Here I Go Again (On My Own)

AT day 32 

Intermission is over. I was off trail for 12 days. The quest is on to catch Caroline, who is roughly 100 miles ahead. She is zeroing in Hot Springs and resting her feet for a few days.

Had to get to the airport at 3 am. Tried but didn’t sleep at all. My flight is to Knoxville, where I have a shuttle arranged back to Fontana Dam. I am hoping to hike to the first campground today, but it may depend on whether I am able to sleep during my flight.

I made a few gear changes while at home, and spread my gear though the house to do laundry and wash everything, etc. I’m hoping I remembered everything.

The biggest change was leaving Beary Cannilow at home for now. The next 100 or so miles it is required to hang your food, even with a canister. Cables are provided. Bear canisters are not made to be hung up, they can break if they fall. So with great sadness I left Beary behind.

I also got an umbrella and ditched my rain jacket, it was just too hot. Added a pair of shorts. Changed my footwear from Hoka Speedgoats to Merrell Moabs.

I just want to get on my plane and sleep for a couple hours, but of course it is delayed.

Did not manage to sleep on the plane, and I change my plans and book a room at Fontana Village. It’ll give me a chance to review all my gear, have a good dinner, and a good night rest before setting off into the Smokies.

Starr, my shuttle driver, was class of AT class of 2022 and grew up in Vermont a few towns away from me (Marshfield). We have a lot to talk about, and a lot in common. Getting back to Fontana means I get to ride the Dragon again, but there’s a lot less traffic this time, and it’s actually a really pretty drive. The trees are greening and flowers have come up. I’m anxious to get back to the trail.

AT day 33 

The Quest to Catch Caroline, Day 1

Overnighted in a room at Fontana Village and I feel well rested. Anxious to see how my legs are after two weeks off, and the climb into the Smokies today will be strenuous. I’m hoping to push through the 70+ miles without stopping, and have packed food with this in mind. But it won’t be enough if my mileage is low. I’m not able to stealth camp in the Smokies, so am forced to hike shelter to shelter, and often there’s a lot of miles in between. Or just a few miles from one to the next, but then the next is 15 miles away. There is a road about halfway through where I could go to Gatlinburg if I need, but it would take a lot of time and I’d like to avoid it.

I will also need to conserve my battery life. And spoiler alert: I’m not going to smell great when I leave the Smokies 😂

Caught the shuttle (and bumped into someone last seen at Muskrat Creek Shelter who we had dubbed Loud Obnoxious Man) and started hiking around 930. First few miles went great, except it was pavement and my feet didn’t like it.

Hit the Smokies and dropped my permit in the box. And about a half mile later realized I was very dehydrated. I had a liter of water before setting off, and had started with two full liters. And my new fancy hydration device because Caroline is no longer there to hand me my water and put it back. The next water source was about two miles up, but was not reliable. I drank what I had and hoped I could refill there, and not at the next water source in four miles. It was a rough two miles. The stream was slowly flowing, and I sat and drank another liter and fully filled up before heading off again.  

Felt much better, except my feet intermittently were a little upset. And so much elevation gain, it was a slow day. I did blue blaze up to a fire tower, and ran into Loud Obnoxious Man again. We ended up leapfrogging all day.

I got to the campsite at 7 miles, and it was only 3 pm, and I didn’t want to waste daylight. The hill after the campsite was awful, and I kept thinking about turning around and just setting up for the night. I had just over 5 miles and 5 hours of daylight, and thought I’d be rolling in to the shelter right at sunset.

I stopped and took lots of breaks, and got to the shelter an hour before sunset, at 715. Actually ate some dinner, and now to get sleep so maybe I can do another 12 miles tomorrow.

AT Day 34

The Quest to Catch Caroline Day 2

Soooo…today did not go as planned.

The weather forecast had called for a sunny day. I got up this morning and felt really good, and was planning to do another 12 miles. I set off at 730, and it started drizzling. Cell access is really bad, so I wasn’t able to check radar, and hoped it would stop.

The trail was beautiful though, everything is blooming.  

There was a shelter at 3 miles, 6 miles, and 12 miles, and I decided to adapt as necessary, but was hoping for 12. I stopped at the first shelter and had coffee and breakfast, and loaded up on water. It was still raining lightly, but in the high 50s and not uncomfortable.

I got to the shelter at mile 6 (Spence Field Trail) by 1 pm and it was raining harder, and the winds had picked up a lot. Some guys had come from the shelter where I intended to go, and told me I shouldn’t go forward right now, with the rain and the wind the ridgeline was really bad.

I decided to give it an hour, but it didn’t clear up. So unfortunately I’m here for the night. My feet are still hurting a little so it will be good for them to rest, but I’m anxious to get in the miles.

And for the second time today I told a shelter full of male strangers to turn around so I could change, and just went for it. The trail is lacking a bit in privacy 😂

At least there is a privy here, with a lock and everything. And I have my kindle.

AT DAY 35 April 27, 2024

The Quest to Catch Caroline, Day 3

Sooo today was really rough. I tripped and fell last night at the shelter, and landed on my left hip and thigh (Trail fall #4). It didn’t hurt at the time, but it hurt this morning. I decided to walk it off. But my feet are angry at me because I wore some socks they didn’t like, so every step was painful. Which is kind of routine at this point. The saying is never quit on a bad day, and well. I’m in the middle of nowhere, it’s hard to quit. So I kept going. 

I got up and had breakfast and used the fancy privy for the last time, and set off around 9 am. After having to put my cold, wet clothes on, because of course they didn’t dry overnight. I had put some leukotape on my feet to give them some extra cushioning, and it worked for a bit. But I was very slow. And at a certain point the leukotape started feeling like it was pulling my skin wrong, so I stopped and took it off. Part of the aggravation was my feet moving in my shoes, especially downhill. So about 4 miles in I pretend it’s the 80s and decide to try doubling my socks. It made my shoes feel tight, but the extra cushion and inhibiting the sheer my feet were getting didn’t completely eliminate the pain, but made it much more bearable. I ran into a ridge runner who gave me some cushion bandaids and told me to get some injinji sock liners.

I also ran into a lady training for ultras who told me she is fascinated by thru hikers. And I told her I’m fascinated by ultra runners. We talked and I told her I had made the decision to not wait until my kids were independent to do this, and she said “Good for you, too many women wait and then sometimes it’s too late.”

Summited a couple mountains that probably had great views, but everything was foggy. And some of the trail today was wet and treacherous, and had a few rock scrambles. Most of the day was foggy and windy, but the sun came out in the afternoon.

Somewhere in the middle of this awful day I get a text from a friend who asks how getting back on the trail is, now that I know I’m able to physically handle it. I laugh and respond that I would not be so presumptuous yet to assume I can physically handle this. He tells me he knows I can, and he is probably right. 

I got to the first shelter 6 miles in at 230. I really wanted to stop and stay the night, but I can’t keep doing just six mile days. So I grabbed water, took my shoes and socks off for a bit, ate a protein bar, and set off twenty minutes later, hoping I’d make the next shelter before sundown. The first few miles went fast, but the last miles had a lot of elevation gain. I still managed to make it around 7, and got a spot in the shelter to sleep.  

A thru hiker from Utah named Sparkles, and Erin, a section hiker from Knoxville are my shelter companions, and we chat a bit over dinner and then settle in around 8. I can’t sleep, everything hurts a little and my legs are restless. There’s no cell service. I read my kindle for a bit. I end up sleeping a few hours at a time, and eventually morning comes.

My back has started hurting and I had meant to stop back in REI for a backpack adjustment while home, but ran out of time. The last girl I saw at REI has explained it would need adjusted as I lose weight, and I can do the basic adjustment of shortening the torso length, which moves the pack up a bit. I do that and hope it helps. I also realize that the food bag doesn’t fit in my pack as well as Beary Cannilow did, and I’m going to try to pack it better so it is sitting low and close to my back.

AT day 36 

The Quest to Catch Caroline Day 4

Got up around 7. I always hang my hiking clothes up to let them air out and dry overnight before I put them back on. And, well, that was the wrong thing to do in the Smokies. Everything is wet. But it’s gotta go on anyways.

Set out around 815, with a plan to hike 12.2 miles to Newfound Gap, and hitch a ride to Gatlinburg. I’m slow again this morning, my feet still hurt and I finally have a blister.

I get to the next shelter 1.7 miles away. I had wanted to get there the previous night, but ran out of time. It has a precious privy, and I wait until Sparkles is done. Refill my water supply, and head out. The fog clears up quickly and it’s a nice day. I stop to adjust my socks and shoes a lot to help my poor feet. And then I’m at the 200 mile mark. Which, just like at the 100 mile mark, involved a very steep climb with a bunch of stairs. 

Just past it is Clingmans Dome, and I decide to walk up it despite my aching feet. It’s very windy, which must be why people are not moving away from me. At the top a lady asks if I’m thru hiking, tells me she wants to, and asks a ton of questions. I mention my plan to rest and resupply in Gatlinburg, and she offers me a ride. I’ll probably regret it, but turn her down and explain I want to use the sunny day to get the 7.7 miles to Newfound Gap before I get off trail.

And the miles are rough. It’s mostly dry riverbed with lots of rocks, roots, and other fun ways to break your ankle. I don’t want to be hitch hiking after dark, so I’m trying to pick up speed wherever feasible. It’s beautiful here, it looks like a fairy village with lots of flowers and moss.  

Since being alone I started listening to audiobooks, and am currently listening to Patrick Stewart narrate his autobiography. It’s wonderful, but his soothing voice doesn’t inspire me to move faster. After my last water resupply, I switch over to some music and decide I need to get moving. And it works, I do that treacherous 7.7 miles in about 4.5 hours, getting to the gap at 6 pm.

At Newfound Gap I start calling hotels to see who has laundry onsite. I’m hoping for a fast turnaround, but even if my feet ask me to stay an extra day I don’t want to be schlepping all over town. I take a few pictures, and a lady asks if she can take some for me. I ask her directions to Gatlinburg, and she tells me that unfortunately she doesn’t have room in her car at the moment or she would drive me there. It’s a busy road, so I know someone will pick me up.

I pretend it’s the 70s and hang out near the stop sign that has a convenient pull off spot, and put my thumb out. Within a few minutes a silver Ford Mustang convertible, with the top down, pulls over and tells me to hop in. I am very excited and thank him. I expect him to regret his decision to pick up a smelly hiker, but the top is down and he seems to not notice. He is Mohammed visiting from Saudi Arabia, and is traveling all over the US for both work and pleasure. He had always wanted to see the Smokies, and tells me he managed to hike about a half mile in, but it was difficult . I tell him I’ve just done 42 miles in the last four days. He’s never heard of the Appalachian Trail, so I explain I started in Georgia and have 208 miles, and still have 11 states to hike thru.  

It’s a beautiful ride, and he tells me his next destination is San Francisco, where his employer is based. He does something involving developing technology to fight climate change, and he’s very passionate about it. Mohammed takes me directly to my hotel, and asks if he can use my parking spot so he doesn’t have to pay the astronomical parking fees Gatlinburg is charging the tourists. I hook him up, and he takes off to go explore Main Street.

While I’m checking in the hotel clerk asks if I lift. This is not something men typically ask women, and I start wondering if I’ve put on muscle with this hike, which would be awesome. He explains he noticed my tattoo, and we chat about PRs for a bit. Later when I got back down to ask for quarters for the laundry, he directs me to a store across the street. But tells me I should wait to go in the morning because of the bear. Bear?!?! I’ve hiked 208 miles and not seen a bear yet, but might see my first one in town. He says if he sees it he’ll call my room.

Meanwhile I get to my room and order a lot of food. I was definitely thinking about pizza to keep my feet moving today. Bathing and laundry are also high on my agenda.