Can I Make It 15 miles? – Shake Down Hike (Part 2)

Good Morning

We got packed up by 8 am, and it was time to weigh my pack. DOOM! It weighed 38 pounds. In hindsight, I wish I had unloaded a few pounds of food, but I was ready to start walking and just power through. 

As we left, a couple hikers approached us for help finding the trailhead. We took off together, but it didn’t take long for them to get ahead of my 38-pound slog. After they pulled ahead of us, Bill and I had a serious talk about how much distance I wanted to cover today. I wanted to get big miles in on day one to prove to myself that I was ready to hike the big miles I would need on the Appalachian Trail. This is a shake down after all.  So the goal was 6 miles before Fresh Ground at his Leap Frog Cafe, 5 miles to Simms Field for a quick rest, and 4 miles to Burrells Ford Campsite where we would turn in.

Shake UPs

I hiked my hike and enjoyed it, regardless of the heavy pack. My main challenge was the ups. I just couldn’t keep my breath under me as I hiked uphill. I would hike as fast as I could for as long as possible and then have to stop to catch my breath. 

Crossing paths with Appalachian Trail alumni was something I had looked forward to, and when an AT alum recognized us I was excited. His trail name is Old Dude. As soon as we met him, I asked for his advice about hiking the ups. He suggested a counting method for breathing more freely as I hike uphill. He asked if he could record us for a possible cameo on his YouTube channel, and we were happy to oblige. I loved his spirit; his positivity was contagious. His counting method was easy to follow, and I felt a little improvement right away. My first taste of trail magic just a few miles ahead also made the hike easier.

Trail Magic

We arrived to have lunch at Leapfrog Cafe with Fresh Ground later that afternoon. I was happy to be relieved of my 38-pound burden as I set it on the ground with my trekking poles. The smell of chili and hot dogs was enticing. Fresh Grounds’ hospitality is legendary, and he creates an experience that feels homey and comforting. He created the atmosphere simply, using his van and an awning. There are two centers of this home-away-from-home: the banquet table with warm beverages, hot meals, and Fresh Ground’s jubilant smile behind it and a gas fire pit with chairs full of people surrounding it, laughing and telling their AT tales. Fresh Ground immediately greeted me, asking what hot beverage would be best for me. Hot cocoa sounded perfect. It was absolutely delicious. I was freezing cold, and the sweet heat refilled my emptied tank. His chili dogs hit the spot and gave me the energy to get going again about an hour later, after chatting it up with several other AT alum. 

Thank You, Trail Maintainers

Our hike continued, and I was surprised by how clear the trail was despite the destruction we could see from Hurricane Helene. We passed several uprooted trees, whose root balls were taller than me by several feet. Ren Ramsey puts together the Ramadino’s End of Days Hike annually in late December, and this year we weren’t sure it was going to happen due to the trails being closed. Thanks to the trail maintainers, our path was cleared of the destruction Hurricane Helene left. We were happy it could be hiked again. Next year, we hope to hike the whole trail from Table Rock to Oconee!

Throughout the uphill sections, I was still practicing Old Dude’s counting method of controlling my breath. We finally made it to Simms Field for our five-ish mile break. The struggle to keep my breath was still an issue, so I asked for tips again when we sat down. Jedi told me to slow down and take smaller steps when the incline started. My concern with his plan was my height. I am 5’1” and already slower than almost everyone else. He said to ignore that idea and keep my mind on feeling good as I hiked. I thanked him for the advice and vowed to try it.

Savor the Hike Slowly

When we took off, I followed Jedi’s suggestion. Immediate improvement. I could breathe steadily. No problem at all. And once I could breathe, I started noticing the beauty around me. Slowing down was exactly what I had needed to do to enjoy my hike.

We only had four miles left, and we were right next to the river. Water is my happy place (My home is a sailboat!).  When we got next to the Chattooga River, it invigorated me. The whitewater was loud and calming. My energy shot up. I knew I would make it to Burell’s Ford for the first time all day. I would hike 15 miles on my first day on the Foothills Trail.

Shake DOWN: The Pit

I am glad I got that energy shot from the river because now the hiking got difficult. We hit some slippery rocks, and I went down. Just on my rump, and my backpack took the impact. But it shook me a bit. And the sun was getting lower on the horizon. I didn’t like the idea of a dark trail. The pit was my next obstacle. It was a hole in the ground that was waist-deep for Bill since he is 6’1”, but it was chest-deep for me. It was filled with small and medium sized  tree branches in no pattern at all. I puzzled for 20 minutes trying to figure out where to put my feet to get out of this pit. I struggled, pushed, and pulled until I finally escaped. The pit turned me into a muddy mess. But still smiling. When we hit the next rocks, and I went down again. The shake down shook me down again. Same scenario though, thankfully. I pulled myself up laughing. Bill was surprised at how I bounced back, but there wasn’t anything else to do. As my dad says, “Quitters never win, and winners never quit.”

Goal Achieved

It was dark, and we only had one mile left before I met my goal of making it to Burrell’s Ford! Headlamps are a must in the dark, so we keep ours in a reachable pocket of our pack. Without missing a step, we put them on and pushed through that last mile. Hiking in the dark was a first, but I didn’t hate it.  We got to the campsite with a light rain falling on us. One of the perks of this site is the privy, and we hit it before taking the short walk to our campsite. I had never put up a tent in the dark or in the rain. Bill did most of the work. I was exhausted. We popped the tent up as fast as possible. When it was up, I set up my sleep system. Success on the first try this time! 

Brush with Nature

I put my glasses and headlamp in the side pocket of the tent in case nature called in the middle of the night and shoved my clothes, electronics and water filter into my pack to protect them from the cold. Bill gave me shopping bags to go over my socks before my feet went into my wet shoes if I needed the privy in the rain that night. I wasn’t even a little hungry. I chugged a half liter of water and crashed. There was a bear box for all of our food and scented items, and that made the evening chores quicker. Bill is a saint. He took care of everything. The rain on the tent put me into a deep sleep.

Nature did call in the middle of the night. Camping has helped me overcome my fear of the dark. I met two cute creatures on that dark trek: a tiny, light-gray, fluffy owl swooped down and landed on the ground right in front of me beside the privy. When I got inside, I found what that owl was trying to catch: a tiny gray mouse. The mouse was now cowering in the corner of the privy. After that quick adventure, I trotted back to the tent, still in the rain. Thankfully, Bill had turned on our tent lights, making it easy to see. Unfortunately, my rain gear got super muddy when I put it down under the fly, which would pose a challenge in the morning. Regardless, I nestled down into my sleeping bag and slept peacefully until the alarm went off at 6 am.