28 Hours - My New Trail Name

I wanted to backpack a section of the Appalachian Trail to learn what it is like for myself and for my outdoor group back home. And learn I did - WOW! You'll notice from the title and the fact that I'm posting on Thursday when I was supposed to complete the hike Friday, that I did not, in fact, complete it. I am, in truth, nursing EXTREMELY sore leg muscles and tender feet. I expect to do that for a couple more days, too!

The day and a half that I did spend on the trail were the most beautiful and the most difficult hours I've experienced with a pack on my back. I met with my leaders, Melody and Leslie, at Kincora Hostel owned by Bob & Pat Peoples. There we met with Jane and Brinda, fellow backpackers. Bob shuttled us to Carver's Gap to begin our adventure.


The five of us women plus Louis and Nancy, who rode up with us from the hostel.


Bob in the center with packers getting ready to go. While there, a couple of women came off the trail. One saw Bob and said she had stayed at his hostel over a year before and didn't have money to donate at the time. It had bothered her ever since and she handed him some bills. According to Bob, backpackers are some of the most decent people he knows.


This is the start of our journey. Looks easy, doesn't it? Pretty, gentle, a walk in the park so to speak. All those bushes are blooming rhododendron bursting with color. The temptress beckons, I say.
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Our goal for the day was 10.7 miles crossing five balds. The balds are a mystery as no one seems to know why they are meadowed rather than wooded. The trail is narrow, one foot in front of the other, and it's obvious thousands of feet have done just that. The rhododendron on the first small bald are breathtaking. Enlarge the photo so you can see them better.




Proof that I was there! This is on the second bald, I think, looking back toward where we started. The clouds were getting low and the air misty.


One of a constant breathtakingly beautiful view from the trail as we continued. At this point, I had to stop frequently to take in the astounding vistas. Later, I had another reason for stopping frequently!


We're looking down on a barn that has been converted into a shelter. No, not where we're stopping for the night (darn!). We already climbed way past the spur to that picturesque haven. We still have over four miles to go, I think. Louis and Nancy stayed at the barn, hoping to have some solitude on their last trail night. As we were resting down the trail, groups of teenagers with their camp leaders passed us in the opposite direction going where? You got it - to the barn. Poor Louis and Nancy.


Melody, Leslie, & Brinda traversing the next bald. Which one? I'm not sure. I was too busy breathing to count.


If you look real hard you can see Melody disappearing into the fog in the center of this photo. We had an array of weather from sunny and warm to misty and cooler to very windy, rainy and cold then warm again!


Some of the trail crosses private property. On this section, a herd of cattle were grazing. I took this photo because of the panda bear colored calf. Too cute. His mom wasn't too pleased about the attention he was receiving, however. I moved on.


This big boy had a huge brass ring through his nose - really. He is beautiful. He seemed to think I was beckoning him to follow which he did for a ways. I was getting a little nervous.



You must click on this photo to blow it up. This is now the trail. Gone are the grassy meadows. As I looked down the trail, all I saw were rugged rocks poking up this way and that which my now aching feet had to pick their way through.

We made camp that night at Doll Flats. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it. My feet hurt so badly from the constant downhill then severe uphill over and over. The trails are so different from those I had experienced before which usually ran somewhat lateral with a ridge or were more gradual up and down. The AT follows the mountain contours like a rollercoaster. It took me a while to get up my energy to fix dinner and ONLY after getting those shoes off and my Crocs on.


This is one of the various fence-crossing methods found along the trail.


My last sight of the other four as I make my way to Isaac Cemetary to meet up with Bob for a ride back to the hostel. I discussed my feet situation with Melody the night before. She informed me that Louis & Nancy were parked at Hwy. 19E which we would cross after 3 miles descending the next day. If my feet were still hurting, I could wait for them and get a ride. If I felt okay, I could continue. Well, after ministrations and massaging, my feet felt like they might be okay. I was very careful on the 3 miles and they were doing okay. Not great but okay. I decided to continue. I did not want to quit!

After an incredibly steep ascent (couldn't have been steeper without climbing a ladder!), we descended and made our way to some tall grasslands where, it turns out, Bob and others were weedwacking along the trail. It seems that the next day, June 21 of course, is summer solstice. It also seems that tradition dictates it as naked hiker day. This is not a joke. So Bob thought it would be good to cut the tall grasses and nettles along that stretch for obvious reasons!

We passed by, said Hello, etc. A little further up I stopped in the shade for a breather and to nurse my feet which were back to their complaining. I realized it was decision time. Could I manage three more days on rocky, rooty, uphill, downhill with these aching feet? Sadly, I knew it was no. I went back and asked Bob for a ride which he graciously agreed. I still had to hike about 2 miles to get to our meeting point and I spent the rest of the day with the trail maintainers as they performed their selfless work keeping the trail clear along that section. I did do some limb lopping so they gave me a volunteer trail maintenance patch which was very nice of them since they were the ones saving my bacon!


Last vista shot before coming off the trail. Hasta luego AT. I'll be back some day to shed my new moniker "28 Hours" and see Laurel Falls.

I have spent the last two days grimacing and grunting every time I move my legs. My calf and thigh muscles are more sore than I think they have EVER been in my entire life. My feet are still a little tender but, without those shoes and those mountains working on them, they are recovering very quickly. My leg muscles, on the other hand, don't know what hit them. I thought I was in fairly decent shape. Pishaw! Not even close. Reality has hit me over the head with a cast iron skillet. At least I know what I have to do to be ready next time. And there will be a next time. Just not 10 miles a day, please. I have a whole new respect for anybody that has packed the AT.

And many, many thanks to Mom. She came to my rescue at the hostel, has walked Bonnie, handed me things so I didn't have to move, and driven us around (I think mostly because she's frightened I can't lift my leg to put on the brake quickly enough!). We're moving on today but not too quickly. Until next time. . . ta.