Transcription of journal page photos can be found below. A more traditional blogpost of this hike can be found HERE along with lots of pictures.
- Trail Map Says: 9.2 miles
- Laura’s Watch Says: 10.59 miles
- Elevation Gain: 2,777 feet (2,864?)
- Elevation Loss: 1,286 feet
- Start Time: 8:15 am
- End Time: 3:57pm 3:37?
- Active Hiking Time: 5 5:26?
- Average Pace: 32:19 30:30? forgot to turn my watch off for 20 min after the end ← (best 24:09, worst 36:14)
- Average Heart Rate: 128 bpm, (peak 154)
Well that’s an improvement over yesterday. The fact that my watch slipped so much less than yesterday (15% extra credit given by my watch today as opposed to 28% extra credit yesterday) probably has everything to do with how much better I was moving today. I slept badly (why?? I should have been exhausted) but still woke up less stiff than yesterday. Thank god, because after how rough yesterday felt, I felt a little nervous about continuing. Nervous, but determined to try. The goal for today was 13 miles and 3,660 feet of gain, a significantly larger march.
The trail was kind to us, for a start. The first three miles wound sedately around Watauga reservoir before picking up a little elevation to the dam. Then we started to climb. We did more elevation gain than yesterday in fewer miles, but today it never hurt quite as much. Don’t get wrong: I still did a lot of stopping, but after this morning’s psychological setback of discovering my pack really does weigh 35 pounds (I don’t know why I somehow expected it to be way less, given the evidence, [though I somehow did] but I had expected to be down a few pounds after eating a full day’s food and giving away more), I felt like I was making really rockin’ progress.
We stopped at an overlook (the view: tree branches) for lunch. Dustin is eating tuna on tortillas. I’m eating crackers, cheese, peanut butter, olives, beef jerky, Pirate Booty, sated caramel churro almonds… basically, the weirdest, most delicious lunch ever. I’ve also been trying to drink way more water than I did yesterday, because that got dire. I’m not great at drinking water, but here there’s way too much sweating to be able to get away with not drinking all the time.
Halfway into Mile 7, it started to sprinkle. We got out our ponchos (yay ponchos this time!) and Hobz donned his umbrella hat, but I didn’t put on my rain pants. I hadn’t learned my lesson. And that is why the sky opened up and poured on us. This time, it only lasted 50 minutes instead of the four hours we got in the Smokies, but that’s still enough time to soak your uniprotected pants and boots.
We arrived at the Vandemumble Shelter as the sun started coming out to make everything steamy. Our destination for the day was 4 miles farther down the trail, at a tent site. After evaluating the forecasts, the dampness of our pants, and backup plans for making up four miles in the next three days, we decided to make camp here.
It’s not even my fault!!
No one else was in the shelter. Still isn’t.
In fact, we’ve seen almost no one else on the trail at all. There were people at Laurel Falls, and two people and their dog, not even wearing daypacks on the trail this afternoon, but that’s it. I had expected way more people. Hobz pointed out that we missed the “bubble”- the swarm of Northbound through-hikers who all started in Georgia at the same time. The Southbound bubble won’t be here for awhile more yet, but still. I expected to do way more sharing of trail and sleeping spaces.
As we peeled off wet gear and considered drying strategies, I decided my pants had to go. “You okay pretending I’m wearing a swimsuit?” I asked Hobz.
“There isn’t much modesty on the trail,” he noted, “but I have a clean pair of shorts if you’d like to borrow them?”
And that is how I wound up in Hobz’s pants. My usual sleeping pants (long johns) got voted out of the backpack when we saw the forecast. I have a sleeping sock, so I don’t mind sleeping pantsless, but I had failed to consider rain emergencies, as should be very clear by now.
Uh. I just remembered I have rain pants that would have done. (Facepalm.) This is definitely the sort of thing I need practice at…
Thither & Yon 