Shakedown II---Danger on the North Country Trail
My wife was a little nervous. I could see it in her eyes. I had finally gotten all of my backpacking gear together, and I was planning a four day hike. The Fall leaves were deep into their annual display, and it seemed like a great time to iron out the kinks and see if this long distance hiking thing could work for me. Well, you never know until you try.
The forecast called for rain, and then rain, and some more rain. This would be much like the AT, both in terrain and atmosphere. The trails I planned to hike are often called "The Little Smokies" because of their elevation changes, but I would get to experience them with some AT weather as well. The Shawnee State Forest sports some of the most beautiful wilderness scenery in Ohio, with snakes, bears, and bugs to boot. Nestled in the last western vestiges of the Appalachian Foothills, it was the perfect place---just an hour from my home---to shake down my gear and get a feel for the AT.
With stern admonitions from my wife (trail name: Irish Jo) to be safe and stay in touch, the morning of Wednesday, October 15th, 2014 found me driving south towards Portsmouth, Ohio. Peeks of sunshine cut through the occasional drizzle, forcing me to rethink my clothing choices again and again. I had to remind myself that I had brought everything with me. I had planned to carry all of my gear just as if I was marching off at Springer Mountain on the AT. May as well see what it will be like to carry it all, I thought. I had too much food and water, and more gear than I would need. My pack weighed in at just under thirty pounds.
I arrived at the registration kiosk, noticing several other men milling about, prepairing their packs to depart. As I finished my coffee and tested the crisp morning air, I wandered over and introduced myself. Here, we had Jim, John, and Jeremy, all from Columbus, who had come down to do an overnight hike. They were planning to walk to the first camp (about 5 miles), stay the night, and return the next morning. When I complained that my pack was feeling a bit too heavy, they sheepishly confessed that each of them was carrying more than fifty pounds! I looked at their pack, and they were huge! They just stared at me in unconcealed amazement when I told them I was going out for four day by myself in preparation for my AT thru-hike next year. They had no trail names, so I called them 3J, as a group. They hefted their big packs, wished me good luck, crossed the road and disappeared into the woods. With that kind of load, I had no doubt I would be seeing them soon. We were all following the orange blazes.
100_1131.JPG
There was no more delaying. I slung my pack over my shoulder, cinched it into place, grabbed my poles, and off I went. This would be my longest multi-day hike ever. The forty mile loop I had planned circled the entire state forest, intersecting and running congruent with parts of both the Buckeye Trail, and the North Country National Scenic Trail. The loop had regular camping spots for hikers, strategically placed about every five miles, with water nearby. I planned to stay at #2, #4, and #6 over the next three nights. I reasoned---after my successful twelve mile hike earlier this month---that I could cover ten miles a day if I took my time. I am (k)new at this. I knew it was going to hurt. I knew I was going to get wet and cold. But I knew I could do it.
From the kiosk, the trail cut across the road and went straight up the first hill over rocks and roots. I walked too quickly at first, huffing and puffing, until I forced myself to slow my pace. It was only 1100 in the morning, and I had all day to make it to camp #2. The sun had come out for real, as I grew too warm in my unneeded layers. Half way up the second hill, I came upon 3J. They looked a bit winded. John was eating a sandwich---to lighten his load, he joked---while Jeremy (the youngest) snapped pictures with his big camera. Jim seemed to be drinking a lot of water for being only half an hour from the trail head. I took a short break with them, complete with idle chatter, then marched on, solo.
100_1133.JPG
The kaleidoscopic tunnel (it's not green this time of year) afforded few views of the surrounding hills, but I did catch a couple of hints of what lies beyond. I felt good. The exertion of hiking balanced out the cool air nicely, after I had shed my extra layer, and I was enjoying myself immensely. The ups were still a struggle, but I knew---given time---that my body would acclimate. At the water source near camp #1, I stopped for a midday meal. Salami and motserella wrapped in a flour tortilla. Delicious!...and more water. Always more water. I had to get used to that.
It was a bit windy and chill on this ridge top, so I did not plan to terry. I grabbed my pack and made to leave just as 3J arrived. They seemed to be in a debate about the location of camp #1 (which we had not passed yet) so, advising them to look further head, I left them to their own council. I would never see them again. I hope they had a good night. It was going to be a rough one!
I trudged into camp #2 some five hours after I had registerd at the kiosk near the park headquarters. I saw no one else on the trail that day. Clouds had completely blanketed the sky, bringing an early dusk to the damp hollow where I quickly threw up my tent---which gets easier every time. My legs burned, my back ached, and I was starving. I quickly ate a hot meal of under-cooked noodles with chicken, drank a few swigs from my small flask of home made Italian port, and sprawled out on my sleeping bag---just as it began to rain. And it rained all...night...long. At one point, I pondered the sound of rain hitting my tent. It sounded so familiar. Then it hit me. Sleeping in a tent in the rain is like being inside a bag of microwave popcorn as it's popping. Not much sleep available there!
This is a new sport for me, so my muscles screamed at me when I rolled out of my tent in the morning. Most everything I had was damp or wet. Thank goodness the rain had stopped, but I knew the added water weight would make my second day more challenging. I was very tired, but a breakfast of hot oatmeal with cranberries and almonds lifted my spirits nicely. The Starbucks Vias mixed in about six ounces of hot water with a glop of honey was absolutely marvelous! Like sweet esspesso, these would get me up and going each and every morning. I stuffed my soggy gear into my damp pack and kept my rain gear handy. The sky looked threateneing again as I started my second day.
100_1135.JPG100_1134.JPGIMG_0989.jpg
Thursday turned out to a complete washout. Cold grey rain fell from the dull grey sky, forming puddles on the soggy ground. My digital camera got wet---in spite of my best efforts---and gave up the ghost. It had travelled with me over many trips and many years to die in the rain, here, in the Shawnee Wildeness. I will miss you, little friend. In an unlucky turn of events, I inadvertently dropped my pack into a pile of very fresh animal dung at the water source when I left camp #2. I didn't notice it until later in the day (after wondering for the hundredth time what THAT SMELL IS!), and despite repeated flushing (pun intended), the funk lingered for days. My rain gear and pack cover did their job for the rest of my gear, and after five hours of sodden painful trekking, I stumbled into camp #4 just as the rain ended, having seen not a single soul the entire day. Some wonderful trail angel---with good intentions, I'm sure---had left me a nice pile of firewood, which was now damp and useless after two days of rain. As I erected my tent, the sun found it's way into that deep hollow, shining on my little home long enough for me to dry some of my gear. Dinner came early, as I was starving, and I spent the rest of the daylight hours sparking a small fire from the wet wood. I eventually got it started, but it cost me half a bottle of hand sanitizer. It was well worth the effort. I warmed myself by the fire, thinking that even crappy days (yes, there it is again) can turn out nicely. "Never quit on a bad day."
100_1136.JPGIMG_0991.jpgIMG_0994.JPG
I slept very well that night, exhausted from the lack the night before. I was only disturbed occasionally by chestnuts hitting my tent from the tree I was pitched under, and the big deer that thundered by my tent like a race horse.
Friday was absolutely gorgeous! The day began and ended with sunshine---with abundant sun in between. It was breezy, and at times I was walking down sun-spangled, grassy paths carpeted in Autumn glory, with leaves of every color falling about me like confetti. Or traversing open ridges on rocky trails, where small grey lizards darted from my path, disturbed from their sun bathing. This is what I had come for! My legs were still hurting on the climbs, but not as much. I could tell that, given time, they would get used to the daily exertion. My pack was getting lighter as I consumed my food supply, and I was carrying less water, as I knew that reliable sources lay ahead.
IMG_0996.jpgIMG_1002.jpg
It was on top of one of these sunny ridges that I got the biggest scare of my trip. I was moving along, thoroughly enjoying my day, when a voice from behind me yells "HELLO!". My heart jumped, and so did I! I spun around, automatically spewing curses, as a smiling mountain biker rolled towards me. I hadn't seen a single person in two day of walking, and then this guy tries to give me a heart attack. Sheesh! He turned out to be Glenn, from nearby Mason, Ohio. He rode the trails on his bicycle regularly, and I could tell. He was built for it, and was decked out in typical mountain biker gear. We had a short, friendly chat before he bounced off down the hill ahead of me. Nice fellow. I saw signs of his passing for the next few miles, but then he dropped off my radar and was lost to memory.
My last night in the Wilderness turned out to be the best. Not only did I have a great day of hiking, but camp #6 was a remarkable place overlooking a gurgling stream, surrounded my majestic pines. I got a chance to try out my gravity filter system for my water and it worked perfectly. Across the brook from me were camped two grey haired men, Dan and Doug, who were preparing for the arrival of their boss and some other fellow employees. They were great guys, both talkative and intelligent. I wish I had had more energy for conversation, but after setting up camp and eating a fine freezer bag dinner, I was ready for hiker midnight. But I didn't make it. At around 1830, I laid down on my sleeping bag to do some reading and soon drifted off. I slept for thirteen glorious hours next to the sound of the running water.
IMG_1007.jpgIMG_1006.jpgIMG_1011.JPG
When I awoke, all my gear was finally dry. I packed up my camp once again---something I'm getting more efficient at each time---and headed out on my last ten mile leg. To return to my truck and make the drive home was my only goal.
The day began sunny, but the wind had picked up to a low roar in the trees, bring more clouds from the north. This was the part of the hike that coincided with the North Country National Scenic Trail, and it showed. The path was narrower and seemed older somehow. Walking through these woods felt like a strole back in time. The trees were larger and healthier. The trail hugged the hills rather than moving over them, with more of a natural, unforced association. If it had not been for the constant thrity mile per hour winds and the advent of a cold driving rain, I would have stopped and lingered, here. As it was, I was ready to be warm and dry. I felt I had accomplished my goal, and it was just a matter of getting out of the woods and evaluating the level of my success. The weather did not encourage stopping for lunch, so after five miles---passing by camp #7---I just kept going. I nibbled on beef jerky and drank plenty of cold water on that final dash to the truck, but I arrived there with a broad smile on my face.
Driving home was strange. After just four days at three miles an hour, the speed on the highway seemed bizzare and wild. Over the next few days, my aches would subside, and my confidence would grow. The most astonishing thing for me was my weight loss. Over the course of four days, I had lost six pounds. In spite of eating all I could stuff down and drinking all the water I could stand, I still lost almost three percent of my body weight. I can see this as one of my challenges on the AT next year.
Thank you very much for reading!
Danger
- Home
- Forum
- Journals
- Gallery
- What's New?
- Todays Posts
- 2,000 Miler Listing
-
Odd & Ends
- About WhiteBlaze/Tools
- About WhiteBlaze
- WhiteBlaze user agreement
- WhiteBlaze logo progression
- WhiteBlaze screen savers
- Purchase a banner spot
- Quick reference
- Usercp
- Subscribed Threads
- Members List
- Calendar
- Mark all forums read
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by dangerdave
