View Full Version : Day hike from hell.
Lemni Skate
06-17-2009, 09:10
I did a day hike on Virginia's roller coaster yesterday to try and fill in a 5.5 mile hunk of trail that I hadn't done on my section hike (VA 605 to Myron Glasser Cabin). This is not a particularly challenging section of trail as the biggest climb is around 500 feet (though I had to do this twice since I did an out and back), and there are a couple other 300 or so foot climbs (again twice).
Still, I think I bit off a little more than I should have.
I had just gotten over strep throat that knocked me off the trail at Pen-Mar park last week. I had also finally given my beloved boots to the local dumpster so I was hiking in tennis shoes.
My kids had both told me in no uncertain terms that they didn't want to accompany me on this hike. I was depressed that they'd rather sit around playing video games than hike with me so the first song that comes on my ipod is of course, "Cat in the Cradle."
It's not long until I realize my body still isn't near 100% after strep. I encounter approximately 1,000,000,000 thru-hikers who all seem to have the need to talk to me when I'm really not in the mood to hear another story about the beauty of Grayson Highlands, or compliment about what a great job the PATC does (I had on my PATC had so I guess I was asking for it).
I don't seem to be able to make it up even the most pathetic hill without gasping, stopping, or slowing to 0.1 miles per hour.
The trail is actually a stream just south of Boldan Hollow and while I try to watch where I place my feet to avoid them getting wet (which was a futile exercise), I miss the turn and end up going about a 1/2 mile before I realize my mistake.
I stop at Rod Hollow Shelter for lunch and to refill the ol' water bottles and I am swarmed on by yellow jackets and other nasty bugs that are attracted to a gigantic pile of half burned garbage in the fire ring. (Only one sting, thank god). After lunch with two apparently escaped convicts (just going on scars, tatoos of gang symbols and fact that they were a lot of fun to talk to), I headed on to the cabin.
I finally reach the point on the trail I had made it to when hiking the other way (when a t-storm chased me off the trail) and that's when I know I don't have the energy to hike back to my truck over 5 miles away. I have no food left so I decide I might as well turn around and when I get back to Rod Hollow Shelter I decide not to go back to the spring because surely I have enough water (do I even have to mention I later run out of water).
As I sit on some boards at the trail intersection I realize I am being crawled on by ants who apparently have a home in the boards.
At this time I realize I have at least two blisters on my feet and after another mile the sky opens up and I am now hiking in a torrential downpour. My wet clothes start rubbing on me and all my parts are now chaffing at an incredible rate.
As I make the last two climbs I'm seriously counting steps. Just telling myself that I have to do 100 steps and then I can take a break. I'm so tired that even once I see my truck I still have to take two rest breaks before I get to it.
I haven't even mentioned the incident where I couldn't find my "trail money" when I needed it.
I get in truck and I hardly have the energy to drive it home.
Now I'm home nursing my sore feet and drinking coffee and gatorade even though I can hardly move today. It was only 12 miles with just a day pack.
You know what. It was a hell of a lot better than a day at work! I love the AT!:p
Lemni Skate
06-17-2009, 09:11
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the TWO dogs that jumped up on me AFTER the rain storm...that was pleasant.
If weren't for bad luck you have no luck at all. Personally it's just another happy day on the trail look at the bright side your were not attack by field mice :)
Wise Old Owl
06-17-2009, 13:16
I empathise and I cannot top it,
I too learned a lesson on a section hike to leave a map with relatives as to where I am parked.
After doing 17 miles, roughly a up and back. I got back to the car just before night fall. There were my keys sitting on the seat and the car was locked! had to hike out of the valley as to get signal for the cell phone, about 7 more miles in the dark. Then I discovered my battery was near dead. When I called the phone kept disconnecting after 15 seconds of conversation as my son was driving around with no knowlege of the area. We eventually found each other, and rescued the car the next morning.
I walked into the woods two nights ago and built a fire in preparation of having a weenie roast, only to realize that I left the ketchup and mustard in the car. I went to bed hungry.
True story, but I did have a rather rough hike yesterday, as apparently a storm had blown down tons of trees, and briars are almost completely grown over the trail in a lot of places. Today I look like I got in a fight with a cat and lost. After 15 miles of that crap I was so exhausted that I layed down in the trail for a half hour and slept. When I woke up it was about to rain, so rather than sleep in the woods as I had planned, I walked the two miles to the car and drove home to a delicious dinner of pizza rolls and Coca-Cola. Life couldn't be better.
ShelterLeopard
06-17-2009, 13:50
I like you! I had a rough hike SoBo (section of PA, in preparation for my NoBo thru next year), the 15+ mile section from the Delps Side Trail (where I camped after Leroy Smith Shelter) down to Palmerton and Lehigh Gap, with an awful descent. I was so incredibly dehydrated because they relocated the trail away from a spring I was depending on, so for the last five miles I had about five ounces of water, and it was hot and completely exposed to the sun. By the time I stumbled to the bottom of the mountain, I thought I was dead. (With five HUGE blisters) But I met a day hiker at the top who gave me a couple ounces of water, then even oftered to drive me into Palmerton, and by the time I was in the hiker hostel, I was beat, but I loved it too!
double d
06-17-2009, 14:08
Lemni Skate, you choose to go into the woods on your own free will, so save your complaints and take the pain.
Plodderman
06-17-2009, 15:14
Part of hiking and you have a good story to tell.
Lemni Skate now tell us your best hike story, we all have good ones, ok ones and like you, one from hell and back
Darwin again
06-17-2009, 19:07
This hiking is a dirty business.
Just another day on the AT...
Mental attitude is everything and sometimes it's perfectly OK to just stay home and let it ride if your head's not really in the game.
Cookerhiker
06-17-2009, 19:12
......
You know what. It was a hell of a lot better than a day at work! I love the AT!:p
You got the right attitude. Now get back on the Trail!
Pokey2006
06-18-2009, 03:06
We all have bad days on the trail. Days when everything goes wrong, and all you feel is frustration.
Whenever I have one of those, I make a point to get out for another hike as quickly as possible. Wipe out the bad memories with a good hike and a reminder about why you love doing this in the first place.
Toolshed
06-18-2009, 06:48
aaaahhh you're still alive..... right????
Then it's all good
Homer&Marje
06-18-2009, 07:08
Definitely a good day on the trail:D Had an out of shape 17 mile day hike last year that about killed me and my father....convinced him that even though neither of us had done over a 12 mile day (hiking, my dad has run 4 Boston marathons) that it would be a good idea to do a 21 mile hike....with about 4k at least in elevation change.....could be more Wapack trail profile anyone?.....
Anyways....we were chased by huge rainstorms all day, those in New Hampshire will remember the storms from last summer were nasty too.....and I'd say it was about 12 miles in....maybe 13 and we were both really hurtin' for certain!
Might be were the Much Ado about Chafing thread came from....suggested read.... His girlfriend picked us up....with Long Trail Ale in the cooler!!!! and drove us back to the truck.....they took the car and I took his truck and drove 2 hours home through MONSTER rainstorms (with a standard...ow my feet...ow my feet....ow my feet)
When I got home....and stepped out of the truck...was I think one of the most painful times of my life....a tear came out of that I am sure. But we trudge on my friend... we trudge on.
"Aint no rest for the wicked"
Oh, I carried Marjes North Face Terra 40 as a day pack...worked out really well actually...AHHH!!! ITS HOMER ON A YELLOW BLAZE TRAIL!!!!! RUN!!!
modiyooch
06-18-2009, 10:02
my worst hike was climbing wildcat in a storm. I almost hung up my boots for good. I busted my butt so many times and only got as far as carters hut. I still remember laying face down in mudholes with a full pack on my back pinning me down. "I'm down; pick me up". The mudholes were wider than the trail. blazes were scarce at the top. nothing like searching for the next blaze to get off a ridge while storms are brewing. The good folks at Carters Hut redeemed my spirits with their generosity and understanding. The sun the next day morning helped, as well.
Lemni Skate
06-18-2009, 17:42
I hope I didn't come across as complaining. I just thought it was all pretty funny. Bad days are a lot funnier in the telling than the good ones. Also, as I pointed out to a friend once, if it all went to plan I doubt we'd remember it at all. I guarantee you I'll remember that five and one half mile of trail.
I have had so many great days out on the trail that I couldn't begin to come up with a top one, but I particularly remember one day during a two week hike when I was down to the food that sounded good when I resupplied, but that I really wasn't looking forward to eating and I had a 2000 foot climb ahead of me before I reached the shelter when I came upon a cooler of "trail magic." I didn't take any because I always assume that trail magic is for thru-hikers, but I actually ran into the guy that left it about 20 yards later. He told me to take what I wanted. I ended up well fed with food I liked and he even gave me my first pair of trekking poles because he had just bought new ones.
That was the easiest 2000 foot climb I ever did and I never slept so well on the trail.
Homer&Marje
06-18-2009, 20:58
No one should have taken it as complaining. We all know **** happens. Mother nature is much stronger than us in strength, will and determination. Most days are tough, it's the good days and the good views you strive for. Hike on friend, and remember...trail magic is for anyone in need of it.
Wise Old Owl
06-18-2009, 21:06
Glad we all got that cleared up...
fiddlehead
06-18-2009, 21:07
I like to be in shape when i hit the woods.
Or else, be prepared to suffer.
Yesterday, i went out hiking in the jungle here to show my trail to a guy i had met online.
I am just recuperating from the marathon in 100 deg. heat and a bit sore.
I have a bad cold and had to work the night before until 1 am. (we left at 8 am)
I wasn't expecting much.
Turned out this guy is a great hunter from New Zealand and taught me much about where we were.
He showed me where wild pigs had apparantly rooted in the ground, 3 different species of butterflies, we took a lot of pics of giant spiders, and he was very impressed with the trail and it's beauty.
So, i guess i had the opposite experience as the OP. I expected little and had an awesome day.
the worst day hiking beats the best day at work.
But sorry to hear your struggle.
Lemni Skate
06-19-2009, 00:40
Foyt 20, that was really what I was trying to say in my post.
You said it clearly in a sentence. I said it in a page and still wasn't all that clear about what I meant.
Lemni Skate
01-31-2011, 15:40
Just looking over some of my old threads. It's funny. Looking back on this hike now I probably remember it better than almost any other. It's a great story and I wouldn't trade this "bad day" on the trail in for any other (unless the other day involves 3 college co-eds who love old, fat smelly guys).
This story has all the igredients necessary for a good ole country and western song --lol
hikerboy57
01-31-2011, 20:10
If you dont have "bad days" once in a while, well then you dont get any "great ones "either. Its the misery that we occasionally fight through that make the good days that much more appreciated.
the goat
02-01-2011, 07:34
I did a day hike on Virginia's roller coaster yesterday to try and fill in a 5.5 mile hunk of trail that I hadn't done on my section hike (VA 605 to Myron Glasser Cabin). This is not a particularly challenging section of trail as the biggest climb is around 500 feet (though I had to do this twice since I did an out and back), and there are a couple other 300 or so foot climbs (again twice).
Still, I think I bit off a little more than I should have.
I had just gotten over strep throat that knocked me off the trail at Pen-Mar park last week. I had also finally given my beloved boots to the local dumpster so I was hiking in tennis shoes.
My kids had both told me in no uncertain terms that they didn't want to accompany me on this hike. I was depressed that they'd rather sit around playing video games than hike with me so the first song that comes on my ipod is of course, "Cat in the Cradle."
It's not long until I realize my body still isn't near 100% after strep. I encounter approximately 1,000,000,000 thru-hikers who all seem to have the need to talk to me when I'm really not in the mood to hear another story about the beauty of Grayson Highlands, or compliment about what a great job the PATC does (I had on my PATC had so I guess I was asking for it).
I don't seem to be able to make it up even the most pathetic hill without gasping, stopping, or slowing to 0.1 miles per hour.
The trail is actually a stream just south of Boldan Hollow and while I try to watch where I place my feet to avoid them getting wet (which was a futile exercise), I miss the turn and end up going about a 1/2 mile before I realize my mistake.
I stop at Rod Hollow Shelter for lunch and to refill the ol' water bottles and I am swarmed on by yellow jackets and other nasty bugs that are attracted to a gigantic pile of half burned garbage in the fire ring. (Only one sting, thank god). After lunch with two apparently escaped convicts (just going on scars, tatoos of gang symbols and fact that they were a lot of fun to talk to), I headed on to the cabin.
I finally reach the point on the trail I had made it to when hiking the other way (when a t-storm chased me off the trail) and that's when I know I don't have the energy to hike back to my truck over 5 miles away. I have no food left so I decide I might as well turn around and when I get back to Rod Hollow Shelter I decide not to go back to the spring because surely I have enough water (do I even have to mention I later run out of water).
As I sit on some boards at the trail intersection I realize I am being crawled on by ants who apparently have a home in the boards.
At this time I realize I have at least two blisters on my feet and after another mile the sky opens up and I am now hiking in a torrential downpour. My wet clothes start rubbing on me and all my parts are now chaffing at an incredible rate.
As I make the last two climbs I'm seriously counting steps. Just telling myself that I have to do 100 steps and then I can take a break. I'm so tired that even once I see my truck I still have to take two rest breaks before I get to it.
I haven't even mentioned the incident where I couldn't find my "trail money" when I needed it.
I get in truck and I hardly have the energy to drive it home.
Now I'm home nursing my sore feet and drinking coffee and gatorade even though I can hardly move today. It was only 12 miles with just a day pack.
You know what. It was a hell of a lot better than a day at work! I love the AT!:p
sounds like you should've stayed home & played video games.