Day: |
014 |
Date: |
Friday, 16 May 1986 |
Start: |
|
Finish: |
|
Daily
AT Miles: |
18.0 |
Daily Other Miles |
0 |
Total
AT Miles: |
257.5 |
Total All Miles |
268.0 |
Weather: |
Sunny at first then drizzle, then
thunderstorms and heavy rain. Cleared later. |
Accommodation: |
|
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink. Lunch:
Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar. Dinner: Macaroni cheese,
instant pudding. |
Aches: |
|
Animals Seen: |
Rabbit. |
People Seen: |
Eight overnight hikers. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
|
Journal: |
Got up at 6:30am and seemed to take a long
time to pack up before leaving at 8:30am. The uphill slog
continued, but the scenery was good and the grade not too bad. It
became overcast and threatened rain though not cold. About noon it
began drizzling very lightly then at 12:40pm began raining
heavily. I stopped under a rhododendron bush to have lunch and was
soon forced to put on my Goretex. After lunch it was a short climb
to the bare-topped Max Patch in clearing humid weather. The views
from the crest were spectacular with thunderclouds filling the
valleys and the dark peaks of the Smoky’s and other mountains
looming in the background. I left the crest and headed northwards
next to paddocks and then along a stream surrounded by rhododendrons
and other shrubs. Very eerie. It began to rain again and became
very heavy. I splashed onwards hoping that the Walnut Mt Shelter,
which the Guide said was inadequate in bad weather, wasn’t that bad
and resigning myself to muesli for dinner. On arrival, I found the
Shelter occupied by six hikers from the Greenville area of North
Carolina. They were a friendly bunch of guys led by Bill, with Herb
the most talkative. There was dry firewood in the Shelter, but the
lads insisted I use their gas stoves. I had arrived at 5pm and had
plenty of time to sit around and talk. I went to bed in the Shelter
with three of the lads (ages 30-55) whilst the others slept in
tents. Around 10pm it began to rain and became torrential. The
Shelter leaked near the feet of Dave and Dave, two of the group, so
it was fitful sleep as we checked the damage every so often. In the
early hours a dog began barking nearby, disturbing sleep further. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
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Hume & Hovell Walking Track
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Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track (2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
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Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
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Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
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Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
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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|