Over the Mountians and through the woods!

As usual I was up with the sun.  The night is sure dark in the woods.  One of the SB hikers decided to stay in the shelter while the other, the owner of the dog, set up his tent.  I didn't do much for breakfast but I did make a cup of coffee and enjoyed it even if it was instant.  The dog owner was up and we talked just a little and I mention that I had planned to hike to the next shelter and back today but changed my mind.  Not sure I could do it  (12 miles) in one day and did not want to stay for two more days.

Sage was up and talking about trying to find a shuttle from the dam to Cherokee for a mail drop.  If she did not make it to New Found Gap, in the Smoky, on time she would have to wait until Monday.  I volunteered to give her a ride if she could not get a shuttle.  She took off a little ahead of me but I'm sure she made it to the dam hours before I did. (I forgot to ask).

I thought I would make better time going back but I was mistaking.  It was just as tough going down hill as it is going up.  I only cut about thirty minutes off my time.  I didn't have to rest as often or as long but it was still rough.

Arriving at the dam, I saw a day hiker that came by the shelter a while before I left this morning and he told me a young lady was asking about Two Stix.  We walked to the VC parking lot together where our vehicles were parked.  Driving around toward the VC I spotted Sage and gave here the ride to Cherokee.  On the way I learned that she was only seventeen!  The day before she just said "between junior and senior year,"  and I just assumed college. She did not talk or act like a high school girl and she diffidently has it all together. Her plan is to do 1,600 miles before school starts.  Good luck, Sage!

I enjoyed the drive to Cherokee and helping Sage with a little trail magic in advance of my hike next year.  After dropping her off at the Post Office I headed over the mountain toward Knoxville to get in as many miles on my homeward drive as possible.  It was a neat drive through the park, but, the views were limited because of the trees.  I made it to Kingston, TN for the night and after checking into the motel I went out and got a Papa Johns pizza and brought it back to my room.  1,800 miles from here to home and three days are my plans.

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."    - Henry Ford (1863-1947)

Lots of PUDS!

I got up early enough but messed around and didn't get away until after 0930.  One of the family group gave me one of their maps which showed the elevation profile and POIs for the section from the dam to NOC, (Nantahala Outdoor Center).  It really came in handy since I had no local maps of the trail.  The bad news is it showed the steep climb I would have to make right out of tent.

It took me just over six hours to do the 6.5 miles to the Cable Gap shelter with about 1.800 feet in elevation gain, not counting all the extra ups and downs.  The lake elevation is ~1,800 feet, the peak at 3,600 feet, and the shelter is at 2,880 feet.  The steep 1,800 feet gain was in the 2 - 5 mile section of the day's hike.  I found a great water source at about three miles in and change out all of my water in order to get rid of the chlorinated water I was carrying.  The only wildlife of note was a Pileated Woodpecker, the largest one I have ever seen.  (Reading up on them later and learned that they can get rather large.)


I got to the shelter around 1600 and had a good long rest before making dinner.  Soon after dinner and cleanup and reorganizing, Sage, a NBF (north bound female)  hiker joined me.  She had planned a thirty mile day but settled for twenty two.  I talked about going to the next shelter and back  the next day, doing twelve miles.  We chatted off and on about our hikes and was joined later by two SBM hikers with a dog. 

Near dark I was rested enough to pack it in for the night.

PUDS = Pointless Ups and Downs!

Finding the right spot on the trail to do an overnight.

After finishing up a two week whirl wind trip visiting my kids, grand kids, and my siblings in KY, I left Mary's and headed south to Knoxville and points beyond.  My plan was to find a point on the Appalachian Trail to do an overnight hike.  I stopped at the TN visitor center and got a little info and maps.  Decided to go to Fontana Dam, NC and do my hike from there.  Stopped at a  Walmart somewhere south of Knoxville to stock up. On  Hwy 129 going into the mountains there was a section called THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON.  Lots of quick and sharp curves and a magnet for motor cycle riders.  I asked a group of bikers if there was a special event going on and they said, "No, this is just a normal day!"  It was a great drive.  I lost my coffee mug at a pull out after leaving it on the pickup "step", but back tracked and was able to find it.

Got to the Dam visitor center and checked it out.  Decided to hike south, away form the GSMNP.  After a false start the wrong way, (It just didn't look right) I went back to the VC and talked to the "information" person. which  was pretty useless, I decided the trail followed the road at least a little ways. I met a hiker, with no gear, who pointed me to the blue blase trail to the shelter and soon I was setting up for the night.

At the shelter a family group of hikers (six adult men and four of five kids) that started the NOC (Nantahala (River) Outdoor Center).  There was also a single male hiker, a Jamaica from Atlanta, that had hiked form Springer Mt.  His plan was a flip flop thru hike, hiking from both ends to the middle, due to the late start.  Two other young guys hiking from Springer joined us later.  Their plan was to hike to a couple of more weeks and the parents would pick them up.

Dinner time I used my new propane micro stove w/piezo electric lighter.  Sure faster than the CatCan stove.  I had the spegetti which I had dehydrated before.  It was great!  The Asian Stir Fry is still in my backpack for later.

I was going to leave the fly cover off of the tent but felt at least three drops of rain just as it was getting dark so I put the fly cover on, using a flash light.  There was no more rain.

How much can I carry

Some new gear before starting my trip east. I decided to buy and try a Micro gas stove with piezo lighter.  At the same time I ordered a set of dry sacks.  These were both form Amazon.

I saw the same set of dry sacks at Walmart, so I picked up another set.  Also found a ground cloth (sealed nylon) and pack cover while I was there.  Will be looking to try them out.

Made it to Moab in good time so I stopped at Gear Heads Outfitter, a place we bought some stuff from when in the Canyon Lands/Arches area this spring.  While there I bought a Lexan cup w/cozy, for coffee mostly, and an aluminum wind screen for the stove, then continued to drive on for two hundred more miles!

Is it too early to start drying food for next year?

I hope not!  I ordered and received a 1000 watt food dehydrator this past week.  Today I started making Jerky, (I know it too early for that, but this is practice!)  and also did some spaghetti w/meat sauce.  It has been in a few hours and not ready yet.  The beef may have been too thick.  I tried some a little bit ago and the taste was fine.

Also this week I moved the big pots that we had our herbs growing in and I dug up a herb garden.  about two feet by eleven feet.  Put in some sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro,  and other herbs, two tomato plants, and three bell pepper plants.  Had to cover it up last for what I hope will be the last cold spell this spring.  The airport had 38* and Weather Underground had 27* when I got up this AM.  Don't know which was right, maybe both, but if we got the average of the two, that would have been at the freezing mark, not good for just planted herbs.

trip east

http://g.co/maps/xrdwt

Mort Stuff

Did La Sal loop rd to Sand Flats rd coming in to the back of Sand Flats area.  Nice drive.

M Bought a lumbar pack for camera gear on short hikes and I got a $12.00, 48 ounce Nalgene water bag.  I'll will be great for carrying water in the car as a backup to our water bottles which we carry all of the time.  I will most likely buy another on in order to have 96 ounce capacity when needed on the AT hike next year.

Hike two, day two. Up to the Island in the Sky!

Up at 0600. breakfast, break camp, and gone by 0800.  Was wondering if I had enough water and food to make it to the top but then I found  a little of a spring and got about half pint of water.  It was just too slow.  A while later I found a good one. The water was great, specially after the river water.  So I filled up, even replaced most of the river water, later to realize I should have replaced it all.  I was 100 times better and I needed it.

Up the wash a little longer and got to the 3.5 mile marker and had to decide which rought to take around the Upheaval Dome. I chose to go right, the shorter, steeper climb.  3.5 miles vs. 4.9 miles. That meant I was half way to the top. It was a tough climb. Literately steep stair climbing and boulder scrambling.  I had to stop and rest lots of time.  My food  was running low, just had some dried fruit and nuts to make it to the top.  I thought I had more gator aid but realized last night there was no more.  Sure could have used it today. Needed some quick energy.  Nuts just don't do that.

Long an tough climb with not a lot of scenic views.. not a do over. On the Chesler Park hike, I used the photos ops as a chance to rest, this time I used the rest stops for a chance to take a photos.  Topped the rim after two very long rest stops, taking off the BP and laying down in the shade, and a lot short ones.  Came over the rim at 1530, was planing a 1700 summit, so  was pleased with the time. M came along about 1725, a little late, but, she had made me a sandwich and brought a banana, and I had time to get a good rest.  The sandwich was much need and so was the banana. 

I had started on my last bottle of river water just as I made the top.  It felt like the sediments were resting in my stomach.  M had lots of ice water with her and that was what I needed... along with the sandwich.


All in all, a very good practice hike with an over-nite and moderately heavy backpack.  My recovery time on both overnight hikes was very short, back to normal the next day.  I now know that I can do the Appalachian Trail next year.  I do need to figure out how to handle the cold and rain for the first couple of months and then deal with the high humidity after that.  Guess I'll just have to adapt!

Hike two, day one, ...Going down!

What a day. Dead tired at 2030. I just finished dinner and clean up and set up tent.  Had to rest three hours before that.  What have i gotten it to?

The hike down was very scenic, lots of photos. Six miles to Zeus & Moses.  Saw them and at first didn't realize it was, then it dawned on me how far I had hiked down. 

About a mile later I got in some much needed rest and a Gator Aid punch drink.  Revived, I was ready to go again.  While getting into harness a lady went by on a bike, a group followed not far behind.

Saw a collard lizard, took 25 photos, 2 came out good, rest were just a little blurred.

Got to the river @1500, had to fight my way to the water, filtered about five liters but it still had lots of sediment. 

Started along  White Rim Road, found the wash to follow back up.  Made about one mile from the river, through deep soft sand, and with ten pounds of extra water, it was tough, so I  started looking for a camp site.  Found one around 1645 or so and just collapsed.  Thirteen miles was bad enough, but, to end it with ten extra pounds of water and then trug a mile in deep sugar sand was too much.  Took my shirt off to use as a ground pad and rested thirty minutes before I unrolled the tent and and laid the sleeping pad on top of it.  Three hours before I could set up camp and fix dinner then to bed. Midnight before  was rested enough to go to sleep.  Stars were nice until the moon  came up to dimmed them out.

So much fun, lets do it again!

Went into the park this AM, got my permit amended for an overnight hike, 20 mile loop down to the river and back with 2000 ft el gain.  Plan to leave about 0800 tomorrow and back topside by 1700 the next day.

We also did the main drive loops an overlooks.  Shafer road (trail) was being graded, or repaired, when we drove by.