[at-l] Max Patch to Hot Springs - WOOHOO! Trip report (long)

[delita@mindspring.com (Delita Wright)]

Bonus: hiker sitings of the underwear guys and Lemming.
Warning: this is very long.

First, I have to tell ya Hopeful is one helpful guy.  I think
he takes *newbie* or *wannabe* or even *possibly might someday
be* backpackers as his personal mission in life.  Good job,
Hopeful!  I enjoyed it.

He's already given you the Max Patch report (although I think
you overdid it telling them my food was good, Hopeful - you
were just supposed to say it wasn't bad for those who said
they'd never eat that kinda stuff)!

We did get a late start, partially my slowness, after meeting
Sly and Paul, checking out Hot Springs and the outfitter,
having a 2nd breakfast, experimenting with the local map (not
all Hopeful's fault - he's just kind).

We managed to get away from the Max Patch road at about 2:45
PM, I believe - and I had left my borrowed hiking poles 40
miles back in my car. ;-(  Well, there was nothing to it now
but hike to Hot Springs. ;-)

We did loll around a bit - once again, mostly my fault - on
the way to Roaring Fork, me deciding to fill one bottle at the
spring, then later going back for another, etc.  And, talking
to day hikers.  (My lack of experience there didn't slow me
down a bit!)  As we went, we enjoyed especially hiking along
the creek and the little waterfalls, and the 3 deer we flushed
that Hopeful spied first.

But we took our time and talked a good bit (at least I did)
and I enjoyed hearing what both of them had to say, and we
pulled into the shelter just at *gettin' dark* time, which
seemed perfect to me.

I remembered all the advice I got and immediately put on my
new GoLite Coal (which I like very much, btw) and was later
glad that I had.  I can see the value of both the Coal and the
putting on a layer as soon as you stop.

I didn't fumble around too much with cooking, I don't think -
even though this was the first time I had made this meal on
the trail.  It is tasty, but I credit the Knorr's soup mix
base along with the dehydrated mushrooms and onions and *just
veggies* veggies and real butter in it.  It also looks very
appealing with the rich tomato base and the many bright
colored veggies.  And it has good protein, which works for me.

I will make this a regular trail meal, making some up ahead so
I can do spur of the moment packing. :-)  Ooo, that would be
good with instant brown rice. :-)  Oh, I also cooked first a
1/2 pack of brown rice ramen for a hot soup drink to have
while *dinner* was cooking.  Good tip, everyone, to have a hot
drink first - although I wasn't cold it was still a nice lift.

I was *pushing it* on this trip by taking only the 30* LL Bean
sleeping bag and leaving the Army bag liner at home.  I had
gone down to 15* twice with the liner and bag, and the temp
wasn't supposed to get that low, so I *tested* doing without
the liner to save unnecessary weight.  I took polypro sweats
and thor-lo thermal boot socks to sleep in, to push the bag
down to maybe 20* and I did sleep on the cool side.

First I tried putting my tyvek ground cloth over me, but it
kept sliding off.  Then I put it under me (we were on a
platform), under my walmart closed-cell pad.  It seemed to
help with the cold there.  I also spread the GoLite Coal
(lightweight parka) over me inside the bag. But I woke up cool
in the middle of the night, so I got my tent fly and put it
over me, and put the Coal on, with the hood.  That was
plenty.  I had had a hat on, but it came off.  Next time I'll
wear the hood to my GoLite, which won't come off.  Lesson #1:
have all the stuff you *might need* in testing a sleep system
right there by you so you don't have to get up in the night.
And BTW, where did all the Roaring Fork shelter mice go??

I slept pretty well in spite of all this experimenting, and I
trust my snoring didn't keep Hopeful and Paul awake because
nothing was thrown at me - at least that woke me.

In the morning I rolled over and went back to sleep just
before daybreak.  Mistake.  I woke again at full light and it
was already at least 8:00.  Since I had planned maybe 11.2
miles to the Deer Mountain shelter, I should have been up the
first time.

It took me a full 2 hours to cook and eat breakfast, which was
coarse corn grits (polenta) with some TVP for protein, cheddar
cheese, dehydrated onions, real bacon bits, butter and salt.
Tasty and filling.  I think I can make it easier and better
next time.

To me the secret to cooking with TVP is not to care that it
doesn't have any taste.  Make the rest of the dish have so
much taste that you don't care that the TVP is in there adding
protein.  Works.

I finally got off at 10:00, headed north to the first of my
two expected mountains for the day: Walnut Mt.  Hopeful had
routed out 3 different possibilities of hiking sticks for me,
and I took the best one (this was after he offered me his
poles which I appreciated but turned down).  The pole I ended
up with worked very nicely and I was off.  BTW, Hopeful, your
bud Paul was talking about doing this same trip with his
wife.  I think he *got* it. :-)

I didn't know I wouldn't see another person for over 24
hours.  Well - that didn't bother me.  In fact, it was fun.  I
had looked at the elevation profile on the map and it said it
was down hill until I started climbing Walnut Mountain.  Who
said that?  I never found much down hill but the up wasn't
bad.  Soon I started climbing a good hill which looked steep
and pretty tall and felt very good about my new-found mountain
climbing ability.

But then, I came around a curve and saw that I wasn't yet even
*on* Walnut Mountain.  And Walnut Mountain looked high!  I got
a little intimidated, especially knowing the next mountain was
even higher.  Especially, I guess, because I slow way down and
get winded if I do too much going up too fast - like even a
slow walk.  I was slowed down already and hadn't even gotten
to Walnut Mt.!

But - I had this little epiphany, where I realized:  I didn't
have to hike the whole trail.  I didn't even have to hike the
long part that was visible in front of me up to the next
turn.  All I had to do was take one step.  I got so tickled
with that thought that I forgot about being intimidated and
the next time I thought about it I was just starting to
descend - my second mountain!!   LOL

In the meantime, I enjoyed the climb up Walnut Mt. very much,
and loved the little spot between the two brooks about halfway
up.  Or was that on Bluff Mt.?  This seemed to be a trip where
I was noticing a lot of lichen and moss, and some ferns.  All
day long, both days I was by myself, I kept marveling at all
the different kinds and there were so many!!  I don't know
they names of any of them but I sure like them, and I most
enjoy the vast diversity.

When I got to the top of Walnut Mt. it was fun to see the
shelter, which had a log which I signed (that's the first time
I realized there wasn't one in the Roaring Fork shelter).  And
I used the privy with a view.  I was enjoying myself so much,
I took off again, and left my new Hopeful donated stick
behind!  Now that's twice in two days!  Yikes.

When I realized it, I was over 1/4 mile just headed down the
other side of the mountain and I said *I left my pole!* right
out loud.  Funny, I had been crashing through the leaves, but
when I said that - really, not too loud, I flushed at least 15
wild turkeys on the slopes below.  That was a sight and a
sound to behold!  Can you  behold a sound?

Anyway, I kept going, but spent a bit of time looking for
another good pole, and finally picked one, which was okay, but
not as good as Hopeful's.

I kept going, and going, and going and before I knew it I was
up on top of the second mountain - Bluff Mountain.  This is a
mountain to take seriously!  I know there are bigger ones, but
this one did take a good bit out of me.  I was stopping for
snacks fairly often as I climbed, and going pretty slowly.  By
the time I got to the top, it was just starting to get that
late afternoon golden hue to the light, but I figured I still
had about 1.5 hours until dark, at least.  I started down the
other side.

I don't think I was half way - and I was looking for water.
One of the things I was *testing* was trying not to carry too
much water, which I tend to do 'cause I need so much.  I drank
over 7 liters the first two days we were out.  Don't remember
about the 3rd day.  Anyway, I had run out of water and was
looking for more.

The trail guide notes, which I had photo-copied onto a single
sheet - seemed to only match up to reality about half the
time, and I had just gotten to the *huge rock* which was
mebbe, but probably not, halfway down when I decided it was
getting too dark to read the trail guide notes and I needed my
light.

In fact, I had just passed water not in the notes and not on
the trail but within site - and - by hindsight, I'm thinking I
should have just gone for that water and forgotten about the
several sources that were supposed to be coming up.  Lesson #2
- the water you have beats the water you're might gonna have
maybe if things go right.

Anyway, about the time I decided to get out my light and keep
hiking in the fast-falling dark, I started fiddling with the
light and it quit working.  Yuk,  About that time, my mild
gastro-intestinal disturbance of the day decided now is the
time.  I kid you not.  It got funny.  I am standing halfway
down one of the steepest parts of the mountain, with a
brand-new light that just broke, my experimental search for
water in full swing, and now I need to find an appropriate
place to have the runs.  Sorry - but if you can't laugh at
that, let's just be glad I was alone.

Oddly enough, once again, panic didn't seem like a fun option
and things got sorted out and I got back on the trail with
even my iffy light working again.  I hiked maybe another 45
minutes to an hour, and had just crossed the rushingest water
I saw all trip when suddenly my batteries died.  Took about a
second.  Lesson #3:  remember that batteries die and keep
track of such things.

Well, it was about a full moon but a little overcast, so I
really didn't need a great light to be enough to hike by.
And, I really wanted to - I was getting determined now - get
down far enough off this mountain that I could find a flat
place to lie down in.  I didn't think I was going to make it
all the way to Garenflo gap, but the trail guide had this old
road beyond a forest service road, beyond water promise in it,
(I had already filled up with water, the first time I crossed
some) that I whipped out my yellow photon and kept going for.
And besides, everywhere I was passing was WAAAAY to steep.

I didn't want to stop; I felt strong and good.  I had hiked
slow all day due to mostly climbs, and had started late.  I
didn't *feel* like stopping.  But after an hour or more, I
started getting tired, the trail guide didn't seem to be
lining up so I had no idea if or when this old road would
appear, and I decided to take the first semi flat spot I came
to.  Hiking after dark and tired seems far riskier to me.  I
had been *practicing* hiking after dark and at dusk at home
and had really gotten to enjoy it.  Lesson #4: those dumb
little things you practice at home are actually very smart and
WELL worth the effort.

Along in here I passed an *unexpected* road bed that didn't
jive with the trail guide.  It looked very well tended and I
decided it very well might be a FS road - so, I better not
pitch a tent on it.  It was tempting, though.

About this time I lost my *drinking* bottle, which left me
with my two storage (1.5 liter) bottles.  It was steep and I
was tired and down to the photon.  I decided I'd better leave
it (down about 15 ft.) and go on.  I felt bad about LNT, but
decided safety first - and wasn't sure about trying that steep
leaf and needle covered ground in the dark.  I'm not the
agile.

Not far after that - hark - a wide spot in the trail.  I
checked it out and remembered lesson #2 and decided to pitch
right beside the biggest tree,   The ground was curvy there
but then so am I.  It was light enough that I was able to
pitch this tent (which I had only done once before for
practice) in the dark without any extra light.  And it was
warm enough that I took off my fleece to set up camp. Weird.
I was starting to sweat.  The air had just gone still and
warm.

Well, I didn't really feel tired enough to turn in, but I also
didn't feel energetic enough to set up my *kitchen* and cook.
So, I decided to crash first and cook in the morning.  It was
probably not the right decision (I do better when I don't miss
meals, and this was not the best time to miss one) but I did
go to sleep quickly and slept very deeply - after filling in
one hollow under my pad with my removed fleece.

I also slept that night under the bag opened up like a quilt.
It was warm, remember.  I was VERY comfortable.  I suddenly
became a quilt convert.  :-)

Next morning, I woke and got up and first light, determined to
do my chores and get out of there a little faster than two
hours.  I had figured out at the GA Ruck that I should start
airing and drying the bag and tent as soon as I get out of
them - then they may be dried by the time I'm ready to pack
them.  So, I went back and forth between those chores and
cooking hot drinks and breakfast (first, hot chocolate, then,
hot multi-grain cereal with TVP, butter and honey, then herb
tea).  By the time I did all my *chores* again, the sun had
come up and been up maybe 90 minutes.  I'm thinking I might
have improved my time by 10-15 minutes.  I have a way to go on
this.

Initially, I had picked this trip as a 4 day, 3 night trip.
But some on the list said it was 2-3 days and one said he
didn't see how you could do 4 days on it.  Now I can see that
my first instincts were right.  It would have been a relaxed 4
day, 3 night trip for me.  My hope of doing Roaring Fork to
Deer Mountain shelter in one day (11.2, including the two
mountains) was vain.  But - I managed to *hike the trail* and
not the plan, and enjoyed everything I did (well, almost).
The first day we had done only 5.8 miles but gotten to where
we planned.  The second day I did the two mountains, and only
got in 7.8 miles.  I say *only* but actually this is very good
for me.  This left me 7.5 miles to do my 3rd day, with some
nice climbs out of Garenflo gap in the morning and that tough
descent into Hot Springs in the afternoon.  I hoped to hit
Deer Mountain shelter about noon.

I headed down the trail again, and noticed I was feeling just
not a little wimpy.  But in 200 yards, I came to the forest
road, followed soon by the old road bed.  Beautiful!  Would
have been a great place to camp! ;-)  I went on and soon got
to Garenflo gap (which we had driven to Saturday, but don't
ask) and started up the other side.

I stopped by the power lines to do a WOWI (water out, water
in) stop and get a snack, when I saw my first person in over a
day, running down the trail toward the gap.  Turns out it was
*Shirt* one of the 3 *underwear* guys who are doing a
supported triple crown attempt this year.  He stopped and
talked a few minutes and was really nice.  He was carrying a
GoLite day pack and liked it - we talked about going light a
bit.

He took off and I did, too - but now I was energized and
feeling good about what I was doing.  I was really enjoying
myself and now the ups weren't so hard.  But I had left my
pole - again!!  And I had even thought of it and leaned it on
the same tree I leaned my pack on when I stopped.  Yuk.  Soon,
I saw a downed small tree with it's bark off right by the
trail and I was trying to pick it up out of the brush when
another guy said hello.

Turns out it was *Fiddlehead* (I think that's right.)  He also
stopped and talked a few minutes, and was extremely nice and
encouraging (I told him I was new to all this).  Before he
left he pulled my tree out for me and then took off.  The tree
made the best pole of all (no bark!) and the lightest of all.
I still have this one. ;-)

Off I go again, still happy and strong - and remember this is
my 3rd day and the first time I've hiked in mountains since
'99.  Next I come to *Peeps* who admitted that some days
you're strong and some you're not, and this was one he was
not.  He also talked a few minutes and was very encouraging.
I told all 3 of them I'd let the list know I saw them.  And -
I went on feeling strong.  Again, I was happy and hiking and
enjoying everything including the beautiful weather, mid-
60ies, light breeze, blue skies - and especially the lichen
and mosses.  I saw the teeniest little 3-petal red flowers on
some lichen!  Wow!  Wasn't somebody just talking about that?
They were so cool, I wished I had a magnifying glass (but not
the weight).

After a while I came to a blue blaze to a vista, which I took
- but I lost the blue blaze trail and ended up bushwhacking
back to the AT.  It wasn't far or hard, but I noticed after I
got going again that I was feeling a little wimpy again.  I
decided lesson #5: bushwhacking takes extra energy.  And
lesson #6:  I probably didn't have much extra energy because,
a) it was my 3rd day and I was basically not in shape, and 2)
I skipped dinner last night, and c) hiking an unknown amount
of miles down a steep mountain after dark to find someplace to
pitch with lights going out also takes a little extra bit of
energy out of you.  None of this was a problem but it was a
learning experience.

I hiked on.  Eventually, another hiker showed up - Lemming.
He started in May last year and seemed pretty wistful about
getting to GA.  He said he had stayed at (a B&B?) in Hot
Springs and didn't make it out until noon.  He also seemed a
little wistful that the 3 underwear guys were so far ahead of
him (they'd been in Hot Springs the night before, too).  BTW,
why are they called the underwear guys?

I told him I'd tell the list about meeting him too (which he
seemed to appreciate) and we both hiked on.  He did tell me it
was almost 2:00, and I had thought I would get to Deer
Mountain shelter noonish.  I was out of water again (planned)
when I got there.  I did take time to use my Emergen-C drink
powder which I had been forgetting some.  Lesson #7:  Use it.

And, I did take time for a nice snack break, but didn't take
time to cook my *last lunch* I had packed.  I had made up an
instant skin-on mashed potatoes mix to have with just butter,
cheese, salt and pepper.  It's just as well - I had lost my
salt along the way.  But - Lesson #8.  I do better with hot
meals and not just eating snacks all day.  I'm working on a
way to cook a hot lunch and carry it with me so I won't have
to stop and cook again.

Anyhow, I left the shelter and started the climb up from
that.  Now, suddenly, I'm really drained.  The climb is really
hard for me, for the first time.  I can tell it's me and that
it's not *that bad* of a climb.  Of course, eventually I make
it far enough along the ridge to start the descent and now my
feet start bothering me.

My left foot big toe toenail is bumping (I re-tied my boots at
the shelter) and I make the decision to go ahead and buy new
boots a 1/2 size bigger (which I had seen coming).  Also, I
had trimmed that nail for this trip.  And on both feet, but
particularly my right, the nerve in the middle of the foot
right in front of the ball was yelping.  I probably looked
like I was plain limping my last 1-1.5 miles down that trail
into Hot Springs.  I did get through the whole trip without a
blister or even a hot spot other than these foot things I
mentioned.  And, my journey pack is comfortable, but I'm
looking forward to lighter.  I bought these boots 1/2 size
larger but should have gone a full size larger.)

Last notes:  I ate again at the Smokey Mt. Cafe and called the
brother I'd left my *where/when* info with (so I wouldn't have
to call him after I got home from a 5 hour drive at
midnight).  During the drive, I started nodding off and waking
up once I hit I-40, so pulled off and spent the night in the
car under the sleeping bag (that car's not big enough!) and
got home and to work 1/2 day later than planned.  But, once
again, it was all okay.

Summary - I had a blast.  My initial pack weight, FSO without
food and water was under 30 pounds (30, but then I took out
some stuff and left the poles).  But my food bag was almost 12
pounds (12 and I took out a few snacks at the last minute).
But - I ate almost everything I had with me, and should have
taken time to eat the two meals I skipped.  I feel certain I
would have been stronger that third day if I hadn't skipped
either one or both of those meals.

The things I was concentrating on - the increased mileage, the
mountains to climb, the 30* degree bag w/ polypro but w/o
liner, the newly designed complex carb with protein meals and
snacks, the learning not to carry so much water, *testing* the
new jacket: everything worked.  I can't say I did everything
*perfectly* because what I really did was learn from.....

Some things that next time I'd do it a different way, like:
    1)    Trust my instincts when planning my hike rather than
what some guy says on the list about what I *should* be able
to do (but be prepared for either of us to be right.)
    2)    Don't even try for that extra long distance on top
of other new challenges and realize that coming off a tall
mountain just before sunset may leave you without a flat place
to sleep for a while.  Put more thought to what good options
might be than trying to reach some goal.
    3)    Pay more attention to my *lighting* set up.  This
time it was no big deal, but next time it might be.
    4)    Really continue to work on getting that pack weight
down and refining those foods and getting a system going so I
can get out of town in less time in the mornings.
    5)    The food weight is mostly from snacks.  Snacks are
generally not dehydrated.  Find ways to maybe use some
dehydrated foods for snacks too (perhaps prepared ahead at
meal times) to keep food weight down, and maybe cook *lunch*
at breakfast and carry it (in a thermal mug or cozy?) since my
body does better on hot foods.  DON'T skip meals!  Ever!!
    6)    Do some more research on *why* my body requires so
much water and try to find how to meet that need some other
way ahead of time (like, nutritionally).
    7)    Continue to learn to *hike the hike and not the
plan* for maximum enjoyment while out there.  And remember to
share generously with the non-hikers and newbie hikers of the
world - a la Hopeful.

Wrap up:  I can't help comparing this to my first hike on the
AT (this was my second).  My first was in '99, less than 3
months after I decided to learn how to backpack when I
discovered the snacks trick to keep my blood sugar stable
while hiking.  That time, I did Testnatee (.9 miles in, across
the big hump) to Unicoi, section 13 in GA.  It was picked as
the easiest AT stretch in GA.  I did 13.6 miles in 51 hours
with 2 overnights.  This time, I did 20.2 hours in 51 hours
with 2 overnights, and a trail guide sheet left in Deer
Mountain shelter described the last two days as *very
difficult.*  WOOHOO!  I think I'm gonna learn to hike! :-)

That's all folks.  Sure was fun.  Thanks for listening.

Delita <-- already planning next outing :-)

--
Delita Wright
Chapel Hill, NC

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