendron thicket singing softly to herself like a water nymph. I will regret for the rest of my life that I was too exhausted to take off my pack and dig out my cell phone for a picture. That was the great thing about my front pack. The camera was always easily accessible.
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Day 9 - Packman
Packman just arrived at the shelter after taking a day off in Hiawasee. I'm very happy to see him. He has a wonderful cheerful disposition. Yeah.
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Day 9 - Border, Sarah & Too Tall
Today I walk. Tomorrow is uncertain.
Made my first goal today: the Ga. N.C. border. Georgia: been there done that. Did 8.5 miles today to the Muskrat Creek Shelter and I'm done. It's only 1:30 but I've walked since 8 and I'm tired and there is thunder nearby. Disappointed that this shelter has no steel bear cables to hang food. Will try for first time to hang from my own rope.
Last evening an attractive young, voluptuous woman walked into camp. Sarah was wearing sandals, thin nylon skirt, see-thru shirt and nothing else. She reminded me of those fertility statues you find in primitive cultures. I don't know if she has a tent cause she slept on a mat in the open last night. There were a lot of young men in camp. I don't know how American men learn to look without appearing to look. Every time she walked by there were very slight adjustments of body positions. Culture is so interesting. It would have been so different in Italy.
It's happened again. "Too Tall" passed me a couple of times on the trail yesterday. (More about him later). At camp last night he talked about this adorable baby bear that ran down in front of him. I asked where I was when that happened and he said he had just passed me and thought of waiting to tell me but since it disappeared he kept walking. Grrrrr. Doesn't he know that cute baby bears have big ferocious mommas? This is the same young man at Springer Mt. where I was trying to discover the very start of the AT (he and his friends were sitting on the rock with the plaque). He pointed in the other direction and said "that way's north" like I was an idiot. He carries an axe so he can learn to throw it at trees. He also carries a book to identify edible wild plants and collects leaves to eat for dinner. You can't make this stuff up.
I listened to my grandchildren today and that was hard!!
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Made my first goal today: the Ga. N.C. border. Georgia: been there done that. Did 8.5 miles today to the Muskrat Creek Shelter and I'm done. It's only 1:30 but I've walked since 8 and I'm tired and there is thunder nearby. Disappointed that this shelter has no steel bear cables to hang food. Will try for first time to hang from my own rope.
Last evening an attractive young, voluptuous woman walked into camp. Sarah was wearing sandals, thin nylon skirt, see-thru shirt and nothing else. She reminded me of those fertility statues you find in primitive cultures. I don't know if she has a tent cause she slept on a mat in the open last night. There were a lot of young men in camp. I don't know how American men learn to look without appearing to look. Every time she walked by there were very slight adjustments of body positions. Culture is so interesting. It would have been so different in Italy.
It's happened again. "Too Tall" passed me a couple of times on the trail yesterday. (More about him later). At camp last night he talked about this adorable baby bear that ran down in front of him. I asked where I was when that happened and he said he had just passed me and thought of waiting to tell me but since it disappeared he kept walking. Grrrrr. Doesn't he know that cute baby bears have big ferocious mommas? This is the same young man at Springer Mt. where I was trying to discover the very start of the AT (he and his friends were sitting on the rock with the plaque). He pointed in the other direction and said "that way's north" like I was an idiot. He carries an axe so he can learn to throw it at trees. He also carries a book to identify edible wild plants and collects leaves to eat for dinner. You can't make this stuff up.
I listened to my grandchildren today and that was hard!!
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