10-K
04-20-2008, 15:09
Just got back today from hiking Damascus to Erwin. Actually, I wound up hiking Damascus to Indian Grave Gap which is just about 9 miles north of Erwin. I guess that's around 110-112 miles - 5 days exactly. I didn't walk fast, I just walked a long time - I believe my shortest day was 21 miles and my longest was just over 25
I had hiked Indian Grave Gap to Erwin in February and when I got there yesterday it started pouring down rain so rather than spend the night in my Lunar Solo in a downpour just to hike 9 miles I'd already hiked I called Uncle Johnny's and got them to pick me up. I've now hiked the AT from Fontana Dam to Damscus. Either May 2nd or May 10th I plan to hike Springer - Fontana and that'll give me GA-TN-NC completed. Then I'm done until October.
Tented the first night about 50 yards off TN 91, just opposite of Osbourne Farms, second night at Pond Flats, 3rd night right next to Elk River, and the 4th night at Ash Gap just down from Roan High Knob shelter.
Anyway, it was a good hike and I got a lot of good pictures. Got to meet Bob Peoples at Kincora and enjoyed a nice shower and picked up my mail drop. Met him again, along with Mountain Squid doing a trail reroute at Iron Mt Gap 2 days later. I thought that part of the trail was the best blazed I'd been on to date and never once had to think about "Now which way do I go....". Well, I did miss the trail out of Damascus and wound up almost walking in a circle before I figured out what happend.
I enjoyed all the switchbacks, particularly up Hump Mountain but there were a few spots that were as hard to get up as any I've encountered - I remember one mile that gained 1000 feet of elevation and the trail was bascially a rocky ditch - I believe that was just after "Little Hump Mt.". Unalka Mountain didn't look too tough of the elevation profile but I did some puffing going up it too.
Met a lot of thru-hikers too. I was surprised at the number of women, particularly women hiking alone. Not that I'm profiling, but I did see 3 Asians but I have yet to see my first African American hiker. Do they exist? (Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen one in an advertisement for gear/hiking/etc either...)
Plenty of water just as everybody said - wound up carrying 1 liter most of the way and found it more than adequate.
Overall, a good trip - and I'll get up a review of the MSR Hyperflow as soon as I get unpacked and decompress back into "Real Life".
I had hiked Indian Grave Gap to Erwin in February and when I got there yesterday it started pouring down rain so rather than spend the night in my Lunar Solo in a downpour just to hike 9 miles I'd already hiked I called Uncle Johnny's and got them to pick me up. I've now hiked the AT from Fontana Dam to Damscus. Either May 2nd or May 10th I plan to hike Springer - Fontana and that'll give me GA-TN-NC completed. Then I'm done until October.
Tented the first night about 50 yards off TN 91, just opposite of Osbourne Farms, second night at Pond Flats, 3rd night right next to Elk River, and the 4th night at Ash Gap just down from Roan High Knob shelter.
Anyway, it was a good hike and I got a lot of good pictures. Got to meet Bob Peoples at Kincora and enjoyed a nice shower and picked up my mail drop. Met him again, along with Mountain Squid doing a trail reroute at Iron Mt Gap 2 days later. I thought that part of the trail was the best blazed I'd been on to date and never once had to think about "Now which way do I go....". Well, I did miss the trail out of Damascus and wound up almost walking in a circle before I figured out what happend.
I enjoyed all the switchbacks, particularly up Hump Mountain but there were a few spots that were as hard to get up as any I've encountered - I remember one mile that gained 1000 feet of elevation and the trail was bascially a rocky ditch - I believe that was just after "Little Hump Mt.". Unalka Mountain didn't look too tough of the elevation profile but I did some puffing going up it too.
Met a lot of thru-hikers too. I was surprised at the number of women, particularly women hiking alone. Not that I'm profiling, but I did see 3 Asians but I have yet to see my first African American hiker. Do they exist? (Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen one in an advertisement for gear/hiking/etc either...)
Plenty of water just as everybody said - wound up carrying 1 liter most of the way and found it more than adequate.
Overall, a good trip - and I'll get up a review of the MSR Hyperflow as soon as I get unpacked and decompress back into "Real Life".