Steep As A Witches Hat

The trail is beautiful but tough, and most times steep. She challenges you, but rewards you. If you take her for granted, she humbles and reminds you that SHE is in charge….

Mountains, Gaps, Knobs and Balds

Oh look! There’s a mountain over there – let’s just go right up and over the top of that bad boy! With names like Standing Indian, Hump Mountain, Blood Mountain, Hogpen Gap, Buzzard Knob and Max Patch Bald, the A.T. is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get until you bite into it! I study the elevation profile for my planned miles each day, but have figured out I just don’t want to know and will simply get it done. I’ve climbed some fairly steep grades on-trail in VA, but, DUDES!, I can honestly say that north Georgia, southern North Carolina and Tennessee are as tough, if not tougher than most of what I’ve done prior.

Switchbacks? We don’t need no stinkin’ switchbacks!?!

Switchbacks are like stairs – they’re there for your convenience, as well as for the convenience and safety of the pack animals that used to traverse them. Apparently Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery had no interest in convenience and knew that no sane man would take a pack animal on such a journey. I cursed those two many times as I was climbing for 2-4 hours only to reach some knob that immediately descended down the other side into some gap. All I could think of was that they used a witches hat as a model for this damned trail! The balds are a delight, assuming the weather is clear!  360 degree views, relatively flat or rolling tops, full exposure…..all awesome, unless Ma Nature decides to mix it up with a little thunderstorm, rain, hail or sleet in addition to the always present wind.  She has tested my mettle several times, but has likewise rewarded me with epic views so far……

Free-stumbling and Bonding 

In spite of my outward disdain for the constant ups and downs, deep inside I loved the challenge of making the climb at a steady 2.5 mph, the diversity of terrain and then “free-stumbling” down the other side into my day’s destination- usually a tent site near a shelter with a water source and some tramily to trade stories with, lament over the day’s trials and share a bag of Ramen and Mashed Potatoes with. These are bonding experiences- bonding with like minded, crazy-like-me people who understand the lure of the trail. The bonding extends to your gut as well- those mashed potatoes bond that Ramen to your innards all the way from “stem-to-stearn,” as they say.

Truism’s

Anyway, the witches hat analogy seems appropriate for most of the climbs and descents in those first three states. Past hikers and those who know tell me “you’ve got the hard parts behind you for a while now….until you get into Vermont, New Hampshire and the Whites.” Yeah, right, sure…… There’s a few things I’ve learned so far: 1) almost there means you got a long-ass way to go yet, 2) it ain’t that bad means you’re about to get your butt chewed up and spit out, and 3) water sources / springs at shelters are a quarter- mile away and uphill both ways.  But in the end, it’s all good and well worth the effort!  Cheers, peace and blessings – Love, Ninja 🥷…….