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

[patv@ukans.edu (Pat Villeneuve)]

Brava, brava! Glad to hear about your successful hike. I thought of you
while you were out there. That's a great section.
Chocolate

Delita Wright wrote:

> 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
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awalkaday/
> http://www.topica.com/lists/astepaday
>
> >> pray for the peace of Jerusalem
>
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