Friday, April 27, 2012

3 weeks..

They say it takes 3 weeks to develop a habit and get your so called "trail legs" well after 3 weeks the following are true
- I hike roughly 15 miles a day up and down mountains
- I go weeks at a time without seeing my own reflection
- I fart as much in a day as i used to in a week
- my snickers budget consists of $20 for 4 days
 I am grateful for warm food, showers, beds
i am grateful.
Also i've conquered the smokies! No small feat, I quickly discovered my 35 degree bag is of little use against 15 degree weather with freezing winds. But the smokies also gave me some of the most gorgeous views on the entire trail. Due to park regulations there is no tenting allowed (doing so carries a $75 fine and being labeled a dick) so all hikers are forced to stay in the shelters which was great because it ment i was shacked up with many hikers i hadn't seen in weeks.


Train, big bear, and the twisted sisters. Whats so twisted about them? They're married of course. They have recently changed their names to psycho and path respectively, presumably because people thought they were sisters.. and thats just nasty. I reached my 200 mile mark yesterday and the tallest point on the entire Appalachian trail. Clingmans dome. It's here were i hitched in to Gatlingburg (or Gomorrah as firestarter nicknamed it) which is basically a giant theme park in the middle of the mountains (except instead of cool rides they have t-shirt shops and candy stores). It's very disillusioning heading out into such a town, waiting in line for mcdonalds as the herd of rednecks in there XXL walmart shirts with sayings like "thats how i roll" or "eat sleep text" complain that there bigmac is taking too long and scoff through their turkey necks. It's silly to see so much gimicky crap in a town that is surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains in the country. Why would anyone want to go to a ripleys believe it or not mirror maze or buy a sword when there is so much fantastic natural splendor around. Another benefit of the smokies is that I saw more animals in one day then i have the entire 3 weeks on the trail. A 3 foot tall turkey that walked the trail with me and 4 of the biggest deers i've ever seen.
not to mention the ballsiest, i ate lunch with this guy who was munching on some grass about 20 feet away from me.

So with the smokies under my belt i continue onward.. the bitter cold was too much for many hikers and the herd has thinned a bit but my resolve is only strengthened.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Trail magic, i dont usually rely on the kidness of strangers.

North Carolina has tons of great brewerys and beer, some fantastic rapids and now me and a dozen of my smelly hiker friends (and a dog)
still the biggest, and cutest animal i've seen on the trail. That's right the big news today is i've conquered my first state and first 100 miles, something that seems like an insane and unlikely accomplishment. The 4 mile stroll straight up hill at 8 a.m resulted in this overjoyed border photo between gasps of air.
Yes i'm sunburned, my feet are blistered and bruised, and it appears my right arm has become a popular feeding destination for the many bugs on the appalachian trail. As well as the hundreds of spiders i most likely spend the night with in my tent. But alas, there is hope! Believe it or not there are people out there that understand the pain and suffering of the thru hiker. Which is saying a lot, theres a pretty common term around here for thru-hikers and thats "hiker trash". I fully understood this classification when i was using someones side mirror when flossing and brushing my teeth.
Dude i stink, there's no way i can go to the bar. Think we could just.. bathe and wash our clothes in the middle of the river? If i've learned anything in these past two weeks its how to appreciate and be grateful, when you're biggest luxury is hot sauce for your spam the smallest things mean so much more.
like a robins nest in the outhouse. There is a term i've recently become aware of and thats trail angel. These are people who do trail magic, which is really anyone who goes out of there way to make a hiker smile. The trail angels can be anyone from past thru-hikers to hiking enthusiasts, hell sometimes even just some bikers with an extra 12 pack of beer before a large mountain. Photobucket Beer is always welcome because, as alcohol usually does, it gives the energy and confidence to carry on. After my previous blogpost i was ready to get back out on the trail with my hiking group, unfortunatley being new to the whole mailing to the middle of the mountains thing i was quite delayed. I ended up being about 4 hours late for the shuttles to the trail (11 miles away) and i had heard some pretty scary hitching stories. The "man in the red truck" who would drive you out to somewhere 5 miles away and and then tell you he needs 5 bucks, 20 bucks, your organs etc. So a local who saw me asked were i was headed and said oh this guy will take you. Tik-tok was an older man, who due to some pretty shitty circumstances ended up stuck in Hiawassee, he drove me the 11 miles and after promptly refusing the gas money i offered pointed up and said hmm looks like some trail magic. Perhaps some water or food on the side of the road? No, no it was 3 very kind women from asheville who had set up chili, hotdogs, gatorades, and water.
Is that salt and vinegar chips AND fritos, damn these ladies know how to party. Then the very next day i got hit with my first real thunder storm and that was hard. Thunder and lightning are scary enough, well enough to make my chihuahas shake, but when your on a mountain and literally the highest metal thing are the pot hanging outside your pack in, things get a little sketchy. Not only do i have to deal with seeing lightning sometimes 10 feet away from me, but then once i finally start to descent the rocks are slipperier than a field of banana peels. So i slowly make my way down the rocks and finally make it to deep gap were i see a small tent set up. Photobucket (spins on left, baboon on right) as i come closer i realize theres a whole spread of yummy foods, grilled veggies (a huge treat, i go weeks without eating anything green), hummus, chips, and even the sweet hipster nectar i crave PBR!
Spins and baboon thru-hiked last year and wanted to give back so naturally me and a couple of hikers spent the night at that gap, hell i wouldn't turn down free beer and food regardless of the circumstance. Then of course there's always those that try and take advantage of this amazing community. A Floridian (fun fact, roughly 80% of the people i have met have been from Florida) by the name of "gator" he probably has more tattoos then brain cells and he is the definition of a mooch. Pretty much just a guy who came onto the trail with no money, and no idea what he was doing who has made it 137 miles in solely on the kindness of other people who have bought him food, gear, and even booze. But of course people like that tend to get cast out as news on the trail spreads quick. Then there's the guy at woody gap who was an "rn", he was gauzing peoples feet and cleaning them up and then would ask for 20 bucks. We all later deduced that he was most likely just a guy with a foot fetish and a $16 bottle of betadine. Anyway, I sit now at the Nantahala outdoors center which sits literally in the middle of the appalachian trail, a beautiful resort built on a large white water rapid that attracts lots of different tourists. Photobucket Its a beautiful area and i actually spent my first zero day here, which means i did no hiking at all and just sat around and ate and it was spectacular. However someone decided it would be a good joke to put the NOC at the bottom of the largest mountain in North Carolina, i've discovered that whole thing about alcohol giving strength is devastatingly untrue for hangovers. So Wish me luck, and the strength to not stay for my 8th peanut butter milkshake in 2 days. Photobucket oh burger basket, why you so good?