Hot Springs, North Carolina is where I have found myself today. By the end of the day I'll only have less than 1900 miles to go. I'm so close to Maine I can feel it! Despite the overwhelming math that goes through my head every day, like the fact that if I walk 17.5 miles a day for the next 109 days I'll make it there by September 1st, I'm doing pretty well. Just two days ago I had my first 25 mile day and I've had quite a few over 2o mile days. So if I keep up that kind of mileage I'll be fine. For now I'm shooting for between 18 and 22 miles a day.
I was so excited about my first day breaking 20 miles that I only made 12 miles of progress. One accomplishes this by walking 4 miles down the trail in the wrong direction before encountering another hiker whose itinerary you find quite contrary. You then must turn around and re-hike those 4 miles you have already hiked twice. That is how you hike Tray Mtn, probably the 2nd tallest peak in GA at over 4,000 ft three times and get the trail name Wrong Way which is what everyone has known me as since my last entry.
I have settled into a groove though and haven't made that mistake again which I'm reminded not to make every time I introduce myself to a fellow hiker "I'm Wrong Way" ensued with story. I have met a ton of people out here. A fair amount of thru-hikers a few more section hikers and a bunch of folks out for the weekend. I've met people from all over the country and world and the experience is definitely what I had anticipated. It is a lot of walking, but every once in a while you meet a group of hikers and get good and drunk. We are a predictable lot though as every party ends promptly at 9:00 PM when we all have to go to sleep.
My favorite people out on the trail are folks out trying to learn how to backpack. I passed a group in the Smokies who were cutting off their pant legs with a bowie knife that had a holster fastened around one of their calves cause they were hot. I don't know what became of them when they got cold, but they had enough chewing tobacco to make it to the north pole. There are a lot of folks thru-hiking with similar experience levels and varying degrees of sanity. There is a guy I keep hearing about that is ahead of me named gamma-ray who has a wool blanket a dozen tube socks, and tuna packets. He tries to barter fresh socks for what he needs and is hoping to meet a young lady with a 2 person tent. I wear sandals and have a 1 person tent so am really looking forward to meeting him. It never ceases to amaze me at what people find necessary and unnecessary when they go out hiking. In the end the only thing you need is a good head on your shoulders, but given the short supply of those on the trail, bowie knives and tube socks will have to suffice.
I've seen more bears and been bitten by bugs, and paddled some whitewater, and went to Gatlinburg, TN a book within itself, and hitchhiked with crazies, and hitchhiked with not crazies, and a bunch of other stuff too. I don't have time to strring together all the stories. There is a lack of libraries and computers on the old AT, this one here in Hot Springs happens to be one of the few that is directly on the trail, but I will do my best to write more frequently. As it stands though I have an appointment to get some walking in, so I best be on my way.
Happy trails to you! -Wrong Way
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Paddled some whitewater? I thought you were on a hiking trip! Thanks for the updates--your stories are always entertaining, Wrong Way. :)
ReplyDeleteSo, no Dura-log fires at night? i thought that was part of the AT experience? Ah, maybe if you stay at the shelter we were at in CT you can get it going. Oh, and don't forget to "mull" some wine at some point.
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