5/12 and 13, Days 27 and 28 -- Slackpacking and Remembering Sam's Gap

May 12, 2013

Day 27 - Devil Fork Gap to Log Cabin Drive (Hemlock Hollow Inn)
18.8 miles, 309 total

 What?!?  I started at someplace different?!  And ended at the same place as yesterday?!  Say what?!

So today, I tried something a little different called “slackpacking.”  After scarfing down eggs, bacon, toast and home fries (and chocolate milk, of course), I hopped on a shuttle to take me up the trail North almost 19 miles.  Then I hiked south back to my starting point.

This approach has a couple of nice benefits:  1) You get to stay at a hostel two nights in a row, 2) you can hike farther because 3) YOU BARELY HAVE TO CARRY ANYTHING!!  That’s right.  Since you start and end at the same place, all you really need is food and water (and a first-aid kit).  Nice and light, so you can fly down the trail.

A lot of today’s hike was along a ridgeline, basically meaning the mountain goes down in elevation on both sides.  It’s like you’re walking on the tip-top of the roof of a house, but with mountains.

About a mile and a half of the ridge hike was all rocky and extremely exposed, so that you could see for miles on your left, and miles on your right.  It was like being on the rocky summit of a mountain for 1 ½ miles.

Slackpacking was really fun, and I may do it again sometime, but it kind of felt like cheating.  But it still felt amazing to be able to hike 19 miles with a five pound pack instead of a 35 pound pack, especially since my feet didn’t hurt or ache a single time.  Oh, the small things in life!

For dinner, I had a huge burger with fries and sweet tea, and I watched “60 Minutes.”  It was a good night.  (I don’t normally watch “60 Minutes,” but it was a moving picture on a digital screen, so what the heck!?)

Oh, and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the moms!!  (A tad late, in real life, but I wrote this on 5/12, I promise.)

 

May 13, 2013

Day 28 - Devil Fork Gap to Log Cabin Drive (Hemlock Hollow Inn)

16.1 miles, 325.1 total

Today was a really nice weather day for hiking. It was a tad cold to be standing around, but for hiking – great.

This morning, I had another great breakfast at the hostel, and then got shuttled to Devil Fork Gap again – this time to hike north, with a full pack.

I was in a really good rhythm all day and the miles were just flying. One minute, I was at 1 mile, next thing you know, 6 miles had passed.

There were a few meadows today, just some treeless areas, which is a welcome change to the constant forestland. There was also a nice bald near the end of today called Big Bald (they’re so creative with the names!). But I didn’t stay very long because cold and windy don’t mix very well, even with the sun.

I also passed Sam’s Gap today which was the section I did with James and Janna a few years ago. That trip was kind of what ignited the whole AT dream, I guess.  Nice to be doing today what I dreamed of then.

Didn’t do much tonight, although dinner was what I would describe as “epic.” I started with one package of Ramen and a package of tuna mixed in. I was still hungry, though, so I made two more Ramen noodle packages, added one tuna package, AND mixed in a thing of Velveeta liquid cheese sauce. And, of course, I had a Twix bar for dessert. I was quite uncomfortable for a while because I was so full.

Once again, it was a good night!

 

 

 

 

May 14, 2013

After today, I’ll be leaving the trail for a couple of days to help with a retreat at Lutherock.  I won’t miss a single one of those 5 million steps though, because on May 19, someone from LRock will bring me back to the exact same spot I left the trail, and I’ll continue the journey!