weary as water

every time i blink i have a tiny dream

  • Records
  • Appalachian Trail
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Day 64, 65, 66: A Zero, A Nero, and Another Zero in Pearisburg

May 19, 2013 by zag Leave a Comment

It was really amazing to see AWE for the first time in two months. I have missed her so much. 
But still, there was work to do. I needed to work out my shoe issues (the Salomon’s have continued to bruise underneath my ankles, and they don’t have hardly any grip on the sole), so we went to the outfitter in Blacksburg. The outfitter in Johnson City told OWL that all Salomon shoes have a 30 day no questions asked return policy…unfortunately we found out that is only true if you purchase the shoes online through salomon.com. Bummer. The local outfitter was nice, but they didn’t have any non-waterproof boots or trail runners. So we decided to go to the nearest REI, a 2.5 hr drive to Charlotte, NC.
It was weird to ride in a car for a long period of time, covering a third of the distance we have travelled so far in a matter of hours. The shoe guy at REI was pretty nice and lI think OWL & I both tried on every pair of non-waterproof mid-boots and trail runners in the store! Finally I settled on a pair of mid length (above the ankle) Keen boots that felt pretty good. OWL bought a new pair of the Salomon trail runners she was originally using. I also got a pair of thin “travel” pants – I don’t want to wear shorts during the summer (ticks!) but my current pants are thick (read: heavy) and are literally falling off because I have lost so much weight. (AWE also brought a pair of ‘too small’ thin rollup pants I had at home, but they also fell off me). Not sure how the thin pants will hold up over rock scrambles, but not too worried about it either. I have needle and floss and bandana…I can make it work.
After spending far too much time in REI, we went to Mellow Mushroom to eat dinner. What a nice treat! Then drove back to Blacksburg for the night.
—
The next day, we hiked the 5 miles from Trent’s Grocery to Lickskillet Hollow (the section we missed during our slackpack from Woods Hole). It was so much fun to hike with Emily! Even in the rain! OWL & AT dropped us off at Trent’s Grocery, and AWE and I started hiking SOBO. Then OWL & AT then drove to Lickskillet, parked the car, and hiked NOBO. When we met, they handed us the keys. (How smart are we?) OWL & I both had on our full packs (to test out our new shoes), and AWE & AT had daypacks loaded with fruit & snacks for other hikers. But we didn’t see  a single hiker on the trail! I have been trying to figure out how AWE uses an acorn for a whistle – finally got her to show me exactly. And although I didn’t find any wintergreen berries, I did get her to try pine tips (tastes like Christmas!). The new boots feel fine – I’m wondering if maybe I should have got a half size larger – but too late for that now. As AWE’s father says, “it will either work or it won’t, guaranteed!”
We also went by the post office, where I had a care package waiting from Post! (Post is the SUPER NICE section hiker I met in the Smokies, hiking with her father). It was so nice to get her goodies, a letter, and a photo of her & her father on top of Rocky Top! Thanks, Post! I really appreciate it!
  
—
The last day of our mini vacation was bittersweet. It was still amazing to be in the same place with AWE, but I still had to do all the “regular” in-town hiking things – sort through the food box, go to the post office to mail the bounce box, update the blog – as well as sort through the things AWE brought from home. (We did manage to eat at a delicious Indian buffet for lunch – my taste buds were dancing!)
It was a tough decision trying to figure out what to send home, and what to keep. A lot of thru hikers send home their winter gear in Pearisburg (or even before), but I am nervous about sending *all* of it home because it is still early May, and it can still get cold (especially at the higher elevations). 
So, I swapped out my 15 degree bag for a 45 degree bag (the stuff size difference between those two bags is amazing – my pack is not stuffed to the gills now). Other things I got from home: two synthetic tshirts; one a ‘smartcool’ fabric and the other a zippered synthetic. a pair of compression socks, a pair of (smaller) compression shorts, and a lighter sleeping pad. I sent home my extra long sleeve fleece, my worn out sock liners, my wool tshirt, and some extra socks. I am keeping my patagonia capilene baselayer and smartwool longjohns for sleeping, as well as my hat, gloves, & balaclava. I’m keeping my puffy jacket too, because it doubles as my pillow at night. My pack isn’t much lighter because I’m still keeping the cold weather clothing, but fitting everything into my pack is much easier now that my gargantuan 15 degree bag isn’t taking up half the space in my pack.
I’m a little nervous about tomorrow – we have a 19+ mile day planned (with new boots and 5 days resupply!) – but all I have to do is walk.
 

Filed Under: appalachian trail Tagged With: AWE, care package, gear, gear swap, nero, OWL, trail magic, vacation, zero

Boots!

December 24, 2012 by zag Leave a Comment

I think I have finally found a pair of boots! Merrell Moab Ventilator Mids. This is very exciting because I was getting a bit nervous that I had tried on all the boots in the world without finding a pair. They are not waterproof, so I am going to have to hike a bunch in January & February to make sure my feet will stay warm in the cold temps. (I think they’ll be fine).

I’m wearing blue superfeet insoles for now. Still trying to get them broken in.

I need to start walking more.

Filed Under: appalachian trail Tagged With: gear, planning

ShakeDown Hike: Lessons Learned

December 14, 2012 by zag Leave a Comment

I certainly learned a lot about how awful blisters are, and how important footwear is to a successful thru hike. I had a pair of waterproof lightweight hiking boots that I *thought* I really liked, but it turns out my feet sweat too much to be comfortable in waterproof boots. (What keeps water out also keeps water in). I also wore a pair of SuperFeet insoles that may have contributed to my blisters. I also forgot my liner socks (it’s the trifecta of blisters).

Since the trip I’ve tried on 10+ different pairs of shoes and boots, trying to find TheOnes. I think I have finally settled on the Moab Ventilator Mids – they are very comfortable. I need to make sure to hike plenty in January & February, so if I need less ventilation during winter, I have time to break in some waterproof boots.

  • When I *first* feel a hotspot, I need to take care of it immediately instead of waiting until I get to camp.
  • If I can get out of camp just after sunrise, I can cover more mileage.
  • I don’t need a trowel or a full sized moleskine notebook.

Time will tell whether L. and I end up being compatible speed-wise. I fear that she will get frustrated with my slower pace. I hope I can get into shape quickly so her frustration is minimized. Even with awful blisters my average speed was 2mph – not too shabby for starting off.

I was surprised at the amount of cell coverage I had. I thought about getting a personal locator beacon or a SPOT device, but think I will hold off for now. If I end up doing the trail by myself I’ll get one.

I learned that I am ready to do this, and I am capable of doing it. I want to hike the AT so badly I am willing to do it alone, if I need to.

Filed Under: appalachian trail Tagged With: at, gear, overnight, planning, trial run

Overnight trial run

November 24, 2012 by zag Leave a Comment

Low is 27 degrees (above zero).

Postscript: It was indeed cold, but I was pretty comfy. Learned a few things:
  • I need to wipe off the bottom of my canister before putting it into my pot. Otherwise I get a bunch of dirt in my pot. Or cut a piece of tyvek to be my porch. Or maybe both.
  • I can lean my pack against a hiking pole. Kind of.
  • I can fit my backpack (the gregory z65) in my tent. Hurray!
  • The SteriPEN Adventurer Opti my brother & sister-in-law got me for my birthday is the bomb! Especially now that I have the pre-filter that fits a wide-mouth nalgene; I can submerge the nalgene in water and then treat the non-silty water with the UV lamp. Super easy.
  • I need to brush my teeth immediately after eating, *before* getting in my bag. Otherwise I want to just go to sleep/stay warm!
  • I don’t need my puffy vest.
  • I probably don’t need half the shit I have in my first aid kit.
  • I definitely need to get a handle on my food – I’m packing way too much food and it is weighing my pack down.
  • Also I need to trust the water supply – will be easier with a guidebook on the AT to know where reliable water is at. But water is also super heavy – at 2.2 lbs per liter – so if I can carry only what water I need it will make a big difference in pack weight.
  • Putting a hot water bottle in my bag before sleeping is the key to success. (And I managed to stay cozy warm the entire night).
  • Sleeping in smartwool compression socks is the way to go. 
  • My camelbak won’t freeze if i wrap it in my jacket and put it between my bag & my sleeping pad. I blew out the water in the hose back into the reservoir, too. (Not sure it was really cold enough to freeze, anyway, but it sure didn’t with my precautions!).
  • I get claustrophobic in my bag if I cinch the mummy hood up. (Like, waking up in a suffocating panic).  I was a little panicky going to sleep – it was cold, and I had trouble breathing earlier because of the cold – and I had a “what am I doing, I should be at home in bed with E. while I have the chance!” moment. But I tied a bandana over my mouth which helped me breathe warm air. I still woke up panicky – figured out it was the mummy hood – so once I un-cinched the hood I was ok – and still warm. And the bandana ended up above my head, so I didn’t really need that, either.
  • My super thick sleeping pad (the Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core Sleeping Pad) is AMAZING. Best sleep I have *ever* had while camping. Serious.
  • Right now – when it’s cold – I want to have a cup of tea and hot oatmeal before getting up. But maybe that will change when it gets to be “less cold”. Even with a very leisurely waking process/breakfast/camp breakdown, we were on the trail by 8.
All in all – it was a great trip. I can’t wait to go on our 3-night hike next weekend!

Filed Under: appalachian trail Tagged With: at, gear, overnight, planning, rd, trial run

Next Page »
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

random quote

If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.