Day: |
005 |
Date: |
Wednesday, 7 May 1986 |
Start: |
|
Finish: |
|
Daily
AT Miles: |
17.3 |
Daily Other Miles |
0.5 (0.3 from Shelter, 0.2 to spring) |
Total
AT Miles: |
80.7 |
Total All Miles |
85.6 |
Weather: |
Hot, humid and partly cloudy with storms
and rain in the afternoon. |
Accommodation: |
|
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Muesli Lunch: Biscuits and
peanut butter, date bar. Dinner: Tuna and rice, instant pudding. |
Aches: |
Right little toe sore. |
Animals Seen: |
A marmot, chipmunks and grasshoppers. |
People Seen: |
Six AT Thru-Hikers, six motorists. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
|
Journal: |
Got up at 6:15am and away at 8:05am. I had
trouble with a snagged rope, used to hoist my food supplies out of
bear reach, which delayed me. I made good time to Dicks Creek Gap
where I stopped for a morning break. As an experiment I decided to
write up the previous day’s diary then to give me a longer
break. Just before the Gap, I met two old dears hiking south with
packs. It was a lovely descent through bright orange
azaleas. While writing my diary at the Gap a pick-up truck stopped
and a female hiker, Lisa, and her Labrador, Teddy, got out. She’s
had to make an extra trip into a nearby town because she had
forgotten something. She was from Boston and we chatted for a while
and arranged to meet further up the Trail for lunch. This we did at
Plum Orchard Gap. She explained that there was also a “weirdo”
hiking nearby (I was obviously protection). While she talked, he
emerged from the trees behind us. It was 90°F and humid and he was
wearing two jumpers and jeans. He said he was camping for the night
and Lisa said, quietly to me, that she was going on as far as she
could. While I fetched some spring water, two more AT Thru-Hikers,
Eric and ?, turned up. They had spent the previous night in the
nearby town. Their pace was slow. We moved off, aiming for Muskrat
Shelter, 7.5 miles away and not quite as far as I had intended, but
Lisa was obviously keen for the company. We reached the Shelter
around 6pm after a steep and strenuous climb up from Bly Gap, the
Georgia/South Carolina border. During the afternoon there had been
thunderstorms and rain. I had difficulty lighting a fire, but
finally managed. Lisa insisted I cook on her gas stove. Tuna and
rice, quite nice. It was a big Shelter and the register showed lots
of people had been through during the day. I will probably catch
some tomorrow. I went to bed at 9:30pm. The valve on my air
mattress is broken and I spent an uncomfortable night. Something
was also scratching in the roof. Nevertheless, a good day. Over 17
miles without effort and some of the aches are abating. Good
company. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
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Hume & Hovell Walking Track
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Via Alpina
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Australian Alps Walking
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Land's End to John O'Groats
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Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
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Australia Tip to Top MTB
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Adelaide to Darwin MTB
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Sydney to Melbourne MTB
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Three Peaks Race
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Appalachian Trail
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Alpine Track
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|