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[at-l] Trip Report, Thornton Gap to (ulp!) Skyland



It was originally supposed to be "to Big Meadows", but I
ran out of steam -- well, more likely out of water -- a
day early.

Friday, 6-9-00
With my car parked at Big Meadows/Byrd Info Center,
I got a ride from a local buddy up to Thornton Gap.  Went
in around 3 PM.  Got a picture of self at the trailhead to
prove it. :-)

Immediate ascent into a universe of blooming, fragrant
mountain laurels.  I sweated like a pig, my pulse rate
went up into subsonic range, etc.  Wonderful!

3:52 PM, Mary's Rock
Bunch of scouts.  Seem to be led well.  Swapped some
picture takings with me.  Magnificent view, nice cool
breeze.  Ahhhh....  Spent a good 1/2 hour diddling,
the aim of this trip.  Left.  Should have gone right instead.
wasted 5-10 minutes accidentally northbound.  Realized it,
got headed the right way, and stopped (just a coupla
minutes this time) at a nice rock.

5:24 PM, Byrd's Nest #3
The scouts (grownup among them) reported encountering a
mamma black bear and two cubs.  They thought I would
have seen 'em too.  Didn't; mixed blessing.

5:44 PM, 'twixt Byrd's Nest #3 and the Pinnacle
I heard mammalian (read: "large, twig-snapping")
activity up ahead, to my left, downhill.  Stopped to
find out if it was bear, deer, or human.  Bear.
The first time I have ever seen a bear in the wild.
It turned left and headed on up the trail, not paying
any attention to me.  I waited a while to see if any
cubs were with it; nope.  WOW!

Walked on for a little longer, decided to make camp.
As I am a bug magnet, I pretty much insist on a
tent around me; I *did* leave the rainfly off, another
first. :-)  Decent supper (remember, I'm a "kid" who
enjoys the camping part) of mashed potato stuff,
jerky, and a little raspberry apple sauce.  Topped
off with some bourgeois (sp?) Real Brewed Coffee,
using a cone filter.  Needless to say, I hung my food,
garbage, and even toiletries Just To Be Sure.  Spent
half the night trying to determine if every twig crack
was a bear.  Some were deer, confirmed by the
flashlight. Lots and lots of night wind.  Came to grips
with my own mortality, and eventually got to sleep.

Saturday, 6-10-00
Up at 7:39 AM.  Breakfast of oatmeal, fruit bits,
and (of course) coffee.  Worked up a sweat just
cleaning up and swatting abundant gnats.  Departed
at 9:24.

9:35.  At Pinnacle.  Excellent view.  Took pictures.
Descended to Pinnacles picnic area to get water and
rest.  Met a through hiker called Granite, who
educated me a bit on the use of trekking poles (good),
how he travels ultralightly (good) and helped me refit
my Kelty E-frame (bad.  Made it all worse.  He's
definitely not an e-frame fitter.).  I was very impressed
by the versatility of the space blanket/poncho.

Off again, going up and up; temperature going up
and up;  sweat going into my eyes, probably bringing
a little Sportsman's Off with it, burning like crazy.
Soon, I was past the huffing-and-puffing point to the
profoundly hot and weary point -- and after only about
4 miles and a couple or 3 hours.  Not good.

By the time I got to Little Stony Man, it was just about
all over.  I don't remember whether it was before or after
LSM that I had to lay down on a flattish rock for 20
minutes, allowing the bugs to chew away, and not caring.
I wasn't tired; it was more like Profoundly Weary.  So
bad that I didn not even bother to go to Stony Man, with
or without pack; I had decided to call it quits for the
weekend.

About 2 PM
Trudged down to Skyland (although I *did* determine
to go there by walking AT, and not by taking either of
the side trail short cuts).  Was given $0.35 for Pepsi
by a couple of staff ladies who refused the dollar bill I
offered in return.  Tried to contact of a couple of
friends who had planned to pass through about then;
no luck, as their cell phone wasn't receiving roaming
calls.  Bummed a ride down to Big Meadows from a
nice grandpa/grandson pair.  Got into my car, and saw
my second bear for the weekend (and second in my
life), a cub right by the road, as I drove off.

Afterward
All in all, a good experience, even if my nose was rubbed
in the knowledge of my age and condition.  I *did* do
10 miles in 24 hours, after all, and I can possibly blame the
heat.  In addition to the Pepsi, I finished off my Gatorade
(about 16 oz when I got to the car), consumed two 20 oz
sodas, ate a hot dog, junk cakes, and half a large bag of
chips, and had another quart of water when I got home
at 8:20 PM.  Weighed in, and was still 3 pounds *under*
my weight when I departed, and had never, um, used a
trowel.  I suspect that all that weight loss was water.

Partial post-mortem: The 10 mile-per-day pace, necessitated
by car location, with 95 degree 95% humidity, seems to have
been my undoing.  I was "only" carrying 40 lbs, and have
carried more before.

Tuckerization notes:
-I could have left the fleece sweater (~1 lb)
 and chair thingy (10 oz) home.  Also, the freeze-dried
 ice cream bar (.5 oz, and a natural dessicant) was a waste
 of $1, even on sale.

-I should have brought the whistle (for bears), and should have
bought/brought
Positives:
-Seeing my first bear

-not experiencing any "strength" problems (my legs,
 knees, etc. never did get very sore)

-the wondrous help from even uneducated use of dual
 trekking poles (which may have contributed to the
 feeling of decent strength above)

-the smell of a zillion Laurel buds

-the views from Mary's Rock, Pinnacles, etc.

-the kindness of strangers

Negatives:
-Being spooked after seeing my first bear. :-)

-gnats, who have apparently evolved the ability to bite.

-Sweat/deet burning my eyes

-Apparent lack of stamina (vs strength, above)

-not making my "goal"


I welcome your collective wisdom, encouragement,
chastisement, roses, bricks, pity, told-you-so's, and other
feedback.  That's why I'm on the list -- to learn from
you!

  -Tom Williams

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