Day 2 – “Eject, eject”

I made it to Jay camp around 16h00, tried to setup for the night and tried to plan what was next for tomorrow. At that point, the pain level was very high. I did not want to camp in the summit’s emergency shelter, and thought that walking downhill for a mile or so would be fine.

I greatly underestimated the trail, especially the rocky area. Stepping down those 2-3 foot mini-cliffs was extremely difficult for me.

Down Jay Peak towards Hwy 242

Decisions again

It started to rain, and there was a very cool wind from the towering-cumulus that brought a chill since i was in wet clothing. I got changed in my camp clothing, and got into my sleeping bag. Laying down on my foam pad with only a bunched-up puffy jacket as a pillow i was trying to find a comfortable position, but could find none. The waves of rain were making an deafening noise on the roof. I concluded that any comfortable sleep would be impossible this second evening.

That got me in a mind space where i was not even hungry for dinner, and thinking that at this point pain management was not working at all. I could not see myself attacking Mt Gilpin tomorrow with a 26-pound backpack.

Decision window

It was still early enough that i could try to reach my shuttle provider. If i waited to decide, it would be too late in the day and i would be stuck here all night unable to sleep, uncomfortable and in pain. I booted up my Zoleo and sent a message to Elizabeth and Adam, hoping they would receive my message. While i was packing up, i received a reply. I was quite relieved, and proceeded to hike the 0.3m to the highway.

Lessons learned

I don’t want to see this event as a failure. It was, on the contrary, quite a success and i did learn quite a bit from all this. I was able to hike about 12.5 miles in 2 days with a full pack, and did learn lots about myself.

Comfort

To my great surprise i was able to hike for quite a long time in a single day. Even though a 6-mile day is short for most folks, for me it isn’t. The deal breaker however is my rest time, which was cut short for many reasons. One was an impressive 6-hour storm that brought down trees in the region apparently, but also the minimalist gear i had. My base weight was 15 pounds, which i was quite happy with, but the lack of comfort made meaningful rest for me impossible with my medical condition.

I could have done shorter days, but on day 1 i arrived at Shooting Star shelter around 13h00. You read in previous posts why i stopped that early, but i found that “camping” until the next morning was not that great if you are NOT comfortable.

Resupply

I had food for 5-6 days, due to minimal resupply options on that section of the trail. I also carried 2 liters of H2O at all times as water sources seemed quite far apart. All that extra weight put my pack to 29 pounds at the trailhead.

Trail conditions

I found that the worst part of the trail was the way up Doll Peak. It was EXTREMELY rugged and steep, as i was scrambling up rocks in a brook due to torrential rains. The part between Laura Woodland shelter and the ski trail was almost entirely unblazed, and wondered if i had strayed in a deer path at some point.

Conclusion

After much thought about the “whys” i had to leave, i concluded that the full concept of thru-hiking in one single push was incompatible with my health situation. I was VERY surprised on how much i was able to actually hike, even on a very rugged trail, but it is paramount that i be able to recuperate adequately.

I WOULD be able to:

– Section hike for a few days;

– Slackpack; or

– Day hike and car-camp.

What did i gain in all of this ?

The confidence that i can go forward in difficult circumstances, given some time to rest properly. From stuck in a couch 3 years ago to hiking the first 11 miles SOBO on the LT, i think i can be happy with this.

Thanks to everyone that followed this blog, from now on i will add more as i section my way southbound over the months/years.

Cheers, and hike on !

Sly the Navigator

I saw a way-worn pilgrim
in tattered garments clad
he was struggling up the mountain
it seemed that he was sad
but he kept pressing onward
for the day was almost done
shouting out as he journeyed
deliverance will come, then

palms of victory
crowns of glory
palms of victory
i shall wear